Getting Organized

As my title says.. I am a Busy Bee.  If you follow me on my social media outlets, I tend to have a ton going on all at once. I am able to do this for a couple of reasons.
1. I LOVE BEING BUSY!! I am involved in the things that make my heart happy and I feel like I am making a difference.
2. I am fairly organized.

With that being said. It is hard to be organized when you re in a new position and not for sure where to start the organization at.  Now, I am loving every minute of my job.. I mean.. I get to school at 6:15am and often times don't leave until at least 6pm.  It has kept me on my toes, lets me crazy and creative, and I get to do lots of different things in one day!

I also have the privilege of having Mrs. Gamez help me in the library during different parts of the day. I of course work with amazing people, but ya'll Mrs. Gamez has kept me sane over these last 3 weeks. She is kind, she knows every nook and cranny of the library, she is quick to help students (and me) and she is just all around amazing.  Did I mention that she is fast at shelving books (this is just an added perk to how wonderful she is)

So, I have all of these random crazy ideas.. and I am fairly good at following through on them.  But, I am slow.  I remember when I worked at the Stomping Grounds Coffee Shop that we were supposed to clock out 1 hour after the store closed.. I always did, but usually I ended up staying an extra hour.

I have lots of pieces that I want to organize.. but I knew that I needed to start with checking in/shelving books.  Last week.. I got overwhelmed.. might have shed a couple of tears (what am I saying.. I totally cried and drowned my overwhelmed self in twinkies). The books were everywhere.  Nothing that the students or teachers did.. I just didn't have a system.  This is how it was every day and I just felt like although I was doing my job teaching students, I just couldn't keep up with getting books back on shelves.

My hot mess last week

Before I left school on Friday, I came up with an idea. 

Now, today was the first day to try it out.. but guys.. check in only took 5 minutes and it was SO MUCH EASIER to shelve books.  (side note.. I am sure that this has been written about in some area... but I am learning) (side side note.. I realize this is the first day so I know it won't always work this well)

The previous librarian had set up a blue cart with the various Dewey numbers on it.  Students had been trained to put books back in the proper number if they took it off the shelf and ended up not wanting it.  Even that was out of order. 

I pulled out another book cart and labeled the top 6 shelves with the alphabet (this is for everybody books) and the bottom shelf for green dots (where are our easy chapter books) and found another blue cart and labeled it with the non-fiction Dewey numbers to match the first cart.

Today we started my new system:

1. Students came into the library with their books.  We talked about the label on the spine of the book and the type of information that it gave.

2. Teacher checked in book and students put it in proper location

Guys.. I had 1st graders doing this today and do you know how much easier it was to shelve books this afternoon? They were already sorted and partially alphabetized.. AND.. look at those skills the students are learning!

Everybody Book Cart

Non-fiction, graphic novel and fiction books

Now, I know that I am going to have more frustrations and I know I will get overwhelmed.  I hope to share frustrations.. and exciting things I am doing.  I am new and learning SO MUCH!
Upcoming- my blogs are getting makeovers! AND.. Dot Day is this week! I can't wait.. and then Book Fair.  I have decided I will sleep during Christmas break (Destination ImagiNation and Girl Scouts start next week!)
How do you stay sane? I am going to have library helpers and parent volunteers, but what are some of the job descriptions that you give them?