March 7, 2012

This past week has been a flurry of activity for me as we make plans for our new school that will be opening this fall.  It is a monumental project and as library media specialist, I am responsible for various aspects of the planning.  On Friday, March 2nd, the principal, the technology teacher, and I met here at the school with the district Director of Networking and Engineering and the district Manager of Media and Technology Integration.  We discussed technology for the new school and the FF&E (Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment) budget.  As a team we will decide the varying types of technology that will be included in the classrooms, media center, office areas, and various other areas of the school.  Decisions have to be made on what computers we will take with us from our present inventory and how many will have to be purchased to supplement to reach the district goal of at least a 1 computer for every 5 students.  Our present student to computer ratio is 2.85, which is much better than some schools in our district.  The fact that we have 3 COWs with 16 laptops each helps to keep this number low.  Other decisions include whether each classroom will have a printer and what types, if every teacher will receive an ActivSlate and CPS system, and a myriad of other choices.  This group will meet many times over the course of the rest of the school year to work out these issues. 

Another meeting was held yesterday for a different group of stakeholders to make other decisions on the layout of the building and technology as well as FF&E.  This group included the principal, the technology teacher and me, as well as our governing board president, the governing board committee chair for the new school, the district Project Manager for Facilities and Construction, the district Director of Networking and Engineering, the district Director and Manager of Media and Technology Integration, the project manager and an architect from the architect company, and a representative from the construction company that is building the new school.  It was a two hour meeting which I feel answered a lot of questions and moved us forward in the process. 

Concerning the media center, I was able to get the mounted Promethean board location moved to another wall, which will free up space for either more shelving or student computer stations.  The circulation desk location was also discussed and moved out from the wall about 3 feet to have a better sight line in relation to the entrance/exit doors as well as to allow a passage way between the desk and office space.  I was able to obtain wall measurements from the architects which will assist me in furniture decisions such as type, size and locations.  Over the weekend I pored over catalogs to choose furniture for each of the rooms in the library (LMS office, tech processing, conference, student MM room, teamwork room) as well as the library common areas.  I, along with the district media personnel, will choose the shelving, library tables and chairs, circulation desk, computer tables and chairs, and hopefully some casual soft-seating furniture. 

Other considerations I have to make is what types of library-media technology will go and what will be eliminated.  We have lots of audio cassettes and VHS videos that are outdated and not utilized.  I have eliminated some but make decisions on others.  Equipment will have to be collected from teachers before the move and either discarded or packed.  It's going to be a long, tedious process with many more meetings and decisions to make, but it will be well worth it when we are able to move in and enjoy our new facility!!