Wendy Garland is the School Librarian at Avery School in Dedham.
Back to school - I have always loved this time of year with it’s fresh starts and dreams of possibility. I loved this time of year as a child and continue to relish the excitement. This is our library’s back-to-school story, where I confronted the challenges of years past, asked hard questions, and framed our year of learning around the concept of “welcoming” all students in and “inviting” them into our space and our books. Do I have big hopes and expectations? Absolutely. Big changes? Not really. This is about the small, subtle ways I am choosing to build a positive library culture and grow learners. I consider this just the beginning of our journey.
The inspiration for change came from two books I read over the summer - one being a powerful picture book, and the other being a dynamic professional book about reading. There is something beautiful about summer reading, soaking in the sun and ideas without the pressure of lesson planning and deadlines looming. I read, wrote and thought about Disrupting Thinking: Why How We Read Matters by Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst well beyond the time it took me to “read” the book. It planted seeds and I spent much of my summer cultivating them. What surprised me was I “thought” I was reading about reading. What I ended up thinking about was change.
The inspiration for change came from two books I read over the summer - one being a powerful picture book, and the other being a dynamic professional book about reading. There is something beautiful about summer reading, soaking in the sun and ideas without the pressure of lesson planning and deadlines looming. I read, wrote and thought about Disrupting Thinking: Why How We Read Matters by Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst well beyond the time it took me to “read” the book. It planted seeds and I spent much of my summer cultivating them. What surprised me was I “thought” I was reading about reading. What I ended up thinking about was change.
In Disrupting Thinking the authors state that, “Disruptions start with a thought that something needs to be better” (7). I asked myself, “What needs to change in our library?” The hard truth was that for so many students, just going to the library was a cause for great anxiety. Too many students are “put off” by the idea of the library. Their reluctance to read or frustration with reading fuels this fire. Before they have even set foot in our space, they have given our time together a negative connotation. I spend the rest of my class “managing” behaviors. This is not what I want for us. I want us to learn. I want us to grow. I want my students to know that they have a home here. I honestly don’t know what their reading level is (nor do I care) - it just doesn’t matter to me! I just want them to feel safe and know that here is where they are supported and cared for. Here they can learn and grow. My job is to welcome them in and get out of the way.
My goal was to make changes in our library (big and small) that would serve the ultimate purpose of creating a place of safety, escape and comfort where everyone felt welcome. That being said, I don’t think that we had a negative or toxic library culture, but a few individuals in each class challenged the positive attitudes of others. When I read All Are Welcome, written by Alexandra Penfold and illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman this summer, I knew I found my inspiration. I was armed and ready to start my welcoming campaign.
My goal was to make changes in our library (big and small) that would serve the ultimate purpose of creating a place of safety, escape and comfort where everyone felt welcome. That being said, I don’t think that we had a negative or toxic library culture, but a few individuals in each class challenged the positive attitudes of others. When I read All Are Welcome, written by Alexandra Penfold and illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman this summer, I knew I found my inspiration. I was armed and ready to start my welcoming campaign.
This is how we began our year together - every class read All Are Welcome and went in search of something welcoming (or not) in our library. I detail our adventure on my blog, but the welcome began before we even opened the book.
Upon entering the library, students and staff find a picture of me on the door with a “Mrs. Garland is reading” space that changes on a weekly basis. Here I make my reading visible and open a door for conversation about books.
Upon entering the library, students and staff find a picture of me on the door with a “Mrs. Garland is reading” space that changes on a weekly basis. Here I make my reading visible and open a door for conversation about books.
Our library has two bulletin boards. I usually fill these with student work, but early in the year I don’t have any, so I recycled. I filled one bulletin board with shelfies taken in June of students in their favorite sections of the library and favorite books. This board also displays photos I received over the summer of children reading during summer vacation. I want students to see other students reading and enjoying the library.
Our second bulletin board hosts a giant invitation to read, grow, and explore. Yes, literally an invitation. Invitations have a positive connotation, usually involving a party or celebration. This fit my needs for creating a positive association.
I also sent every child home with an invitation to the library, not just the students who were new to our school.
The biggest visible change was the turning of the checkout terminals. I reoriented our two check-in/out stations to face students and turned them into self-checkout stations. Grades 3-5 are checking themselves out this year. 2nd grade students are checking themselves out with some adult supervision. I want students to get excited about library and scanning surely makes them feel important and special. I also want them to know that this is “their” library, so a piece of this is taking on the responsibility of checking themselves out.
New hanging signs direct you to the different sections of the library. Previous signage on the shelves did not stand out. These hanging signs make a much bigger impact and contribute to student independence
Our first class together sent students out into the library to find something that was welcoming (or not). Students took a picture of it and shared it in small groups and then with the large group. Talking about what does and doesn’t make us feel welcome was a great way to start off our year. We had honest discussions that I hope have set the tone for the year. I asked students to “help me” throughout the year - help me to know when something does not make them feel welcome, so we can address it. With an “invitation” to conversation and exploration, I sent students out to find books in our library.
I am ultimately looking to help students create a relationship with books. In Disrupting Thinking, Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst state, "Too many students still seem to think of books as burdens imposed upon them, rather than as invitations to experience new thoughts" (56). When books are viewed as an invitation, when our library is an open invitation, what does that look like for our school community? How will that change the culture? What changes can I expect to see? I can't wait to find out!
I am ultimately looking to help students create a relationship with books. In Disrupting Thinking, Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst state, "Too many students still seem to think of books as burdens imposed upon them, rather than as invitations to experience new thoughts" (56). When books are viewed as an invitation, when our library is an open invitation, what does that look like for our school community? How will that change the culture? What changes can I expect to see? I can't wait to find out!
Works Cited
Beers, G. Kylene, and Robert E. Probst. Disrupting Thinking: Why How We Read Matters. Scholastic, 2017.
Penfold, Alexandra, and Suzanne Kaufman. All Are Welcome. Knopf, 2017.