Friday, September 12, 2014

Case Study No. 1572: Skoob the Shelf Elf

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The Shelf Elf, book by Nancy Mims Hopkins. An elf teaches us about book care.
Tags: library book care k-3 school library.
Added: 4 years ago
From: elizt1000
Views: 13,526

By the candlelight, the shoemaker and his wife watched the two little elves dance merrily out of sight. The end.
Did you ever wonder what happened to those elves after they left the shoemaker's shop?
I can tell you, because I am one of them.
My name is Skoob, and the other elf was Skeeter. Skeeter went up North to work with his cousin, a toymaker, and I danced right off the page and into this library.
Now that I live in the library, I have a new job. I take care of the books and the library shelves.
Stacks, also known as the Grand Dewey Daddy Shelf Elf, gave me a book with helpful tips on library manners and book care.
Stacks told me about a special award that is given to shelf elves. I am trying to earn it by taking good care of books and keeping the library shelves straight.
He also told me that the library has to have girls and boys with nice library manners. Some of the things he told me to look for are children who use shelf markers, quiet voices, and walking feet. Maybe you can help me win the Golden Shelf Elf award, and we can share it!
One of the tools I use is a shelf marker. The shelf marker holds my place on the shelf, while I decide if I want to check a book out. If I don't want the book, the shelf marker shows me where the book belongs.
Look at these shelves. Can you find three books that weren't put back on the shelves correctly? I will give you a hint. Books should be standing tall on the shelf, with their spines showing. That way, everyone can read the titles and see the call numbers at the bottoms of the spines.
This one looks interesting. I would like to keep it for a long time. I wonder if it would be okay to keep it for a year. Let's see what the Shelf Elf Guide says about this.
Hmm, keeping a book for a year wouldn't be fair. Everyone should return books on time, so others can check them out.
This book is making me hungry. I think I'll eat a snack, and have some juice, while I read it. I better find out if there's a rule about eating and drinking while reading.
Hmm, everyone should have clean hands when they look at books. Food could stain the pages, and if the juice spills, it would make the pages wet. Keep your books clean and neat, away from all you drink and eat.
Look, the corner of this page is bent down. Someone must have been marking the place before finishing the book. This is called dog-earing. A bookmark should be used to keep your place.
If you don't have a bookmark, just put a piece of paper between the pages where you stopped reading.
This page is torn. Someone must've turned the pages too quickly. It was probably an accident, but we have to remember to turn the page carefully.
Oh no, this page has been scribbled and chewed on! This book wasn't kept in a safe place. A baby sister or brother may have colored on the pages.
It is important to keep books where younger children and pets can't get to them.
The librarian needs to know about the problems in this book. I'll put the book in the Book Hospital box, and maybe they'll teach me how to repair books, too.
Thank you for helping me today. With helpful girls and boys like you, we will surely earn the Golden Shelf Elf award someday. It's time to say goodbye, but please remember to whisper in your quiet library voice.
When in the library, make this choice. Always use your quiet voice.
Remember your friend Skoob whenever you visit the library! You may not see him, but you can be sure the Shelf Elf is around somewhere - and working hard to get that award!

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From shelfari.com:

Skoob the Shelf Elf just completed his work with the shoemaker and is ready to embark on a new career in the library.

Using the Shelf Elf's Guide to Library Etiquette, Skoob discovers the age-old practices of proper library behavior and book care. With help from the boys and girls, and Ms. Paige Turner, the librarian, Skoob is on his way to winning the coveted Golden Shelf Elf Award!

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From amazon.com:

"The Shelf Elf"
by Jackie Mims Hopkins
pictures by Rebecca Thornburgh

The Shelf Elf deserves recommendation as a fine and different Christmas picturebook tale. Skoob the Shelf Elf just finished his work with the shoemaker and is ready to start on a new career in the library - but first he must learn Library Etiquette. From book care to behavior, Skoob finds there's more to learn about a library than how to locate a book - and he's determined to win the Golden Shelf Elf Award in the process. A rhyming text paired with Rebecca Thornburgh's fun drawings invites kids to learn more about the library.

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