By Cecily Barnes
The Saratoga Education Foundation (SEF) and the Saratoga Union School District (SUSD) have teamed up and appealed to Saratoga's Rotary Grant Foundation for $17,000 to automate Saratoga school libraries. Two of the libraries are still equipped with antiquated card catalogues.
At Foothill and Saratoga school libraries, students still finger through hundreds of tiny cards filed alphabetically in long wooden drawers, while Redwood and Argonaut kids locate books through searchable databases. At Foothill and Saratoga, books are signed out on library cards, stamped and filed by librarians. At Redwood and Argonaut, librarians scan books in and out electronically, leaving more time to spend with students.
"I would much rather [library staff] be able to read stories with children and help them with research," said Saratoga Elementary's principal, Lily Ogden, who thinks the old card catalogue system takes up too much of the staff's time. "What we're trying to do is to bring us up to the 21st century so that things don't have to be quite as labor intensive. It frees up our personnel to work with the children."
Automating the library would increase the ease and speed of checking books in and out, explained Louise Levy, director of special projects for the school district. And with more time on their hands, library staff can focus more on the children.
"Right now, we have a paid aid in the media center for 20 hours a week," said Ogden. "I would say a good half of that time is spent on clerical work, which I think is not the best use of that time."
But library aids may soon have more time to spend with students. After receiving board approval Dec. 10, Levy and SEF's Laura Kurland submitted a grant request for $17,289, or any part thereof. If granted, the money will cover the purchase of two bar-code scanners, updated software, faculty training, maintenance support and a vendor to bar-code books at Saratoga and Foothill.
"We asked them for the full amount, but we are also open to being funded in stages," said Levy.
The Saratoga Rotary Service Fund will review the schools' request this month and make a decision. One member of the 11-person committee is in the process of interviewing the SEF applicants. This person will report the findings to the committee on Jan. 14.
"They'll check the status of the organization, review their needs and then we have a meeting," said Dane Christensen, chapter chair of the Saratoga Rotary Service Fund. "We'll go around the table, and everyone reports on the one they researched."
Every year, the Saratoga Rotary Art Show is held at West Valley College to raise the funds then doled out as grants.
"This last year, we had a fantastic year," said Christensen. "We netted around $90,000. But we try to keep a certain amount aside for a rainy day."
Seven organizations will be considered for grants at the Rotary Club's Jan. 14 meeting.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, January 15, 1997.
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