St. Cloud, MN, August 2013: Busy educators who want a collection of learning resources for study can take advantage of a new service at Great River Regional Library (GRRL).
Using the new Educator Request Form on the library website (griver.org), educators can request subject-specific library materials by specifying the grade level they are teaching, the information they need, how the information will be used, and the sources already checked. On receiving the request, library staff will pull together a selection of books from across the region that are suitable for the specified classroom use. The educator can then pick up the materials at whichever of the library’s 32 locations he or she selects.
“Not all schools have school librarians, and not all schools have collections of up-to-date resources on a large variety of topics,” said Karen Pundsack, GRRL’s Patron Services Coordinator. “The library can collaborate with schools to help fill that gap.” The service is available to homeschoolers as well as classroom teachers. The library estimates a one-week turnaround window for requests. Educators will check out the materials on their personal library card.
“This is something a teacher or homeschooler could do for themselves. They could go online, search the library catalog, place holds on a variety of items, and then check them out as they arrive at their local library. The main advantages of using the webform are quality and speed. Our librarians are knowledgeable about the collection and will find good materials more easily. And second, we will be able to do it faster than anybody else,” Pundsack said. It’s likely that some materials will be available for delivery immediately from the large collection shelved in St. Cloud, with additional materials arriving separately as they are pulled from other library locations.
The Educator Request Form is one of a group of reference and research services available under the Ask A Librarian link on the library’s home page.
Great River Regional Library (GRRL) provides library services at 32 public libraries in Benton, Morrison, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd and Wright Counties. It provides Central Minnesota residents with nearly 1 million books, CDs and DVDs, 250 public computers, programming and information services.
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