Library skills for ks1 - help!

[LaBelleDameSansPatience]

I have to take groups of KS1 children to the library and introduce them to library skills. I really don't quite know what to do - any ideas? the library is quite badly organised, with huge categories all together, colour coded with lots of different subjects all lumped into one code and I have no authority to change it (although I will make gentle suggestions when I can).
Oh, and I have to start tomorrow!

If you mean the public library is there a member of staff who would show you around?
If not I'd show the children the difference between a fiction & non-fiction book
What a bibliography & index are
The Dewey system if it's used

I'd start with the difference between fiction and non-fiction, and how books are arranged in a particular way so that it's easier to find them and the information in them.

You could explain the difference between the contents page and an index - the contents shows how the information or story is arranged in the book in chapters or sections while an index in a NF book shows you how to find the pages which have information on a particular subject or thing - which may be on several different pages or in different chapters.

Are the fiction books arranged in any particular way? Eg by author, or by reading level? If not, I'd concentrate for the moment on the NF (while trying to persuade someone to do some organisation!)and explain the categories.

Do you know what the categories are? Many school libraries use categories based on the Dewey decimal system, with colours roughly corresponding to one or two 'hundreds'

Ours is: Black 000-199: general information, encyclopedias etc
Silver: 200-299: religions
Yellow: 300-379: society and its organisation (includes books about towns, recycling and the environment, police & emergency services, shops and education
Brown:380-399:travel, customs and celebrations
Orange: 400-499: languages including dictionaries
Red: 500-569: science including Maths, so would have books about light, sound, water, electricity etc, also includes geology, so has books about earthquakes & volcanoes
Dark green: 570-599: nature including dinosaurs, habitats, animals (though pets usually go with farming!), birds, plants etc
White: 600-629: technology including medicine, the human body, computers and robots, cars
Light blue: 630-699: products, farming, which includes gardening, pets, food & cooking, materials, eg wood, brick, paper etc
Pink: 700-799: art, craft & leisure, includes architecture, so books about buildings are here, also hobbies and sport, plus film and TV
Purple: 800-899 literature, so plays and poetry might be kept here
Light green: 900-919: geography/travel, including atlases, books about various countries
Gold: 920-929: biography, heraldry and flags
Dark blue: 930-999 history

Yours may be different but try to sort out what subjects are in each colour section is there a list? It can help if you can see where the books about their current theme/science subject are and use that as an example, or if the fiction is reasonably well organised, see if they can work out where the book they are reading in class would be kept.

I used to make up quizzes for them to enjoy, using Dewey and Alphabetical order and Author/Subject.

You could also introduce the idea of how to put a book back on the shelf properly - I always found that Year 1 just dumped them anywhere when faced with all those books. We use 'browsing paddles' to help them remember where they took the book from and where to return it. Basically a piece of A4 card with a great picture on it (we now have individual ones, but they used to choose a different one each week from the basket). The children remember their picture and when they take a book from the shelf, they put the card in that place (sideways on so it sticks out a little). The rules are that you should never have a book and a browsing paddle in your hands at the same time and you are not allowed to be 'helpful' and 'tidy up' the paddles for other people! When you've finished with your book you find your picture, put the book back in the right place and remove the paddle. Simple!

Browsing paddles, I really like that idea!

Started today with the difference between fiction and non-fiction, using a pile of books for them to discuss and sort. Went well - thanks to all.
Browsing paddles are a great idea!