Last year, even without any sort of electronic management system, I was able to keep stored in my memory everything I needed to know about acquisitions, circulation, and cataloging. If a child said they liked dinosaurs, I knew where to go and what we had. Now, with the influx of books we received from generous parents (and my own friends!), my optimistic goal of reorganizing the entire library, and my time away from the library aiding in other classes, I need help.
I’m looking at open source systems since a proprietary model is not an option this year. If you have experience with Evergreen, Koha, or any other integrated library system, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
One should always spend time around children when one is feeling especially cocky.
On top of aiding in the 4th grade and volunteering in the library, I’m now spot-aiding in Kindergarten. The children so little! I can’t believe my own boys were ever so young, especially Mikey. I was walking by one little boy who stopped me with a quick tug on my sleeve. I bent down with a smile.
“Mrs. Candalellella? Why are you wearing a wig?”
Sigh.
Also:
The younger grades at school are becoming obsessed with Halloween, specifically the costume I’m planning to wear. I tried telling them that I would most likely not wear a costume, but they won’t hear of it. There is one particularly enthusiastic group of 3rd grade girls who won’t let the issue go. I know they are huge Harry Potter fans, so I said I would maybe go as Hermione.
Dead silence. A few nose wrinkles and shared glances.
“Actually, Mrs. Kendall, you should be Mrs. Weasley,” said one.
“No, no!” said another. “Professor Sprout! You could totally be Professor Sprout.”
That’s all I have to say about that.
I aide 4th grade and Kindergarten. I have 1 hour of lunch/recess duty every day, and 15 minutes 1st recess every 3rd week. I then go to the library, where I shelve, organize, and help the kids find books. I am not exaggerating when I say I spend the majority of the day on my feet. I’m looking for my pedometer because I’m curious to see how many steps per day I’m walking. I must walk more now than I did when I took daily walks. But, my feet are paying the price. I’ve tried comfortable shoes (Bare Traps, FitFlops–I have these) but apparently they aren’t comfortable enough. I used to wear and love Danskos. Maybe it’s time for me to go back? Please, spill the beans on your favorite comfortable shoes. And I mean comfortable. I’m almost to the point where I’ll wear something unattractive. Almost.
Naot, Allegria, Mephisto. You and your comfort are worth the $.
Thanks!
/ empathic wince at suggestions of Mrs. Weasley and Professor Sprout /
Can you get away with sandals? Keene sandals are incredibly comfortable and great for walking.
I can. I keep forgetting Keene has more than the summer hiking sandals that are good for water, trails, etc.
I love my Keenes! I got a pair to wear for vacation. I’ll have to let you know how they handle walking miles at Disney!
Des Moines, IA
I wore Danskos when I worked retail and I often wore them when I was teaching. I really like them, except I do notice that I am more prone to rolling my ankle in them than in other shoes (but I might just have weak ankles!).
I had bought some danskos last year. I used to love them but now I have very funny feet?, and I am prone like you to roll my ankle. So I gave them up. I use keens mostly but I’d like to try the Mephistos. But they are really expensive.
OK, that’s an excellent point. My left ankle has been rolling the last couple of years, and I don’t know why. It’s bad enough that I no longer wear heals on campus (the last place I rolled and fell). I also noticed that they are tight on the arch now when they never were before. I’ve always had high arches, but can they go higher as you age? SO CONFUSED. O_o
Are you allowed to wear tennis shoes? I’m trying for 10,000 steps a day and my Asics totally rock!
Second the cross trainers. When I was a full time teacher I wore various flats and athletic shoes. Many teachers wore athletic shoes.
For Disneyworld and traveling where we would be on our feet from 8AM through 8PM walking and exploring, I found athletic shoes to be the best.
I had a pair of Danskos but found them too heavy to be comfy.
My sister, who is also on her feet and running around all day found that she rolled her ankle too often in the Air Talis.
Also helpful is rotating shoes so that your muscles get a break. I also remember that my legs were just so exhausted the first couple of weeks but then you get used to it.
On days where we are casual, I totally rock the athletic shoes. We’re always casual, but I mean t-shirt Tuesday, etc.
Good point about rotating shoes, YJ. You’re always the steady voice of logic.
Well, ugly shoes would work great for either of those Halloween costumes!
I’m not familiar with either of those library management systems. Will be interested to hear more about what you find out.
Dansko Professional are the best!!! Try 6pm.com or Amazon if you know what size you wear and don’t want to pay full price. Dansko has some cuter (less nurse looking) styles but I don’t think they’re as comfortable.
Allegria, Birkenstock, Merrell, Naot, Sanita are also good brands.
I laughed out loud more than once in this post–thanks for a nice start to my morning. I think you would make a lovely Hermione!
Dansko Professional FTW. For sandals, my Kork Ease are shockingly comfortable and supportive and light weight.
I used to be a systems librarian so if you need any help give me a shout. You may want to invest in the Winnebago system if its still around or Resource Mate. Both are fairly low cost and easy to set up and use. Plus you would have the benefit of customer service to help you. In the end though, all ILS are extremely similar in function-it’s just knowing which buttons to push when.
I just looked at ResourceMate. I remember looking at it (online, no salesperson) last year and thought it looked good. Glad to hear it’s actually a viable option.
Since my foot injury I’m all Birkenstock all the time (they have the metatarsal arch my doctor told me I need to have for the next year or so) BUT before I very much liked Born. Very comfortable, good arch support, and some of their styles are very, very cute. They even have some great boots I’m eyeing for next fall when I can wear real shoes again. I also second Dansko and Merrell as other brands.
I’ve been thinking about Birkenstocks. They would allow me to wear my crazy socks during the winter. :)
Bonus with Birkenstocks. They double as a contraceptive device. My husband calls them my birth control shoes.
Keens and Merrells are great casual shoes, Naturalizer and Aerosoles are good dressier shoes. And never underestimate the power of a good ortho insert. Some can be as expensive as a pair of shoes, but you can transfer them to any shoes you already own.
And I’d Professer McGonagall the heck outta those kids! Bwhahahaha!
I said Professor McGonagall, but was denied! I suspect she’s too tall and thin for me to carry it off in their eyes. O_o
I think Dansko for sure — when I worked in retail, all my managers wore Dansko shoes!! Also, Merrills are Super Comfortable to for some more options! Ohh, I cringed for you at there suggestions!! Its tough getting old, isn’t it?!?! And Halloween is just ridiculous anymore — its either Sexy This, Sexy That, and that just isn’t right to consider when I am walking around with my 5 and almost 2 year old!!!!
Dansko is absolutely the way to go. I used to work at a high end department store where the employees were required to stand for 8 hours per day while wearing nylons and skirts. ALL of the women who worked in the shoe department wore Danskos, they didn’t care if they looked a little bulky, they were absolutely the best thing for their feet (and those women knew shoes!).
Oh, wow! And they didn’t roll their ankles in the nylons?
I recommend Birkenstocks. I’ve worn them for 20 + years and love them. The up side is that you can get clogs that don’t look too bad and your feet will thank you.
As for the library systems, I’ve never used a Koha system. I did use an Evergreen system to create a digital library for a MLS class and I found the software easy to use.
I keep forgetting that Birkenstock is no longer just sandals. I think they have shoes now, too.
Birks, Dansko, Naot. It is sad that you have to spend so much money on shoes that don’t kill your feet!
Ah, kids – so sweet and innocent in their cruelty. My son told me this summer that he could really see my gray hair in the sunlight, and it made me look like an “ancient sorceress”. This is his idea of a compliment.
OK, these may not be what you’re looking for, but these are my current fave shoes for when I actually have to be walking/standing around for any length of time:
http://www.naturalizer.com/en-US/Product/EC0209841-3010943/Naturalizer/Blue+Stretch+Fabric/BZees+Boardwalk.aspx
I found them in black/grey, and bought a second pair after wearing the first for a week. Tip of the hat to you, Jules — I volunteer in the library once a week, and it’s not for slouches. My legs kill after shelving!
Hahaha! Yes, innocent cruelty.
I laughed out loud at this one…because I read it in my ten-year-old’s voice. Absolutely something he would say. He has told me before that my wrinkles make me look “wise.” Super. I just try to tell myself that it’s wonderful that his concept of beauty and awesomeness is not totally dictated by the mainstream media :)
I adore & try & convince everyone I know to buy the Cole Haan Air Tali Lace Wedge, but my foot prefers a non-flat shoe. I commute by train, so I run in these, go & up & down stairs, & stand on trains in them. I also wear them to conventions where I stand on a very thinly covered concrete floor for 4 days straight.
For my flat boots, I find the Profoot Triad Orthotic to be the best insert & I have tried several different kinds.
Ha! Comfortable shoes for teaching. That’s like asking where you can pet a unicorn. I could be wearing clouds on my feet and by the end of the day I would still want to set them on fire and throw them out the window. I always bring two pairs of shoes to work.
My school celebrates Book-O-Ween. Kids can wear costumes but they must go with a book, hopefully one they love and not just one that matches the costume they bought at the local market. Ironically, I wanted to make the day more about books but was shot down. I was told our students are expats and just need a chance to dress up and celebrate a kids’ holiday.
Hah. Good point. 8 hours on your feet is still 8 hours on your feet.
I had never heard of Danskos until a few weeks ago. Bought my first pair and I think I love them. I also have a few pairs of Munro shoes that work really well for me. I do have custom prescribed orthotics after a particularly nasty bout of plantar fasciitis and I couldn’t live without them! I have some shoes the orthotics don’t work with and I can really tell a difference after a few days.
I just saw this video and had to share! Between your love of books and libraries, and the controversy over your “All About that Bass” post, I thought you’d appreciate this:
http://www.wkrn.com/story/26717291/nashville-public-library-promotes-library-cards-with-pop-song
Naya shoes are really comfy.
I’ve had dansko’s but found as I got older my arch got higher (or something) & they don’t fit anymore. I did find that lands end (at certain times in the year) has clogs that are basically dansko’s but are on a wider base, so you aren’t going to break your ankle like dansko’s have a tendency to do…plus, the lands end ones fit my feet.
I LOVE the wig comment!!! So much!!! What DID you say to him???
I didn’t say anything clever! I just said, “It’s not a wig…” O_o
Since not too many people answered the ILS question, I will say that I used Koha in a library systems class about 5 years ago and found it pretty easy and intuitive to use. My guess is that it’s only gotten better since then. My current library system uses different software so I haven’t touched it since though, and I have no firsthand knowledge of Evergreen.
Ah, thank you! Koha does seem to be the more popular open source system.
As a person that stood on their feet five nights a week for 20 years, I’m here to tell you that your options are Birkenstocks or Crocs.
I rotate between a pair of danskos and a pair of croc Mary Janes- they’re too cute to be real crocs and they feel like walking on a cloud. So.dont judge me for crocs. But danskos. I could sing love songs to my danskos. I have high arches and it took me about 2 weeks to get them good and broken in, but that was 1.5 years ago. They still look great.
Here in DC we have a a couple different stores that specialize in “comfortable” shoes. The sales staff is very experiences and can help you find a shoe that fits your foot and your issues. Its a great way to try on a variety of shoes and find what you like, and then maybe buy them on line cheaper. I would suggest that. They tend to carry all the brands that others have mentioned in this thread. And they carry cute shoes too. There are some German brands that are cute and orthopedic. Good shoes can be expensive, but totally worth it!
http://www.comfortoneshoes.com/
https://www.thewalkingcompany.com/
*cry laughing over the Harry Potter costume suggestions*
I am so sorry. Go as Hermione. I can’t stop laughing I feel so bad but it’s so funny oh god my coworkers are starting to ask questions…
Kids can make you feel like this:
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/416653402999864257/
Jules, I’m in tears here over their costume suggestions. I guess I should be thankful my 5 yr old is still into Maya the Bee and not the HP series yet. Go as Hermione… you could even go as Holiday dance Hermione and vamp it up.
Ok, about the shoes. My mom swears by her SAS shoes (she walks a lot and at 70+, still works at Walmart where she’s been since 1984). She even wore them on her recent 2 week trip from London-Paris-Switzerland-Rome. Nurse and doc pals swear by their Dansko shoes. When I traveled this summer and walked miles, I wore Clarks. Those are my favorite brand because I have fat little duck feet with barely an arch to be found. Even my winter boots are Clarks. Earth shoes are also quite good but take some getting used to. Germans love their shoes although I haven’t found one I love for looks (I live here and still went to Clarks). I love my Aquatalia by Marvin K. shoes and boots but they are wicked pricey and even tougher to find here in Germany. Take care of those feet… the rest of you will thank you later.
I was a school administrator for many years. I’m not sure my feet would’ve survived without Soft Walk shoes. They have an eggcrate type insole that is literally like walking on air. They’re more comfortable than Easy Spirit (which I also wore), and they come in a wide variety of sizes and styles. Check Zappos for a great selection.