Year Two, In the Books

After yesterday's staff luncheon, it was time to start my summer break by turning off the lights and walking out of our library.  The books, the cabinetry, the windows, the tables and chairs, the circulation desk... even the ancient carpet all looked ready for a nap. 

I loved refreshing and welcoming everyone back into our space last year, despite the obstacles (no library funding, no in-person book fair, sanitizing everything daily, buying so much out of my own pocket, and rarely having a full prep).  This year was spent doing a lot of fine-tuning:

Re-cataloging books, series, weeding, making our collection easier to search, front-facing as many books as possible and changing those books bi-weekly or monthly, repairing books, weeding some more, promoting poetry, historical fiction, non-fiction, award winners, graphic novels, picture books, and reading in general, adding books that were needed, adding titles to our professional library, creating more book sets for small group use in classrooms, adjusting signage, and of course, continuing to break down dated gatekeeping practices by replacing them with inclusivity, understanding, forgiveness and encouragement to borrow, read, and try again. 

Yard sales and thrift-store visits made it possible to grow our collection of makerspace materials and centers, and reaching out for help from others in the district resulted in some extra shelving being found that improved the storage capabilities in some closed cabinetry.

Families volunteered to help me undertake my very first in-person book fairs (Literati did not disappoint), donated books and camping chairs to our space, and several even went out of their way to come to find me to thank me for helping their children learn to love reading. One mother in full uniform gave me a hug, telling me that her daughter read her very first chapter book without any assistance, oblivious to the goings on around her over the course of a weekend- it was the very first time she had become invested in a story and its characters.  I cried happy tears every time families and readers shared similar wonderful developments, and I met so many visiting grandparents because their grandchildren insisted on showing them our library! Students, families, and colleagues shared their appreciation throughout the year and seemed to really enjoy the space and find the updates useful. 

While there were two incidents in which students demonstrated unprovoked extreme behaviors (never before in my twenty-seven years of education have I witnessed a child scaling furniture to run across the tops, nor have I ever had a student power-scream so loudly for so long that adults could clearly hear the noise through closed doors and three sets of walls), the biggest "tell" that students of all ages are still struggling with social-emotional difficulties continued to be picking behaviors first observed last year: barcodes, spine labels, paint from furniture, splinters of wood, staples from walls, and even the tiniest tears on book covers or spines were picked at, peeled away, and ripped apart on a regular basis, usually by students who weren't paying much attention to the item in their hands at all. They'd chat and listen while holding a book, laugh with friends, or listen to me reading a story out loud, all the while pick-pick-picking at whatever was in their hands. I could gently remind them how to handle books and redirect their hands to fidgets and center manipulatives while they were in the library, but once the books left our shared space, they were (pardon the pun) easy pickings. This year, students were really engaged in what we were doing most of the time, but some part of their minds was still clearly trying to cope.  Encouraging proper care while also assuring students that I could repair books happened almost weekly.  I thanked students every time they showed me a torn page, a separated book spine, or a missing bar code. I let them watch me repair books. They usually hugged me afterward. 

Despite sixth-graders moving to the middle school, our readers managed to check out more books than last year, and many more students regularly utilized "speedy reader" time in the afternoons to return books and check more out, rather than having to wait until their next class visit.  Several more staff members asked me for help with research topics, books, and guided instruction, and five teachers scheduled additional visit times so that their classes could come to the library more than once a week.  As a result, I didn't have to cancel my planned library lessons to accommodate their research needs.  Last year, my own instructional plans had to be set aside whenever grade levels decided to start research or had to rehearse for music programs; this year, I only lost instructional time due to programs, though classes could utilize speedy reader time to return and check out books instead of missing library for a week.  More teachers requested book sets from our professional library for intervention and enrichment groups.

Book "tastings" helped many readers to stretch their preferred tastes in reading:

Kindergarteners enjoyed being authors and illustrators:

Yay, Pencil Girl saved the day!

... and unsurprisingly, f-a-r-t books were heavy on the hold and checkout rotation for most of the year! Freddie the Farting Snowman demonstrating the "Arctic Blast" was a crowd favorite during read-aloud time.

In addition to my in-building job, I also completed my first year as a KNEA Kansas Reading Circle Commissioner, working with these incredible librarians from around the state to read, review, and recommend books published in the last year.  Our reviews were compiled into this year's Reading Circle pamphlet that is distributed to public schools to help librarians select high-quality, inclusive books for their collections.  I was able to distribute all of the books that I received to libraries within the Pony Express district this spring.

I've got some goals for 2023-24 upon which I'll focus in August, helping to grow our collection, assisting readers of all ages, and of course, promoting reading, but for now, just like our library, I too, need a bit of a rest. This summer I'm looking forward to spending time with my family, growing food and flowers in the greenhouse, crocheting, and getting back into my creative groove in my craft room. Of course, I'll be reading, reading, and reading, and seeking out webinars for elementary school librarians too.

Have a great summer!

~Michaele