What happens in the library at the beginning of the school year?
When students return to library, we usually review the routines of their library time, such as behavior and procedures for class time and circulation.
They also begin to build on their knowledge from the year before in regards to how the library is set up and where to find books that are appropriate for them. We discuss the difference between Fiction and Non-Fiction and how to appropriately locate these books on the shelves and in the Online Public Access Catalog. A common question I get as a librarian is, "Do you still use the Dewey Decimal System?" and the answer is "Yes!" A library without an organizational system would be very difficult to locate resources in!
Students in grades 3-5 learn about the various Dewey Decimal sections so that they can begin to independently locate informational sources. Students in grades K-2 focus primarily on the fiction sections, but are always welcome to browse the non-fiction and often ask for assistance when doing so. This way they begin to familiarize themselves with where they might find a book about animals or planets, for example.
