Helena Park Elementary is a Pre-K through fourth grade campus. It promotes literacy through a wide range of programs. The most prominent of these is the Accelerated Reader program. Through this program, students read books and receive points for the books that they read. This curriculum ensures that many students use the library each day.

The collection is tagged for Accelerated Reader; however, children must look through the many cards in the catalog. This type of searching is often time- consuming and it takes children away from their classroom lessons. With an online card catalog, children could locate the book they needed quickly and could return to their classrooms in a more timely fashion.

It is the goal of Helena Park Elementary to provide an online catalog for their students and teachers. Achievement of this goal will help develop advanced library skills and allow the reading curriculum to run more smoothly.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

ABSTRACT

Children can learn computer skills at an early age in today’s society. Helena Park Elementary provides students with a computer lab and computers in every classroom. This access to computers produces students who are proficient in computer skills. However, the school currently does not have an online catalog in the library.

Helena Park services 562 students. Each student enters the library at least once a week. These students are locating books by using an outdated card catalog. Helena Park is committed to providing computer access in the library and plan to implement an online catalog that is available to students, parents and teachers. Through this online catalog, students will be provided with the up-to-date library skills that they need to move to the middle school.

With the help of a grant, Helena Park Elementary will be able to develop online catalog skills in their students. These skills will benefit them in middle and high school, as well as in the city’s public library since all of these facilities are currently online with their card catalog.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

NEEDS / ASSESSMENT

Studies find that exposure to computers at an early age helps to develop lifetime computer skills. Helena Park exposes children to computers in the classroom; however, our library comes in a poor second. With computers and an online catalog, children would utilize their computer skills in the library.

Children in our building anxiously await going to our districts middle school because they will be able to use computers in the library. They also look forward to going because their brother or sister has told them how they can access the library through the classroom. By providing an online catalog and computers in the library, children at Helena Park will no longer have to wait until fifth grade to utilize these technologies. Students will go to the middle school with this knowledge and experience.
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Helena Park online catalog system will include the following components and their measurable objectives.

The program will begin in April with all computers and software being ordered. Once the hardware and software arrives, the district technicians will assemble the system and wire the library.

The "Access Catalog" team will test the system and insure completion of the installation. The team will then begin loading files onto the system to insure that all library holdings will be loaded by August.

To familiarize the faculty with the system, literature concerning the operation of the system will be sent out during the summer. When the teachers return, in-service will be held on the system and its functions. Again, the team will supervise and conduct this training. This training will be held in the library so teachers will be able to learn on the system.

Once school begins, students will be instructed on how to use the system.The upper grades will be instructed first, with the lower grades following shortly. The librarian will be in charge of this instruction. Trained teachers will provide help and support within the classroom.

The purpose of this project is to allow students the opportunity to access the schools catalog through computers, thus saving valuable instruction time and instilling advanced computer skills.

These computers will be available to students before and after school, during theirscheduled library time (30 minutes weekly) and during the hour check out time in the middle of the school day. By allowing students to use the computer system during all available times, the children will have enough time to become comfortable with the system. My hope is that every student at Helena Park not only knows how to check out a book, but how to locate it electronically. Implementation of this system will achieve that goal.

Total $6,550
 
 
 
 

The district will provide all wiring. NISD will also provide trained personnel to attach all wiring needed for the system. Technical support for the Follett system costs approximately $500 per school year. Helena Park will cover this cost each year so that the systems can be maintained and repaired by Follett.

The P.T.A. has purchased the single-user Fillet system for the library. The cost was approximately $650. This purchase was made in May of 1998. The team asked for the multi-user but funds in that amount were not available.

The district has purchased two computers for the library. The cost was approximately $2,500. One is for the circulation desk and the other is for students use; however, the second computer cannot house the library’s catalog until the library has the multi-user software.

In order to implement the system as previously stated, the team would need to receive funds by the end of March 1999.

EVALUATION

The online catalog team will provide evaluation of the program. This team consists of Mr. Wayne Dial, Mrs. Giraraud, Mrs. Worsham and Mrs. Barbay. This team will assemble the computers and will facilitate the program installation. After all hardware and software has been installed, the team will test run all computers and downloaded library records. When all records are accessible to students, parents and faculty on all four computers, the team will acknowledge completion of the "Access Catalog " program.

PLANS for FUTURE SPENDING

Helena Park Elementary plans to continue increasing the number of computers which are available for students to use. NISD plans to supply the school with funds to continually upgrade computers and software on an as needed basis.

After the Helena Park Elementary library receives the four computers and necessary software, they have enough funds to maintain these computers. NISD is supportive of this program and will assist with any additional funds that are needed. Once this grant has expired, Helena Park library will not be seeking any additional funds to continue its "Access Catalog" program.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

DISSEMINATION

The results of this program will be shared with students, parents, teachers, members of the NISD school board and other NISD schools. The citizens of Nederland will also be informed by way of the free city newspaper "The Mid-County Chronicle", district webpage, monthly newsletters and bulletin board within the school.
 
 
 
 

"ACCESS CATALOG" TEAM

Leader: D’Lana Barbay (librarian)

Wayne Dial (principal)

Carol Giraud (computer teacher)

Carolyn Worsham (district technology coordinator)

Resumes for each of the participating team members have been attached in the appendices section.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

*Ronald, L. Cessac, President

*Bert E. Rogers, Sr., Vice-President

*Ann Bynum, Secretary

*Richard L.Cox

*Charles C. Hunt

*Thomas M. Martin

*Lloyd C. Salts, Jr.

This board meets the first Tuesday of every month. Occasionally, special sessions will be called. Normally, the board meets twelve to fourteen times a year.

The requested information on each person’s profession, ethnicity and gender is attached in the appendices.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

FISCAL INFORMATION

*Current year-to-date fiscal statements

*Last certified audit

*Copy of the latest tax-exempt status from the IRS

These documents are unavailable to me at this time; however, they would be placed here when this grant is submitted.