Campus Voices
Middle School
As I reach the halfway mark in my third year at BB&N, I’m delighted to fill you in on what’s new at the MS library.
When I first arrived, I wondered if the location of our school library at the back of the building would impact how often our students use it. As time has passed, I am delighted that our newly renovated space has become a popular hangout for students who enjoy a good read or use computers to catch up on their work. Not so long ago, Mary Dolbear, MS director, came into the library and asked, “What can we do to improve the feng shui of this space?” We spent months redesigning the library and I weeded and updated the collection, to create a more spacious, light, ’tween-friendly environment. Now, when students first enter the library, they find themselves in the reading area, a warm, cozy space with comfortable lounge chairs, a hanging plant, and sun streaming through the windows. Our new library abounds with current fiction, print, digital and electronic reference and non-fiction resources, magazines, easy reading, and more.
The library also houses a dozen laptop computers and several desktops. We all know that our students rely on technology to meet many of their research and social needs! We have only recently begun to reverse the trend of more than 25 years of declining reading rates in America, according to the National Endowment for the Arts. As MS librarian, I strive to teach students how to use electronic and print resources effectively and responsibly, and to motivate them to continue reading for fun in a warm, inviting environment.
I welcome Middle School classes to the library several times a year to learn library/research skills in the context of classroom projects. Seventh graders researching Latin America and eighth graders conducting science fair research visit the library in the fall. Seventh grade science classes return in the spring. Eighth grade English classes come in the spring to study poets and their poetry. Students learn about the MS library’s organizational principles, our online catalog, electronic databases, and how to evaluate websites. They explore websites designed specifically to support their Latin American and science fair research. (Other classes also visit the library to conduct research on a more spontaneous basis.)
I have implemented a number of schoolwide programs to encourage recreational reading. Every fall, I survey students about their favorite books, authors, series, and genres. Results are posted in the library where students gather to compare their reading habits to those of their peers. Admissions tours always showcase the results, stimulating conversations with prospective students, which sometimes inspire new library purchases!
To further promote literacy, I have initiated author visits, all-school reads, and read-a-thons. Last year, students and faculty were invited to read Freak, by Marcela Pixley, for our first-all school read, which coincided with our four-week spring read-a-thon. Encouraged to solicit sponsors to pledge them, students raised money for Safe Passage, a Guatemalan relief organization. We welcomed Ms. Pixley for an author visit in April.
This past summer, the MS community was required to read The Misfits, a book that ties into our co-curriculum. This spring, we will hold our second annual read-a-thon, and require all students to read a book by this year’s guest author: two-time Newbery Medal-winning author, Lois Lowry (visiting April 17). A handful of read-a-thon winners (those who clock the most reading hours) will have lunch with Ms. Lowry the day of her presentation. Community service club students are currently deciding where to send this year’s proceeds. Watch for more information about Lois Lowry, posted by KNBC, the Middle School’s new broadcast club, and for this year’s read-a-thon winners!
Please feel free to contact me if you’d like to join the cadre of library parent volunteers!
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