Library Legislation Day was especially exciting this year with a new format for showcasing school libraries. The Showcase allowed different types of libraries to tell about their programs through a display at a table in the Great Hall.
With my colleagues from Westborough Public Library, Westborough Youth and Family Services and Westborough High School and along with 2 of our students we highlighted the MBLC LSTA Grant that was awarded to the Westborough High School library for this school year.
As we all know, advocacy is something that we all must do for our libraries, and what a great opportunity Library Legislative day is to speak directly with legislators regarding the direct impact our libraries are making.
In a recent article in American Libraries entitled, School Libraries Transform -Joyce Valenza speaks to the idea of how having a transformative school library is an issue of equity. I quote directly from the article:
“Research confirms: When credentialed school librarians lead teaching and learning in our schools’ largest classrooms, student achievement and reading scores increase...Perhaps what the research does not show is what it looks like and what it feels like. School libraries are not merely places to get stuff. School libraries are more kitchen than grocery store. They are more transformational than transactional. Critical weeding and new design models make space for user-centered, “genrefied” collections and for messy, informal, self-directed learning. On any given day in a school library, you can hear the productive noise of collaborative invention—brainstorming, design, debate, production, storytelling, and presentation.”
I know that those who were able to attend believe that the Library Showcase was a fantastic way to highlight all that is taking place in libraries and that is also provides a new definition of school libraries as places of exploration, experimentation and creation.
With my colleagues from Westborough Public Library, Westborough Youth and Family Services and Westborough High School and along with 2 of our students we highlighted the MBLC LSTA Grant that was awarded to the Westborough High School library for this school year.
As we all know, advocacy is something that we all must do for our libraries, and what a great opportunity Library Legislative day is to speak directly with legislators regarding the direct impact our libraries are making.
In a recent article in American Libraries entitled, School Libraries Transform -Joyce Valenza speaks to the idea of how having a transformative school library is an issue of equity. I quote directly from the article:
“Research confirms: When credentialed school librarians lead teaching and learning in our schools’ largest classrooms, student achievement and reading scores increase...Perhaps what the research does not show is what it looks like and what it feels like. School libraries are not merely places to get stuff. School libraries are more kitchen than grocery store. They are more transformational than transactional. Critical weeding and new design models make space for user-centered, “genrefied” collections and for messy, informal, self-directed learning. On any given day in a school library, you can hear the productive noise of collaborative invention—brainstorming, design, debate, production, storytelling, and presentation.”
I know that those who were able to attend believe that the Library Showcase was a fantastic way to highlight all that is taking place in libraries and that is also provides a new definition of school libraries as places of exploration, experimentation and creation.
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