Introduction

This summer I am working as an Instructional Assistant for the Fairfax County Public Schools Extended School Year program. It is a four week term designed to help special education students retain skills they might lose over the summer. The school I am assigned to is Kilmer Middle School in Vienna, Virginia. The school librarians are off for the summer break but the library is currently staffed by one of the science teachers who works at Kilmer during the school year. She was able to answer a few questions and spent a little time walking through the library with me.

Digital Access

The Kilmer Middle School Library serves the students and faculty of Kilmer Middle School. Its webpage is packed with information and resources. It has everything from suggested reading to virtual field trips. Other resources and services on the website include MyOn and Tumble Books Library, links for research assistance, and a suggestion box to request new titles for the library to purchase. Another link takes you to a well curated page featuring anti-racism books and lessons. Makerspace has its own link as well. There students can find ideas about projects and read about other Makers. The catalog is easily accessible. A quick search takes you to a results page that shows the catalog information, a picture of the book cover, and a green IN or red OUT icon. Students can also access audio and eBooks through the MackinVIA link. The library is staffed by two full time librarians. Their contact information is clearly listed on the website. The library also has an active Twitter feed on the website where you can see various projects and library activities (Kilmer Library, 2022).

The Space and Physical Access

The library is large but still cozy. There are bright chairs with throw pillows. Large paper flowers hang from the celling. The pillars are painted in bright primary colors that match the tables and chairs. The circulation desk is covered with chalkboard paint. Conference rooms, offices, and the school IT department are located in rooms off of the library. Most of the shelves are low so they can be accessed by shorter students or those who might be in wheel chairs. All of the sections are open and accessible to everyone. There is a chess board and a large Connect 4 game which invite students to come in, relax, and enjoy the space. The back wall is a lined with large windows looking out at the school parking lot, trees, and neighborhood. There are bike racks outside of the school.

Services and Intellectual Access

There is a large Makerspace in the Kilmer Middle School Library. Most of the materials were packed away on open shelves for the summer but you can see Legos, Ozobots, circuit boards, craft materials, and a Cricut maker. During the school year the tables are set up with puzzles and materials for independent tinkering. There are large colorful signs on the pillars and walls pointing the way to larger sections. Small acrylic signs guide students to subsections and explain the Dewey Decimal System. The library catalog is accessible through computer stations throughout the library.

People (Patrons and Staff)

The library serves the students and faculty at Kilmer Middle School. The décor, furniture, and collections all support that. There are helpful reminders posted throughout the library that tell students how to name and save a Google Document, to be critical thinkers, and how to find the materials they are looking for in the library. As it is summer the staff librarians are not in the building. Most of the students are also not present. Those attending the program are pulled from different areas of the county. Currently, the space is being used as a place for students to step away from the classroom for breaks. I regularly bring my students down to walk through the library and enjoy the games and activities. The library website has several photos and videos that show it is a diverse school and that the library programs and services are widely used by students from all backgrounds (Kilmer Library, 2022).

Collections

In terms of collections there are Playaways, board games, and puzzles. There is a large manga section. Fiction is broken into type – realistic, historical, mystery, fantasy, and sports are a few of the many subsections. There are several sections that contain books in foreign languages including Chinese, French, Korean, Hebrew, Vietnamese, and Spanish. There are technology carts stored throughout the library but they were locked and I couldn’t tell what was inside. Again, from the photos I can see that there are tablets, cameras, and laptops that seem to be part of regular library use. There were also smart boards and audiovisual equipment (Kilmer Library, 2022).

Other/Conclusion

My favorite part of the library are the two stationary bikes. They are FitDesks and have a desk built in so you can read or work while you pedal. They aren’t just my favorite thing, my daughter is attending the school this summer and she was with me when I took my early morning tour through the library. She headed straight to one of the bikes and hopped on. She was thrilled to get to use them without having to wait for a turn. They are always in use when I visit. Students love the chance to move and read at the same time. So many of the students I work with need to move while they are learning. We have bouncy ball chairs in the classroom for them to use but the bikes are a real treat.

I was disappointed to find that many of the links on the library website are out of date or are completely empty. Specifically the links that promised teacher book recommendations. It feels as if a lot of the information on the site was added or updated during virtual learning at the beginning of the pandemic and has not been changed since the school returned to in person learning.

I really enjoyed this library. It has been a quiet spot of respite during a very arduous summer term. I feel calm there. I stop by a couple times of day to walk through the space. It is never empty. There are always students and teachers taking a few minutes to relax with a book from one of the shelves, build a tower of Legos, or waiting for their turn on the stationary bike. I wish I’d had the opportunity to meet and speak with the two librarians who have created this inviting and engaging space. I’d like to see how they interact with the students. They seem to have fully embraced the concept of the “third place” between school and home that provides individual learning for all students. (Rubin & Rubin, 2020). I’d like to talk to them about that and get some pointers for my own library one day. One thing is for sure, I’ll jump at an opportunity to come back and see the library and the librarians in action.

Resources

Fairfax County Public Schools (2022) Kilmer Middle School. https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/

Kilmer Library (2022). Kilmer Middle School Library. https://kilmerlibrary.weebly.com/

Rubin, R. E., & Rubin, R. G. (2020). Foundations of library and information science (5th ed.). ALA Neal-Schuman.

Steenstra Davis, M. R. (2022) Dewey Decimal System sign [Photograph]. Retrieved from Personal Collection. CC-BY-NC

Steenstra Davis, M. R. (2022). Library exercise bike [Photograph]. Retrieved from Personal Collection. CC-BY-NC

Steenstra Davis, M. R. (2022). Relaxing library chairs [Photograph]. Retrieved from Personal Collection. CC-BY-NC