My friend from Kinderbookswitheverything alerted me to this event today - 1st April
LIBRARY SNAPSHOT DAY
In her book Raising Readers Megan Daley says this:
"Well-resourced school libraries, with exemplary teacher librarians and library support staff, develop and sustain a vibrant reading culture, promote innovative use of digital technologies and are a participatory hub within the school." Note from me to school principals this one sentence contains all the criteria needed for writing a job advertisement for a teacher librarian.
"School libraries are wonderful places which are the beating heart of many school communities and a refuge for those in need of time away from a busy school environment."
"Library displays should be dotted around the library, be ever-changing, professional, eye catching with all the books facing forwards and able to be borrowed from the display."
Now I am going to re-write this sentence with my own shouting voice. (Megan says its okay to be loud!)
"Library displays should be dotted around the library, be ever-changing, professional, eye catching with all the books facing forwards and able to be borrowed from the display."
Below are some photos of school libraries - from my former school, some I have visited and some from Pinterest - these warrant a celebration because they are inviting and light and bright and filled with amazing books that the children can easily find and read. The post you just read from my friend also talks about LUNCH time in the library - and this was a time, as a teacher-librarian, that I treasured. Sure, I was busy shelving and preparing resources for teachers etc but I loved seeing tons of kids in my library every lunch time - drawing, playing games, chatting, building brick towers and most of all reading. Not using tech, just free to chill in a fairly calm if not really quiet space.
We had an empty brick wall leading to my former library so I collected ideas for a painted mural. We did create a fantastic huge photo display printed on canvas and hung under a huge Perspex sheet but sadly the vandals completely destroyed this after only one term.
