American Library Association

"DO KIDS EVEN USE THE LIBRARY ANYMORE?"

Author(s): KAY WEJROWSKI
Source: American Libraries, Digital Supplement on School Libraries (SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER
2014), pp. 16-19
Published by: American Library Association
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/26197776
Accessed: 14-06-2020 10:06 UTC

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 use
"Do kids
even the

library
anymore?"
Parents discover
the importance of
school libraries
| september/october 2014 digital supplement on school libraries
americanlibrariesmagazine.org 

By Kay
Wejrowski
16

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D
o kids even use the library anymore?” This is the question
posed to me by a couple I met at a recent charity trivia night
fundraiser. Before I could even open my mouth to
answer, a teacher from my school jumped in: “Are you
kidding me? The library is the busiest place in our school.
Kids beg to go to the library. It’s packed an hour before
school, and throughout the day, and even after school.”

“What do they do there?” was the next question. That help. Meanwhile, students who are learning English as a
made it clear: Even though this couple knew the answers second language know that they can come to the library
to almost every trivia question that evening, they were to tell their immigration story.
uninformed. The school library also strives to enhance classroom
What was even more surprising is that they were parents work. We bring in authors every year to work with students
of a student from our school. In fact, their daughter spent on programs directly related to their classroom learning.
a great deal of time in the library. She had been featured Students use the library to videoconference with authors,
on a giant READ poster as a winner in a reading contest. Holocaust survivors, and people from other parts of the
My colleague and I explained how our library is the hub world. And every spring, library staff members assist with
of the school. Teachers come in with ideas and questions, senior projects, help students create PowerPoint and Prezi
and the school librarian and student aides help them plan presentations, and provide constructive criticism on their
lessons—from creating templates for World War I Facebook speeches.
assignments to pulling research and book excerpts and When staff members need an ad designed for a program,

september/october 2014 digital supplement on school libraries

developing probing questions to help students compare they call the school library. When students need a place to
historical slavery with human trafficking today. The school partner with others, they come to the school library. Student
library helps teachers create databases and formulate needs may be more basic—a pencil, pen, calculator, flash
spreadsheets that track student achievement data and drive, laptop, or e-reader—and the school library can help
identify strengths and weaknesses. Library lessons for all them out. The school library is also there for more sensitive
incoming freshmen lay the groundwork for their success issues. Students understand that when they need informa-
in high school, teaching them about the resources that are tion on teen pregnancy, what to do when a parent is in jail,
available; about internet safety; and about how what they or eating disorders, we will help them with no questions
post online as a teen may follow them through their adult asked, guarding their privacy in a nonthreatening manner.
life and may inhibit educational and career opportunities.
We didn’t even finish our conversation about what our Building community spirit
library offers to our students, teachers, and community A colleague once told me that “teachers become what their
before the next round of trivia questions, but it caused me students need them to be.” The same can be said of libraries,
to think about what would happen to our school without because each year our library morphs itself into what the
the library. school needs. Certainly that includes providing services
The library in our school provides significant experi- and resources for our school community. But school librar-
ences and learning for our students. It is entrenched in the ians also serve as facilitators to teach the importance of
total school curriculum and community activities. The ten- community service and provide opportunities for students
| 

tacles of its network serve as the foundation for learning. to make a difference in their school and their community.
americanlibrariesmagazine.org 

Students cut off from the school library would be sepa- If not for our school library, who would sponsor pro-
rated from vital services that enhance their educational grams to teach students about the dedication of veterans
experience. Just as shutting off electricity would leave or hold blood drives that provide a significant amount of
students in the dark, shutting off school library services the blood used by local hospitals?
would leave students in the intellectual dark. When the Swan Valley School District cut bus funding
Of course, that includes basic, front-line academic to take preschoolers to the public library, our district cre-
assistance. When students are struggling in chemistry, ated an early childhood center in our high school library.
calculus, or any other class, they come to the library for Teens in our library develop and teach weekly lessons to
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 It is our library that often serves
these young readers. The Shakespeare, and do yoga.
school library also coordi- as a think tank for evolving Even the students who di-
nates a group of cadet teachers ideas and programs and finds rectly benefit from these
who assist with curriculum programs don’t realize that the
solutions to local challenges.
and lesson planning in ele- library secured grants for
mentary and middle school classroom materials and a
classes. Shakespeare festival, set up
We’ve turned our facility into a the labs, arranged for the
makerspace that provides students the space yoga program, and served on
and equipment they need to create masquerade the technology team that leads
masks for school projects, paint chairs for advancements in technology
community charity events, build sets for education.
school plays, and create databases for school As part of the technology team, school
record books. Library students set up labs library staff members have been working to
and troubleshoot technology problems. provide our students with cutting-edge tools
The library design team paints sports signs for learning. Swan Valley School District re-
and provides decorating advice for floats cently announced that it will implement 1:1
and classroom showcases. learning next year and will provide a tablet
A few years ago, several parents came to us device to every student from kindergarten
for help with fundraising ideas for their annual through 12th grade. K–2 students will leave
after-prom party. The library now sponsors an the tablet in their classrooms, and 3rd–12th
annual assembly to raise money for that pro- graders will take it home every day. This week
gram, offering entertainment such as flash-mob our library students reorganized half of the library
dancing contests, the opportunity to toss a pie at a favorite office and started transforming a library workroom into
teacher, and Nintendo Wii competitions. The spring activ- a technology troubleshooting and repair station. We are
ity afternoon is a hit with the students, staff, and local press. investigating the idea of offering library classes before
september/october 2014 digital supplement on school libraries

In the library, volunteers prepare for disaster drills, to and after school to train students as repair technicians,
serve as youth coaches, and to provide service at the Spe- and we hope to set up a community service center for
cial Olympics. Other community partnerships include computers and tablets in the library. We’re also looking
parks and recreation endeavors, walking trail improve- at summer training programs and have been meeting with
ments, and even building initiatives. Library students help engineers about updating projection and sound systems.
to facilitate schoolwide safe-driving programs, healthy We are searching for new solutions to servers and paperless
living initiatives, and Habitat for Humanity building assignments and are continuing to train staff in how to make
projects. They also mentor freshmen and at-risk students. the most of the Michigan eLibrary resources and ebooks,
This service is so valuable that one teacher at our school including services that offer unlimited lifetime access.
recently commented, “The media studies students are the In short, it is the school library that often serves as a think
only reason half my at-risk students are passing.” tank for evolving ideas and programs and finds solutions
to local challenges.
The center for tech skills And while our trivia team did not win the tournament
As a school librarian, I often urge students to talk to their that night, parents left realizing that their children would
parents about some of the issues we teach in school. I ask never lose in a school with an active library program. We
them to think about when they were in kindergarten and left feeling like winners, because we know that the next
couldn’t wait to get home from school to tell their parents time these parents ask, “Do kids even use the library
everything that happened that day. I remind them about anymore?” they will understand that the answer is an
| 

when they were in middle school and the only things they unequivocal YES!  z
americanlibrariesmagazine.org 

talked about when they got home were what they needed
for the game or when the next dance was. I finish by ask-
KAY WEJROWSKI is library media
ing them what they do now that they’re in high school and specialist at Swan Valley High School in
their parents ask, “What did you do at school today?” The Saginaw, Michigan. Swan Valley High
School Library is the recipient of the
answer they give is always the same: “Nothing.” 2013 AASL Library Program of the
But that’s simply not true: They formulate spreadsheets, Year award. Wejrowski was named the
Saginaw County 2014 Teacher of the
calculate mortgage interest, participate in live open-heart Year and was one of three 2014 state
surgery teleconferences, animate films, learn to understand finalists for Michigan Teacher of the Year.
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