Brookfield Elementary School (School)

Digital Access

https://brookfieldes.fcps.edu/library

The web page for Brookfield Elementary School’s library is easily accessible through Brookfield’s home page.  It is a simple page featuring the staff with hyperlinks to a contact page and links to the catalog and databases.  There is a brief summary of the services available at the school library.  More information about library services for the county can be found at fcps.edu. The school website and library page are not maintained by the school librarian. They are maintained by the School Based Technology Specialist.  

The Space and Physical Access

Upon entering Brookfield Elementary School’s library the first thing you will notice is that the walls are covered in a mural featuring popular story book characters like Piggie and Elephant, Clifford, Max of Where the Wild Things Are (and the Wild Things) and Harry Potter just to name a few.  One wall features a tree that has a diverse group of children on and around it reading and playing with a quote that says “learn to read [and] you will be forever free.”  The colorful walls create a warm and inviting feeling to this school library.  

The front section of the library features several tables and chairs that students and teachers can use for quiet reading or lessons.  Past the circulation desk is the Non-fiction collection on your left and on your right are a few centers, puzzles, pop-up books, puppets, etc. that students can use when they have checked out books and are waiting for their classmates and teacher.  There are two desktop computers in this area where students can access the library catalog called Destiny.  Just beyond this area is the fiction or “Everyone” section.  The everyone section features a story corner that has “story steps” for the children to sit on when the librarian teaches her lessons.  In the back of the library, you will find a large open space with several round tables and chairs and a projector that can be used for lessons or for meetings.  Sometimes professional development classes are held in this space after school hours.  The overall flow of the library is linear with a central pathway leading you through the whole library.  This makes it accessible to students or teachers in a wheelchair. 

Services, Intellectual Access and Collections 

At the Brookfield ES library the non-fiction books are organized by the Dewey Decimal system and the fiction books are alphabetized.  However, some genres or collections have been pulled from each section for ease of access.  For example, all graphic novels have a shelf of their own and the “Who Was” biographical series is displayed on a book tree as these are quite popular and circulate frequently.  There are books available in Spanish mixed throughout the collections that are designated by a bright red sticker with the letters “SPA” placed on the spine of the book. Two “permanent” computers are located in the front of the library where students can access the library catalog.  I believe that the school library and librarian do a nice job of holding true to Ranganathan’s law: Every Book Its Reader.  That is to say that “the library should employ many methods to ensure that each book found its appropriate reader” (Rubin & Rubin, 2020, p. 665).  The way the librarian has arranged the library to be open access but further still created subcategories within each section ensures that books are matched with readers.  

The library does have access to multiple databases and eBooks that have been centrally purchased for the use of all Fairfax County Public Schools’ students and staff.  There are many available, however, Brookfield’s library only highlights and supports the use of a select few such as MyOn, PebbleGo and Tumblebooks which all feature eBooks and video storybooks. 

One of the “Big Themes of Educational Change,” is “Authentic learning is not a trend – it is a necessity” (Rubin & Rubin, 2020, p. 152).  This is evident in Brookfield teachers shift from traditional assessment to project based learning.  One such project is found in a kindergarten classroom where students design a toy utilizing magnets and share their “blueprints” with a collaborating senior class and they build the student’s toy using the 3D printer. Brookfield’s library did have a fledgling Makerspace before the pandemic shut down schools. “Makerspaces allow students to explore, share, create and solve problems together.  Instead of simply receiving knowledge, students learn by doing” (Rubin & Rubin, 2020, p. 156).  The school’s Makerspace was all donated materials.  It featured legos, magnatiles, gears, picasso tiles and more.  Although it was a new program, the students very much enjoyed using the space and were developing critical thinking skills essential for a 21st century learner.  When schools reopened there were many COVID rules and regulations that prevented the library from opening up the Makerspace again.  As restrictions have been lifted, the Makerspace still remains closed.  

People (Patrons and Staff) 

Brookfield Elementary School’s library serves students in PreK through 6th grade, so children ages 4-12 as well as their teachers.  Brookfield’s population is quite diverse with hispanic and black or African American students making up a large portion of the demographics.  The murals on the wall and the book collection are very appropriate for an elementary school and do reflect the diversity in our school. 

Comartie and Burns (2019) noted that the role of the school librarian has shifted from being materials-focused to being learning focused; from working in isolation to being a connector to others; from being an enforcer of rules to being a spark for learning” (Rubin & Rubin, 2020, p. 156).  Donning an objective and critical lens, I have to say that while I wish to presume positive intentions, I have not seen this shift. Brookfield’s library is run by one librarian, a middle-aged white woman, and a part time library assistant, a middle-aged white man.  The library assistant is mainly responsible for checking in and out books while the librarian meets with students. There is not much collaboration happening between the library and teachers of our school.  Students only receive one lesson every other week and it is almost always a whole group read aloud and often not aligned with current grade level learning standards.  The school librarian is a fantastic orator bringing characters to life and engaging and involving students with the story.  Unfortunately, she also has a brusque, sharp and abrupt manner when redirecting students or when problems arise.  Her manner is even more abrasive and rude when dealing with adults.  This is unfortunate given that she is the only full time library staff member at the school. Again, I wish to presume positive intentions and Brookfield is a large school, so perhaps our librarian needs more than just a part-time library assistant or perhaps the master schedule needs to be reevaluated so that she can spend more time with teachers, I do not know, but it seems that she needs more support than she is getting.   

Conclusion

Rubin & Rubin (2020) state that “Education in the twenty-first century will be learner-centered, with personalized learning tailored to the needs of each student, and responsive to cultural differences in a real-world context.” He cautions that school districts will respond to these themes in different ways and different degrees and school libraries will need to respond as well and perhaps provide leadership within their school to accommodate these changes (p. 152).  This very closely aligns with FCPS’ Portrait of a Graduate initiative adopted in 2014.  Our teachers and librarians are very familiar with this initiative, so, I do believe we could begin to see a greater shift toward these changes in our own library in the near future.    

References 

Brookfield Elementary School Exterior. [Photograph]. Fairfax County Public Schools. https://brookfieldes.fcps.edu/

Children’s Mural. [Photograph]. Brookfield Elementary School. https://brookfieldes.fcps.edu/library

Fairfax County Public Schools. (2022). Library. Brookfield Elementary School. https://brookfieldes.fcps.edu/library 

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