Creating strong readers and learners doesn’t stop at the classroom door. CPCSC’s school libraries are an important part of literacy throughout the district. With recent construction projects, the district’s libraries have been redesigned to serve 21st century readers.

Physical Spaces

CPCSC’s libraries have undergone major makeovers. District Media/Library Coordinator Janna Carney said these improvements have allowed the district to rethink the physical design of each library. This includes signage, seating areas, spaces for collaboration, and displays for materials. “We’ve been able to modernize how we think about our libraries, and they’ve been shaken up, in a good way,” Carney said.

When choosing the furniture for these new spaces, the goal was to create inviting seating arrangements where students feel comfortable independently reading or working together. Outdated furniture that was sometimes too heavy for children, especially young elementary children, has been replaced by lighter and more open seating.

New methods of displaying books are being used. Rather than a strict Dewey Decimal system, books might also be displayed in a similar style as bookstores. Books in a series that have different authors (like the popular The 39 Clues books from Scholastic) are arranged together rather than by author’s last name so that students can locate all of the books in that series.

Curated Collections and Professional Development

The upgrades apply to more than just the physical spaces. The libraries’ collections are also receiving some love. “When we looked at our materials overall, the average date of publication indicated that we need to update our materials,” Carney said. School libraries have been weeding their materials to make sure what’s on the shelves is factually correct and engaging for young readers. In the last year, the average age of publication for the district’s collection has improved by four years.

Professional development for the district’s team of librarians has been critical. Because each librarian is the only person in their building who serves in their particular role, collaborative time together is essential. The team utilizes student e-learning days to meet in-person and exchange ideas, best practices, and receive new training. This year’s training focused largely on guidelines for purchasing, organizational methods for efficient libraries, and analyzing collection/circulation data.

Librarians also had time to connect with classroom curriculum so they could create collections to supplement student learning. When fourth graders read Treasure Island, their library featured a collection about pirates, ships, and oceans with materials that targeted different reading levels and styles.

 

 

 

New Views on Reading

Gone are the days of Accelerated Reader (AR) where students were required to choose books within a certain reading level and earn points for taking tests. Instead, CPCSC library time is more about a “readers’ advisory” method where students choose materials that are of high interest to them. “We aren’t using this time for students to learn to read,” Carney said. “They already do that in class thanks to the quality curriculum that’s in place. Our focus in our libraries is teaching them to read to learn.” This might mean that students read books above or below their reading level, that it’s okay for students to not finish a book, or that they can check out the same book repeatedly. The idea is to keep students engaged and teach them self-selection skills that they can use the rest of their lives.

Parent and Community Collaboration

Parents and caregivers can help support student literacy and our libraries at home! Here are some suggested resources:

• Encourage your child to try different genres or topics of interest. This is especially true for reluctant readers. Graphic novels, nonfiction, magazines - they are all a form of reading and all are valuable.
• Sign up to be a library volunteer! Our librarians love to have help with shelving, circulating, and caring for our media collections. Ask your school whether they need additional volunteers or visit our website at www.cps.k12.in.us/library to fill out the form.
• Support the school book fair. Every building has at least one book fair a year, and the money raised goes directly back to your child’s school.

 

Above: Taft Middle School’s new library features natural light and welcoming spaces for students to work collaboratively. The student-created mosaic from the previous building was brought to the new location and displayed in the library.