Love your Library

This guest post is from Willson Education, a fantastic store on Mash.ie. Check out her store and read this excellent post about reading and libraries.

But why do I think libraries are so important and need to be used and saved? The answer is simple; I have seen some of the most dedicated and hard work from my students within a library, along with some of the brightest lightbulb moments, I feel they have so much more to offer than just the knowledge to be found between the pages of the books.

But don’t just take my word for it, librarians and teachers agree that by simply having access to books students are more likely to read. But as mentioned libraries should be more than shelves upon shelves of dusty books, there is a lot more the students are entitled to through the school library and many reasons why this is important:

“Studies have shown that children and young people who use the school library have, on average, higher mental wellbeing scores. Those who don’t use the school library are nearly twice as likely to have low mental wellbeing than they are to have high mental wellbeing”

Andreas Schleicher on Global Competence (consiliumeducation.com)

1. Libraries help provide the foundation to literacy and reading and so access to good quality, up to date books leads to better literacy, mental health, and academic achievement across the board.
2. They are a space where students are comfortable to make their own choices and read what they want to read, be it fictional or non-fictional, educational, or recreational, and help lead them to continue to read or study for pleasure in a place of peace in an otherwise chaotic school. Most libraries run an open-door policy meaning it can be accessed before and after school as well as during break and lunchtimes.
3. Libraries value the individuals learning journey and wellbeing. They can be a place for those from less privileged backgrounds to assess resources, as well as be a place to pursue other interests such as drawing, writing, crafting and other hobbies. The physical space, as well as the digital space, a library can offer is just as important.
4. Not every student learns the same way or with the same resources so being able to feel free to study as they choose will help with their overall outcome.
5. Reading increases empathy. Research has shown that engagement in literature is a successful way to build understanding towards others.
6. It should be a place for collaboration between teachers, who bring the knowledge base exercise, and librarians, who bring the research skills, resources, and connections.
7. Learning correct research skills, including how to recognise misinformation through access to good quality online resources is essential to higher education.

“Just 9% of 15 year olds were able to tell the difference between fact and opinion”.

Does reading fiction make us better people? – BBC Future

Not every activity in the library needs to be a quiet one, it’s the perfect space to hold exciting talks, lectures, events, fairs, and activities. These could be run by those inside the school such as the staff and students themselves or involve inviting external companies and speakers.

A dedicated librarian, a person who can guide them with their reading, inspire them to try something new and provide opportunities to explore reading beyond the classroom.

The Power Of A Librarian

An enthusiastic and knowledgeable librarian will take a room full of books and computers and unlock its potential to help the space work for the whole school, staff as well as students. There is a huge proficiency needed to be librarian, whether it be teaching how to master literacy and media information, how to help complete an inquiry learning process or aiding with different research techniques.

In addition to managing how to use the library, the librarian also needs to have the opportunity, flexibility, and confidence of the staff to plan and implement strategies and policies and link these to the wider school, and if viable community too. They have the potential to be working with every single student within a school both formally within lesson time and informally through breaktimes or when organising events and so needs to be well rehearsed in the school’s curriculum, behaviour policies and the students interests as a whole – its no simple task…

How To Engage Your Students With The Library

As a teacher there are many ways you can help to strengthen and support your students and school libraries connections:

• Pass on and display all news and notifications which come from the library. Encourage the students to go especially those you know have an interest in the event, head along yourself and ask those who did attend to feedback to the rest of the class.
• Ask the students to suggest books and genres they wish to see in their library. You can also display their reviews of books they have read, present these in a prominent areas such as the school hall or canteen or in a weekly flyer which goes out to all tutor groups to encourage the students to come to the library.
• Create a class rota or request volunteers to help with maintaining, tidying and the general upkeep of the library. Having pride for an area they are actively involved in will help them be proud of it.
• Use the library in your tutor times for individual or group reading, this may sound ‘old skool’ but it’s never been more important to be mindful of the amount of screen time some students are getting today. It can be a very relaxing start to the day or recharge for the afternoon.
• Have your students use their tutor time to research a topic for an assembly about an upcoming event or celebration day – or to showcase just how valuable the school library is!
• Celebrate events throughout the year which allow for a diversity of titles and type of books to be displayed without calling them ‘diverse books’ – Pride Month, Black History Month, International Women’s Day, Chinese New Year, for example.
• Use the library in your lessons for individual or collaborative projects. Personally, I love using the library for group projects. You can watch the students share their sources and you don’t end up with multiple copies of a certain well-known informative website… Of course, if the library is booked at the time you wish to use it, you can always ask that a book box be put together for use in your classroom.

• Organise cross-curricular events around a ‘book of the term’ – make a model of a scene from the book (Design and Technology), calculate the frequency of different words (Maths), create costumes from the book (Textiles), map a character’s journey (Geography), readings of alternative endings (English Literature)…the possibilities are endless…

• Run book clubs or events by genre – again something which can be organized across the curriculums – have a day on self-help books, non-fiction, animals, a prominent sport feature, and ask the students for their interests.
• Carry out our own lesson plans and preparation using the still and quietness of the library, by simply seeing you there will encourage the students to use it too.

In conclusion there are a number of ways and reasons to utilize your school library, and when it’s supported the difference it makes can be extraordinary. This difference can be felt across the whole school and community when it is not tied to only one subject, year group or area of responsibility, but as encompasses everyone and everything.

An idea to kick-start a unique display to encourage students into the library – a librarian isn’t always what they appear to be…

Important Library Dates For Your Diary:

Victoria’s selfproclaimed superpower is helping ‘non readers’ start and maintain a reading habit. In her blog she shares reading tips and guides, amoung other things, but here she shares novels perfect for anyone who loves libraries and the amazing work librarians do.	Vicki is a mum and former teacher who loves sharing her ideas for beinging learning and reading to life for children. Though her website, Babies To Bookworms, she hopes you find new ideas to share with your studtns, friends and families.

National Tell A Fairy Tale Day – 26^th February

Take Your Child To The Library Day – First Saturday of each February (UK)

National Storytelling Week – First week in February

Library Lovers Month – February (UK and USA)

World Poetry Day – 21^st March

World Book Day – First Thursday in March (UK)

National School Librarian Day – 4^th April (UK)

National Encourage A Younge Writers Day – 10^th April

World Book Night – 23^rd April

World Book Day – 24^th April

National Support Teen Literacy Day – First Thursday during National Library Week

National Library Week – Second full week in April (USA)

National Library Workers Day – Tuesday of National Library Week (April) (USA)

Children’s Book Week – First week in May

National Share A Story Month – May

National Writing Day – 23^rd June

Summer Reading Challenge – Summer Holidays (July – August) (UK)

Book Lovers Day – 9^th August

National Read A Book Day – 6^th September

National Library Week – First full week in October (UK)

International School Library Month – October (UK and USA)

National Library Month – October (UK and USA)

Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day – 24^th November