Library Visits School Library
Wilder Middle School’s Library
Digital Access
Overall, the website for Wilder’s library is great. It is eye catching and has a lot of information. I think it created with Bit emoji, so it is fun and entertaining to look at. There are many links to click. Some deal with other Henrico school libraries but the links I find most useful are Find a Book, Access Digital Resources, and the Ask a Librarian link. Since this is a school’s library one must use the platform Clever to access many of the resources. There are instructions for accessing information and databases using Clever from home. In the summer the school takes student laptops to fix/repair them so some features may not be available to students over the summer. There is also information for parents and a place to request book pick up for the summer. I like how the school library’s website connects to the Henrico County Libraries website as well. There are also links to Snapchat and Twitter.
You cannot tell anything about the diversity of the school from its website. Nor can you tell how many people are employed there or what their roles might be.
The Space and Physical Access
The library is in the middle of the school, the first thing you see as you enter the building. It is somewhat welcoming from the outside. Upon exiting there are sensors that check to see if you are leaving with a book you have not checked out, not the most welcoming site, but many libraries have these security measures. The space is large perhaps the size of three classrooms. There are tables, a Promethean Board, a 3-D printer, and areas to play games like checkers, chess, or read the newspaper. There are also a few computers set up, though each student receives their own laptop.
Services and Intellectual Access
The books are kept in shelves that create a kind of maze that weaves throughout the room. The Dewey Decimal System is used for cataloging. The books are also separated by type fiction, non-fiction, reference, and so on. There is a large desk in front where students can return and check out books or pay their school fees. There isn’t much signage in the library. I think handicapped children would have problems moving around in the library: there isn’t much space for wheelchairs and nothing that would help a blind student navigate the space.
People (Patrons and Staff)
This library clearly serves the students and the décor and furniture suggest that. In a school library “The librarian’s role expanded in breadth and depth to encompass four major roles: teacher, instructional partner, information specialist, and program administrator” (Rubin & Rubin, 2020, p. 153). I have seen this role in the past but due to staffing issues the librarian was pulled to many different areas in the school, mostly covering classes of absent teachers. Hopefully this will change, and the Wilder librarian will be able to complete some other roles and assist teachers in finding information and planning lessons. Most of the interactions between the library staff and the students are cordial but mostly I see the library staff begging students to return overdue books. There are only two people who work in the library though there are offices in the library that are used by school support staff, such as the Coordinator of Assessment and Remediation, and the technology helpdesk.
Collections
The types of resources in Wilder’s library are those that would attract children in their middle school years. There are many types of reference books, fiction, non-fiction, there is also a large selection of graphic novels. I think that the collection shows that this is a school library. The décor and the books advertised for check out would appeal mostly to a young audience which is appropriate for a school library.
Other
The mission of this library is apparent in the types of books, games, and other features of the library. This year there were a lot of library areas specifically used for overflow testing especially during the Standards of Learning tests. This is a little disappointing to me because if I do become a school librarian, I would rather not also be a test proctor. I would be interested to see the difference in which books and the number of books that are checked out by the Gifted Young Scholars Academy as opposed to the “community students.”
References
[Photograph Wilder Middle School Library]. Henrico Public Schools Wilder Website. https://wilder.henricoschools.us/ask-a-librarian/
Rubin, R. E., and Rubin, R. G. (2020). Foundations of library and information science (5th ed.). ALA Neal-Schuman.
This school’s library website is definitely more accessible, informative, and useful than the one I visited. I wonder if it’s because this library is meant for middle schoolers (not elementary schoolers) and there’s an expectation that those students are “online more”—especially if they are given laptops during the school year. I also wonder if the site was developed during a COVID lockdown and school closure or if a digital presence is always something they maintained. I definitely agree that being a school librarian who is relegated to mostly proctoring tests sounds awful (and reminds me of the Sanchez article we read about Mexican American high schoolers and their relationships with their library).
I love how the Wilder Middle School Library has a way for students to pick up books during the summer time! That’s a great service to offer to keep students reading. I love that there’s also a designated space for students to play games and interact. I’m wondering whether there are any makerspace type materials that are accessible to students and staff also. It’s disappointing to hear that the school librarian was pulled so often to be a substitute in other classrooms. What happened to students who wanted to access library materials on days that this happened? I’m sure the school librarian might have felt frustrated during SOL testing also if the space was taken over for testing purposes. I wonder if they brought up the issue of how restricting access to the library could be considered infringing on the students’ library bill of rights with administrators.
I see the Bitmojis of the librarians! Very cute. I appreciate how many resources students can use by logging in with the school’s credentials. It’s also interesting to me that the school (library in particular?) has a Snapchat – I wonder what sort of content they put on it. I think it’s great that the 3D printer is out in the open – at the school I visited it was in a back room for staff-only access, but I think it would pique students’ interest to see it in use. A maze is a great description that makes me want to visit and see it. It’s interesting that your librarian also has extra duties; mine was in charge of the computer lab and Chromebooks, too. I love your question about the difference between books checked out by different populations!
Thanks for sharing. It’s fun to learn about new discovery systems like Clever. I’ve never heard of it. I’m kind of surprised there are only to people on staff in this space. With such a large space there should be more signage visible, and the area should be made accessible for those with disabilities. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for commenting on by school’s library!
Interesting library. Glad you found a school that had a lot of information to research and write about. I wasn’t so lucky on my school choice. The library was closed for the summer. The website no easy to use. Seems like kids where having fun in the picture. I love seeing kids enjoying the library.
I think it’s interesting that the library is set up so that the bookshelves are positioned around the room like a maze. You would think that the library would have more signage so the kids could be able to find the books they are looking for. I believe that the library should have more room for children with wheelchairs to be able to move around the space freely. I think it’s great that the library website is eye catching and provides a lot of information. Wow, a 3D printer! That must be fun for the students to use or have access to.