Library Assistant Center

This is a center I use with only 4th graders (so far).  My schedule is spread out enough that I have time to swap out centers if needed and this is something the kids love to do and it also helps me out a lot!  

A while back, fourth graders started asking me if I needed help with anything (perhaps they noticed my piles of to-be-genre-stickered books, unsharpened pencils, and general giant to-do stack?).  I have had library helpers during recesses in the past but I thought, why not incorporate library helpers into library class with a center? I set out any little projects I have for them, with sticky note instructions since the projects vary. 


Some things students have done at this center: 
*put genre labels on all the graphic novels
*put second barcodes on the inside of all new books (Is this what other people do with the extra barcodes?  Follett and Junior Library Guild both send me extra barcodes.  I put them on the inside cover and a few times when I've lost the outside barcode, it's been helpful.)
*highlight new books on the packing slips
*check in books
*prep activities for the younger kids, like folding or stapling papers 
*create signs like rules for using our new iPads
*pulled genre books (the previous librarian did an awesome job with genre labels so the kids can walk around and pull out all the Thanksgiving books, historical fiction picture books, etc.)

 Checking new books off on the packing slip

Making signs of iPad rules

Adding blank spine stickers to the insides of books...I've been keeping up with writing the reading levels in the books (leveling in a library will be a post in itself at some point).

I don't give them anything too important, but so far they have been very responsible and very good at asking questions or showing me anything they have questions about.  Helping in the library really makes the kids really feel responsible for THEIR library and some kids are actually disappointed when I don't have "work" for them!