Display Philosophy:
Each school year we struggle with the theme of the final book display. Some years we go with “beach reads”; other years we might have a camping theme. This year we decided to go with philosophy, specifically creating a life philosophy. This time of year is especially frightening for our seniors. For many, there hasn’t been this much unknown since they began kindergarten. Sure, they may have chosen a college and maybe even a major, but they will be entering a whole new world in just three short months.
A graduate from our school recently spoke to the class of 2018. In the speech, he alluded to this section of T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets when describing the time between high school and college.
Here are some of the books we recommend for a philosophical farewell to our seniors.
While these are not new books, they do have a way of capturing and sometimes answering the questions of life transitions. And the high school to college transition is a big one.
SoulPancake: Chew on Life’s Big Questions
This book written by Rainn Wilson (aka Dwight Schrute) is a work of art, and it is a perfect read for a high school senior about to head out into the world. Seniors are so tired of people asking questions they are not ready to answer. This will give them questions that everyone struggles to answer. For instance, “Can men and women really be just friends?” The book has 180 questions that range from Art and Creativity to God and Religion. The book features 90 artists and the format is varied and so easy to read. The questions will make for great late-night philosophy conversations in the commons room or coffee shop over the next four years.
What Should I Do with My Life? The True Story of People Who Answered the Ultimate Question
Here is a philosophy book completely based in reality. Author Po Bronson 
interviews fifty-five people about decisions they made while attempting to answer the question “What should I do with my life?” The book is divided into eight themes like Destination vs. Journey and Know Thyself. The great thing about this collection is that the stories are quite short and can be read just one at a time. One can also choose a story that applies to an individual situation like a particular career path or family issue.
Curating through Book Displays
We have constant displays in our library. This summer I will conduct a workshop in Tennessee about promoting a reading culture with creative book displays. We will look at each of our individual library spaces and collections to develop displays for the upcoming school year. We will brainstorm about local happenings, national holidays, and unique themes to return home with a monthly tickler file of ideas for the 2018-19 school year. In this session, we will sketch plans and use Pinterest for a hands-on workshop. This workshop aligns with the Curate and Engage Shared Foundations in the AASL Standards.
Author: Hannah Byrd Little
Hello, I am the Library Director at The Webb School of Bell Buckle. I use my past experience in college and university libraries to help my current students in school libraries transition into college, career, and life. I am currently the lead Senior Class Adviser for the Capstone Project. I also served at the state level with the Tennessee Association of School Librarians executive board from 2009-2013 and was the TASL president in 2012. I am certified as a Library Information Specialist for PreK-12th grade, have a BS in Communications with a concentration in Advertising and Public Relations, a BS in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Education and Information Systems and a Masters in Library and Information Science.
Categories: Blog Topics, Collection Development, Student Engagement/ Teaching Models
Love the way this display is thinking outside of the normal summer reading themes! I will definitely try to incorporate something like this into my May book display next school year.