Why do students go to their school library?

In all of the arguments about the access to and appropriateness of the materials in school libraries, I have not seen anyone look at it from the point of view of the student. Why do students go to the library/ media center? I asked some students and teachers to give me an idea of why they came to the library. Their answers were “quiet,” “resources,” “music,” “books,” and my personal favorite, “the people who work here”.

I always find it ironic that School Library Month is April – a month that consists of one week of Spring Break and two weeks of testing. Of course, both events prevent access to the library. However, one of those positive things that came from our pandemic experiences, is the ability to offer more resources online.

This year, I decided to use Instagram and Twitter to share images that show students, parents, teachers, and the public why students come to the library. The challenge I set myself was to share 30 images over the 30 days of April. Admittedly, I had several people make suggestions for images, and then I decided to standardize using Canva. I believe this gives everyone a glimpse into why students go to their school library.

Another view of the 30 Days of April Instagram is shown here in this PDF. Why do you go to the library? Isn’t it worth your support, instead of condemnation? Pause and think about what your school library can do for your child. In 2018, the article “Why School Librarians Matter: What Years of Research Tell Us” by Lance & Kachel, states, “Reading and writing scores tend to be higher for all students who have a full-time certified librarian, and when it comes to reading, students in at-risk subgroups tend to benefit more than all students combined.”

Your support for your school library and school librarian is needed now more than ever!

Reference:

Lance, K.C. & Kachel, D.E. (2018).  Why school librarians matter: What years of research tell us. Phi Delta Kappan, 99 (7), 15-20.

Full Article: https://kappanonline.org/lance-kachel-school-librarians-matter-years-research/