The elementary schools in Virginia Beach are excellent resources for their students and their family members. For safety reasons, I will not provide the specific name or a detailed breakdown of the layout of the school or the library I visited. Instead, I will refer to the school as VBES. The library at VBES is warm and inviting to students at all grades levels. It is colorfully and whimsically decorated with clear signage and directions for students. The stacks are alphabetized and separated by reading level. A nice selection of age-appropriate nonfiction books is available along with a large collection of youth novels and graphic novels. The growing popularity of graphic novels for this target age is well represented and these works are placed for easy location by students. The library information and checkout are situated on prime real estate in the library to ensure access for students and a clear vantage point for the librarian and their assistant. Because this is an elementary space and access to the library is very structured, there is not a large amount of comfortable seating to encourage students to sit and read. There is a dedicated reading area where students can spread out on the rug and listen to lessons and readings by the staff that is very cozy but that is the necessary extend. A large area of the library is dedicated to a makerspace where interactive activities are available and encouraged as part of the library experience. The librarian at VBES is actively engaged in specials education and provided weekly lessons and visits, alternating between the library and the classroom. This has created comfortable working relationships between the librarian and the students and between the librarian and the teachers. The library is utilized during a part of the year for standardized testing, but this is only mildly inconvenient for students at the time of year this takes place. The overarching theme at VBES is welcome and interest. The librarian is interested in the lives and likes of the students, engages them each in person conversation, and strives to maintain materials that will encourage the students to read and participate eagerly in their educational journey. For more information the Virginia Beach City Public Schools website is a great resource: Home – Virginia Beach City Public Schools (vbschools.com)
I’d be interested in finding out more about the school’s makerspace. I remember that bookmobile – sadly, it is no longer in use, but it certainly made me feel nostalgic. Is there only one librarian or multiple media specialists? I’m glad there is a reading area. That sounds nice and hopefully the students use it!
I’m so sad to hear that they have stopped the bookmobile! You’ve made me realize I haven’t seen it in the last few months. It was often parked at a school near my house. What happened? The library I visited has a librarian and a library media assistant. As far as I understand, the VBCPSs try to keep that staffing in the elementary schools. The library there is very popular with students and library lessons are included as a special with the librarians taking the class for about 45 minutes per week.
It’s interesting that you chose not to name the school. I was a little worried about naming my toured school as well. I’d love to hear more about the makerspace! I’m a bit obsessed with them at the moment. š
When I started writing this blog entry, I included the name of the school but ultimately felt that it was safer for me to avoid the inclusion of any specific school names. The incidences of school shootings and concerns for students’ safety, including my own children, outweighed any value in naming the location. I felt this particularly when describing the location of the library. I felt very uncomfortable at the idea that I could be helping anyone know the layout of the school for a malicious or violent intent. It’s very upsetting that that is a concern that any of us should ever have to consider. On a lighter note, their makerspace reflected the elementary age groups and was heavily arts and crafts/manipulatives based. I spent time there as a substitute as well and the class I worked with engaged with a variety of different learnings tools and toys such as Magna-tiles that forced them to think outside of normal building techniques.
It’s awesome that the school librarian is so involved in instruction. I hope to see more of this at the secondary level.
I hope to see more at the secondary level too. High school librarians can play an integral role in teaching students to research and navigate associated forms of technology.
It makes sense that there is not a lot of cozy reading spaces since the visits to the library at the elementary school level are so structured. I noticed those who wrote about middle or high school libraries showcased plenty of comfortable seating, since those age groups typically have a bit more freedom when attending the library.
I agree. I hope that students in the middle and high schools are taking full advantage of those reading spaces in their libraries-even if it is often just to hang out with friends. Comfort in the library is invaluable for kids.
Awww, that bookmobile is so happy-looking – I hope it goes back into use soon!
I love how involved the librarian is, both in the library and in the classroom. When I was in elementary school, we only saw our librarian in the library.
I agree, I barely remember my librarians in school, and I was one of the kids in the library often. Granted, I was very introverted in school and wasn’t seeking them out either.
I love that the school library is warm and inviting. That is so important for engaging students. That is great that the library is organized by reading level. I feel like this would be important in an elementary school library since you have kids in a large age range. I love that they have a makerspace, what a great way to appeal to students’ creative sides.
The inclusion of these makerspaces in libraries is a powerful equity tool for kids who don’t have as much access to the materials outside of school. And it gives the library an extra point of interest and excitement for little kids.