As this destructive Coronavirus wreaks havoc on our world, books remain vessels through which we can escape the mayhem. Many of our schools will remain closed in the coming weeks, and some of us will be called on to provide… Read More ›
high school library
Books of Our Roots: Part Two
A few months ago, I wrote about Books of Our Roots, an idea I came up with to celebrate diversity in my high school library and facilitate conversations among students. The goal was to survey students about their families’ backgrounds,… Read More ›
Speed Dating with Books: New & Improved
Last November, I wrote about one of my favorite library collaborations: Speed Dating with Nonfiction Books. A few weeks ago, it was time for this year’s 11th-grade ELA students to participate. Taking what I learned from the past two speed… Read More ›
Building a Reading Community, One Reader at a Time
This spring, one of our 9th graders found a safe spot with us in the Camden Hills Regional High School Library. Erica is a self-proclaimed non-reader. She’s not a member of our Student Library Advisory Committee. But she is… Read More ›
Choosing Books That Challenge: Shaking Up Students’ Beliefs
This past weekend I read an outstanding essay in The New York Times “Book Review” section by Brian Morton, the director of the writing program at Sarah Lawrence College. In it, he describes an encounter with a college student who had been… Read More ›
School Libraries as Places of Social Engagement
Libraries are important places for social connections in our societies and schools. When I worked in a small public library, many of our older patrons counted on the library to serve a social function. Not just with programs or activities,… Read More ›