We Love Libraries
As Roald Dahl’s Title character Matilda soon found, the library is a place of learning, discovery, and wonder. Every child deserves full access to a well-stocked library. Libraries are essential for all communities and especially important for low-income areas where they can provide families with their only access to technology, literature and community services.
Parents agree, the Pew Internet & American Life Project found 94% of parents say that libraries are important for children.
For new immigrants libraries can offer English language classes, parent and baby groups and a chance to integrate into the local area, they can become a meeting point and revitalize downtown areas.
Libraries are centers of the arts and partner with other cultural organizations such as museums, galleries, and schools to ensure unhindered access to knowledge and art in the written word.
Libraries are free, which allows all members of the community to enjoy the arts, not just the elite.They offer a type of free education where many levels of complexity can be covered on a range of subjects, and are often referred to as the “people's university”.
Many libraries provide free tutoring and afterschool homework clubs to close the divide between those that can afford a premium education and those that cannot.
So we know that libraries are an essential partner in learning and a vibrant and necessary wealth of information and services for the community, but how can you foster a love and appreciation of libraries in your students?
Organise A Library Visit and Meet The Librarian
Firstly to your school library (if you have one) but later to the community library, this is important as it helps to create homeschool links, where children can tell their parents about their local library and hopefully continue the learning outside of school.
Meeting the librarian is the initial step in a student’s initiation into the library and helps them to understand that these professionals are partners in learning and have a similar role to teachers. Many libraries have programs that feature the librarian reading stories to the class or leading a research activity.
Learn The Library Referencing System
It's important to teach children how libraries are organized and referenced so they can search for information for themselves, this seeks to demystify the process and allows students autonomy in their book and topic choices.
It’s Not Just Books You Know
Show students how music, videos and internet use can all be accessed from the library as well as a host of other services, lessons, and activities, the library is a one-stop shop for knowledge and information.
Hold A Book Fair
At your local library or incorporate a library visit into a school-wide book day- invite students to dress up as their favorite characters and present projects on their favorite authors, offer a book swap and share your favorite stories too.
Borrow a Book
Although it can sometimes be difficult to organise memberships and record items, allowing students to borrow a book from the library (especially if they haven't done so before) is a very powerful introduction to the library, there are not many other institutions in our modern world where people are trusted to borrow and return something precious. It teaches children responsibility, respect, and trust.
Kathryn Houghton, a Librarian of 17 years, working in a top preparatory school In London England, states:
A good school library and librarian create an awareness of information literacy - giving children confidence to navigate resources, including the internet and be able to find and understand quality information.
Librarians are experts in the vast breadth of children's literature and are integral to guiding children to choose books for pleasure.”
It is this focus on reading for pleasure that has been found to best indicate future academic success and has more impact than either parent own credentials.
The importance of libraries cannot be overstated, they do not simply provide books or promote reading , instead, they act as gatekeepers in a social interaction where knowledge and literature are shared, discussed and explored.
Ready to make a leap to become a school librarian? Consider pursuing a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree!
Fiona Tapp is a Freelance Writer, Educator, and Mom. An Expert in the field of Pedagogy, a teacher of 13 years and Master’s Degree holder in Education. Take a look at her website or blog to connect.