BLOGS  >  AUGUST 31, 2022

New school projects ... they truly take a village!

BY KATHY PAUR AND ANDY JENSEN


During a record-breaking heat wave in Waco, Texas, last month, Andy Jensen and I spent four days working with two districts to shelve a new school and on several very large library refresh orders.

We took several photos and thought sharing the step-by-step process of the shelving would be interesting for those who haven’t had an opportunity to see one in person.

The days started with the truck delivery and bringing in the pallets. There were between 10 and 14 pallets, each containing 24 boxes, delivered to each of the sites we worked with. The pallets were positioned in a location each site felt would be most beneficial and provide the best access to the library for our shelving team.

We supply shelf markers to the sites (these show the Dewey information and how many books will be in the numbered box that matches the shelf marker number). As needed, we support the librarian to determine the layout of the library and laying out the shelf markers.

Once we’ve placed all of the boxes in front of the appropriate shelf, the fun part begins! When our specially designed boxes are opened, there’s a packing slip for the contents of that box. Pull out the packing paper, and the books are all packed in true Dewey order, spine up, in the exact order they’ll go on the shelf.

The process generally moves fairly quickly at this point (though it’s very easy to get distracted by all of the wonderful new books we shipped), and the shelves that were empty a couple of hours previously are now filled!

We’re showing you the end result, but before that is where the village comes in. 

It all begins months in advance, when our sales consultants begin working with the district when they uncover a new school (or remodel, renovation, replacement, or disaster situation). Bids and Proposals provides support in working on the needed submittal. Our Curation team will create a unique collection tailored specifically to that customer’s needs. When we’re awarded the contract, one of our NSLO (New School Large Order) team members gets involved and guides the internal process. Once the order is released to the service center, the order will be processed with all of the labeling requested by the district, and it is packed in True Dewey order.  Out the door it goes, with our logistics teams ensuring that we’re meeting delivery deadlines and that we have temporary teams to support the shelving process if needed.

So far this year, we’ve shipped 133 new school and replacement, renovation, remodels, and disaster orders totaling more than 870,000 books. That’s a lot of work by our village of team members!

At the very end of the day, all of the empty boxes and packing paper are ready for pickup, and we have very happy librarians and teachers (and soon students when the sites open).  Every one of us should be proud of what we do, the impact our work will have for the hundreds of school collections we’re privileged to supply each year, and the books we helped place in the hands of students.


Kathy Paur

Kathy Paur is the vice president of content sales and has been with Follett for over 40 years working directly with librarians, administrators, teachers, and school districts to support them in meeting their specific goals.


Andy Jensen

Andy Jensen is a regional sales director covering the Southwest region and has been with Follett over 15 years helping librarians, administrators, and teachers find the right content to meet their unique needs.

Recent Blog Entries

Spring into the new season with the most sought out titles!

March 25, 2024

Well-known librarian Shannon McClintock Miller has selected 13 elementary titles from Capstone Publishing as must-reads for your readers. Including fiction and nonfiction and a variety of genres, these books focus on interesting topics and subject matter that students want to...
Read more

New books for young readers!

March 25, 2024

Your K-5 students will love the latest installments in several wildly popular, acclaimed series coming out this spring. Check out these highly anticipated titles by powerhouse authors! Shop Now Always AnthonyBy Terri LibensonAvailable: May 7, 2024This eighth book in the New York...
Read more

Unlocking Student Success Through Streamlined Data Infrastructure: A Guide for K-12 Administrators and IT Specialists

March 12, 2024

In the digital age, K-12 educational environments are increasingly reliant on robust digital infrastructures to support and enrich the educational experience. The strategic streamlining of this infrastructure holds significant promise for unlocking student success. By reducing the number of vendors...
Read more

What Can Comics Do? Tapping Into Empathy and Flexibility

March 7, 2024

When I write the word comics, many images and ideas might spring to mind for the reader. Maybe it is first the action figure or bombastic film that occupies a child’s life that you know, or maybe a stack of...
Read more

Maximize Asset Management and Drive Efficiency with Follett Destiny® 21.0: Revolutionizing Educational Resource Management

February 29, 2024

Welcome to Follett Destiny® 21.0! This complete library and resource management system can be accessed from anywhere, 24/7, helping to strengthen the bond between the library, classroom, and home, and we continue to improve the Destiny Suite for today’s students, teachers,...
Read more

Creating a School-Wide Reading Culture

February 22, 2024

Keywords: LiteracyReading cultureCollection developmentReading role modelsLibrary managementEncouraging students to read is easier and more likely to be successful when reading and literacy are firmly embedded into all aspects of school life. The benefits of reading for pleasure are well supported by...
Read more

More Blog Entries