{"id":348,"date":"2022-03-15T03:20:35","date_gmt":"2022-03-15T03:20:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/mlis-lfort009\/?p=348"},"modified":"2022-03-15T03:20:36","modified_gmt":"2022-03-15T03:20:36","slug":"library-visit-at-academy-of-discovery-at-lakewoods-library","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/mlis-lfort009\/2022\/03\/15\/library-visit-at-academy-of-discovery-at-lakewoods-library\/","title":{"rendered":"Library visit at Academy of Discovery at Lakewood’s Library"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Welcome to ADL’s library.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Today I visited my school’s library as I have done nearly everyday for the past 6.5 years, <\/em>but I went in with a more critical view of the facility and services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Space<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The area is located on the first floor of the school building and is easily accessible through either the main double doors in the main foyer, through a single door located on the main first floor hallway which leads to the directly to the middle school side of the library, or through an adjacent computer lab\/classroom. Because ADL is a 3-8 school, the library is separated into elementary and middle school sections with the circulation desk in the middle. Both areas offer comfortable, size-appropriate seating, areas to congregate with schoolmates, and access to computers as well as books and magazines. Students are able to sit on beanbags, ottomans, or chairs as they read or play games. There is a classroom area is located on the middle school side with tables, chairs, a computer for instructional use, an Epson video projector (same as found in all of the classrooms), and whiteboards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Game and reading area<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Digital Access<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every school in my district has its own website which contains a link to a dedicated page for the school’s library which can be accessed by anyone. Here’s the link for ADL’s library: https:\/\/www.npsk12.com\/Page\/10615<\/a>. From there, students are able to access not only the school’s catalog, but also databases, e-books, and all of the media services provided by the district. There are also links to the online catalogues for all of Norfolk Public Schools, the Norfolk Public Library, the Library of Congress, and the public libraries of other local cities in the Southside Tidewater region. Even our youngest third graders able to navigate through the catalogue to find the books and materials they desire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fourth graders using library catalog<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Services and People<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our library library is open to all students and staff in the building. Both groups are able to use the library as a meeting space, access books and magazines, and conduct research. The shelves are organized by the Dewey Decimal system, and the books are not grouped by genre. Prior to the pandemic, students used the video recording studio to film morning announcements. Teachers have a work room wherein they are able to laminate, make color posters, and obtain audio-visual materials. Our media specialist, Ms. Scott, and our her media assistant, Ms. Pizarro, make the library and its website very accessible to students and faculty. During third and fourth grade resource blocks, elementary students come to the library for silent, sustained reading of books of their own choice or literature circles led by Ms. Scott.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collections<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research has shown that as students progress through middle school and into high school, their use of the library for reading for pleasure decreases due the impact of assigned reading (Creel, 2015). Students do not feel that they have the time to read outside of what they are required to read for class. Our school librarian recognizes this problem, and she has created a Young Adult section in the library for our middle schoolers. The Language & Literature department has incorporated Book Share projects in our curriculum that allows students to choose books which interest them and review these books for their classmates. Invariably, the books are chosen from the YA collection. Because many YA books are part of a series, the students return to the library seeking the next book in the series. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the aspects of the school library that surprised me was the level of oversight that comes from the district Media Services department. Our school librarian has a decent budget ($10,000 per year) from which she can order books, pay for magazine subscriptions, and obtain audiovisual supplies. She does not have to create MARC records as this is done “downtown”. In the past, the Media Services department, which was staffed by professional librarians, provided all training for school librarians and provided them with handbooks and operational manuals. However, due to budgetary cuts, this department no longer has professional librarians on staff, nor do the schools have full-time library assistants. Despite the fact that librarians are integral to the success of students, why would school districts short change their libraries?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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References<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creel, S. \u00a0(2015). The impact of assigned reading on young adults. Journal of Research on Libraries & Young Adults<\/em>, 6(1), n. page. http:\/\/www.yalsa.ala.org\/jrlya\/2015\/02\/the-impact-of-assigned-reading-on-reading-pleasure-in-young-adults\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today I visited my school’s library as I have done nearly everyday for the past 6.5 years, but I went in with a more critical view of the facility and services. Space The area is located on the first floor of the school building and is easily accessible through either the main double doors in… <\/p>\n

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