Reflection on Public and School Libraries Working Together, and Other Musings May, 27, 2021

My takeaway from the articles I’ve read, and other resources I’ve viewed in the last two weeks of Library Programing class, is that public libraries and school libraries can work together in ways I had not considered before, both directly and in directly. In the chat Amy P. from Lexington County Public library had with Professor Byrd-Fort, she pointed this out by mentioning the fact that many children’s first and possible only experience with libraries could be their school library. This is a great opportunity for the school library to make sure students, parents, and teachers are aware of the resources provided to them by the public library, particularly over the summer when they do not have access to the school library.

I agreed with Amy when she mentioned how burnt-out children are with screens because of the pandemic. It made me wonder what other ways children who do not have access to the physical library can experience books. I thought about a speech I recently read that Lois Lowry gave when accepting her Margaret A. Edwards award for her book, The Giver. She told the story of how a teacher told her that she had been reading the book out loud to her 8th grade class over the course of some time, when there was some unexpected time off from school (I believe due to weather). One of her students, whom she described as usually being a disinterested student, called her at her home and told he needed her to finish reading the book to him! The story touched my future-librarian-heart. I think this could be a great idea for teachers, or librarians, to offer some sort of audio version of reading to their students when they are away from school. As a matter of fact, the Children’s Programming at Brossard Public Library article mentioned dial-a-story being a program they have offered previously.

One thing I related to was reading in the Start Storytelling article, by Donna Schatt and Patrick Ryan, was how oral storytelling can lead to better visualization by the listener, and can lead to creative activities. I personally know many elementary students that need auditory elements when it comes to comprehension, and it’s even better for them when you begin to add activities into the mix. This is the type of multi-sensory learning that I hope to participate in as a school librarian one day.

-Kristen DeAnne Anderson

Referenced Resources:

Chat with Amy P from Lexington County Public Library

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjdNr-gOYu4

Lois Lowry’s Acceptance Speech

Lowry, L. (2007). Margaret A. Edwards award acceptance speech: a passionate yearning. Young Adult Library Services, 6(1), 22–25. https://login.pallas2.tcl.sc.edu/login

Children’s Programming at Brossard Public Library article, by Nancy Lusignan & Thuy Hang Tran

Start storytelling article by Donna Schatt and Patrick Ryan