Understaffing, inadequate textbook storage and the adoption of new textbooks have led to delays in textbook distribution stemming from problems that began as early as last spring.

“I know how frustrated students and teachers have been,” said CV’s librarian, Cheryl Harmon.

According to Harmon, this year’s problems are due to changes in procedure as well as the absence of a critical librarian staff member.

At the end of last year, textbooks were returned to the library at the end of the school year. In previous years, they were left in classrooms for the succeeding year. Harmon said some schools are built with areas to provide for sufficient textbook storage. CV however, is not.

“Stacks of books were, stored on top of and under tables as well as on the floor all summer,” said Harmon.

An Instructional Materials Assistant is designated to a high school four days per week. Their job includes ordering, processing and checking out textbooks to students, as well as serving as a general librarian’s assistant.

Elana McCrary, CV’s previous IMA, left in August. This forced Harmon, along with a few intermittently- serving volunteers, to share the entire responsibility of checking out textbooks to students.

In addition, CV experienced an unusual number of textbook adoptions this year. Some include American Government, World History and Psychology. These books needed to be ordered, processed and bar-coded previous to being available for checkout to students.

Currently, Harmon reports that most textbooks have been checked out accordingly with students. Now that checkout is complete, she says the library will be open for research and recreation to students and classes during its regular hours.

Recently, Carolyn Hartnell has been hired as CV’s new IMA which was an obvious relief for Harmon.

“I am very happy to have now have a coworker,” stated Harmon. “She is currently learning the textbook circulation process.”

Hartenll is presently undertaking all of the normal IMA duties. She will be in full-force to provide assistance in ordering, processing, and checking out textbooks to students next year, as well as for years to come.