This subject has wiped out my naive belief that stories were meant to amuse, entertain and a part of childhood goodness. The aesthetic values that I had experienced through reading narratives is reflected in the initial musings of my first blog  (Why Read?)for this subject. However, children’s literature and the humble ‘story’ has evolved.

Literary learning – literature-based instruction – has become a powerful pedagogical tool used across all curriculum areas to enhance learning and life opportunities. Literature is audaciously presumed to yield the prospect of new and deeper understanding of self, society, and life (Cornett, 2014, p.146). Teacher librarians’ enthusiastic and committed role in promoting and supporting the theory and practice of literary learning within the whole school has become more crucial than ever before.

Ensuring a rich collection of quality literature in my school library shelves would be a foremost priority.  Acquiring multimodal, interactive, linear and nonlinear books would ensure that young learners are kept in tandem with changing times and changing nature of literacies (Anstey & Bull, 2006, p.33). Fostering literacy and literate practices in multiple modes is quintessential to students’ understanding that information and knowledge is not static and thereby, learn to be flexible and strategic problem solvers.

Curating relevant literature across units of study of core content disciplines in my school, would enable teachers and teacher librarians to establish an active, literature-based curriculum. It would also serve as an advocacy tool for the library to become a communal hub and increase collaborative working opportunities with classroom teachers.  Moreover, utilising digital media and tools could extend the accessibility of this service to the school community.

Another important learning point that I had acquired was on how literate practices ought to be inextricably linked with readers’ social and cultural life and experiences. Anstey and Bull (2006) contend that social or cultural experiences greatly influence how well they (students) can complete set tasks (p.36). Ensuring diversity in my collection and equity in accessibility of library resources to students’ needs and interests to maximise their output is on my priority list. I have also shared a positive classroom experience on the value of investing on multicultural literature within my school library collection in this  subject’s discussion forum.

Thus, teacher librarians are proactive enablers to a whole school literary focus to advance student all-round achievement.  Literature must be a part of any rich classroom environment. To advocate that literature has a value well beyond its conventional function for the acquisition of literacy has become my working motto. Integrating the literary arts with a focus on balancing aesthetic enjoyment with information gain (Cornett, 2014, p.193)  through the humble ‘story book’ is the key to achieving this vision. Stories matter!

References:

Anstey, M., & Bull, G. (2006). Defining multiliteracies ; The consumption and production of text. In Teaching and learning multiliteracies : Changing times, changing literacies (pp. 19-55, 100-116). Newark, Del. : International Reading Association.

Cornett, C. E. (2014). Integrating the literary arts throughout the curriculum. In Creating meaning through literature and the arts : Arts integration for Classroom teachers (5th ed,) (pp. 144-193). Upper Saddle River : Prentice Hall.

In response to… “If libraries didn’t exist, would we build them today?” (Parkes, 2010, p.23)

Contrary to popular notions of the redundancy of libraries in the digital age and anxiety over diminishing rates of print books, the importance of libraries is more important now than it ever was and be rest assured, print is alive and growing. Libraries, particularly, school libraries have become social learning places for people to read, research, study, gather, work collaborate and interact with resources and technology. They are  certainly more than mere book repositories. Supportively, Gaiman (2013) succinctly asserts “libraries really are the gate to the future”. Libraries have evolved to become communal spaces where the physical and virtual worlds meet.

A well-resourced library, particularly, in terms of choice and access of its fiction collections can transform a school. One of the foremost functions of school libraries is to promote reading fiction, that is, to read for pleasure among its young learners. Students who discover the joy of reading for pleasure are well positioned for “enhanced literacy, language acquisition, cultural understanding, and social skills” (Eichholzer, 2014, p. 4). There are numerous ways to achieving this.

i) Arranging library books by author and genre stickers

As an enabler, teacher librarians have an important role in helping students learn how to find a ‘just right’ book. A vital step for a student towards becoming an engaged reader is knowing how to successfully browse, preview, and select what to read for pleasure. Author arrangement and genre stickers combined to promote exposure to different titles as well as independent access would be a key step in exposing students to a broad range of fiction titles.  This system allows students to quickly find books by authors they know and pique students’ interest as well, to read other authors who have written on the same genre.

Credit: https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51336/how-genrefication-makes-school-libraries-more-like-bookstores

ii) Building an inclusive collection

School libraries can send powerful messages about how we value students as individuals, especially if your collection acknowledges and respects the diversity of your school community. Fiction books that accurately reflect diverse culture, written in English by authors from another culture or in more than one language, for example, bilingual materials, or copies of both the original and translated editions of texts would help students to understand themselves and the world. Offering various formats: books and ebooks, including picture books, sophisticated picture books, easy reads and chapter books; audio books and multicultural book websites,  appropriate to different ages and abilities would exemplify a proactive, inclusive library.

Credit:https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=evaluating-a-collection-for-bias-and-stereotypes-with-primary-students

iii) Displaying thematic fiction collections

To ensure visibility and access to diverse collections, teacher librarians must regularly put-up displays aimed at different themes relating to curriculum units or readers’ borrowing records. Strategically positioning the display collections at the library’s entrance would arouse students’ curiosity and invite them into the library. Displays need to be changed regularly to keep students in anticipation of what the library has to offer.

iv) Inviting students to recommend fiction books of their choice

While teacher librarians could elicit readers’ interest by keeping up to date with new and upcoming books in their collections, valuing the readers’ opinion in building the collection is vital. A ‘Book suggestion box’ can be placed near the librarians’ desk to welcome students’ suggestions to the fiction collection based on their individual interest. Teacher librarians could collate the responses and purchase the most popular titles. A sense of ownership and empowerment is developed amongst  library users.

Credit: google.com

Sustaining a passion for reading for pleasure through these measures would lead to a future-ready library. The challenge of school libraries lies in the promotion of its fiction collections, to address the literary needs of its young leaners and offer utopic user experiences.

References:

Eichholzer, B.(2014). Taking the guesswork out of genre. Connections, 91(4), 4-5. https://www.scisdata.com/media/1215/scis_connections_issue_91_lr.pdf

Gaiman (16 October 2013). Neil Gaiman: Why our future depends on libraries, reading and daydreaming. The Guardian.

Parkes, D. (2010). Web 2.0 and libraries: Impacts, technologies and trends . In D. Parkes & G. Walton (Eds.), Transforming the library – e-books and e-buildings, pp. 13-29. Chandos.

There is so much to convey on the importance of reading that I am fumbling on how to start and where to stop. SO I have decided to reflect on what I have gained from reading.

Reading has made me the person I am today. Putting aside educational benefits that comes with reading, I shall introspect on the emotional, ethical, metaphysical and social development I have gained from reading.

Reading has fostered empathy in me.  Through reading fiction, I am able to put myself in someone else’s shoes, feel their ‘story’ and understand the world through their eyes. Access to global literature, as pointed out by Short (2018) has helped me to “develop empathy and intercultural understanding in an interconnected world” (p.294). The concept of a ‘global village’, viewing people as a united entity is facilitated by my exposure to reading widely.

Reading has kept me in pace with changes in global trends. Where there is fear of digitalisation to replace value in reading print, Gaiman (2013) assures that  “words are more important (now) than they ever were” (para. 9). In this world of text, email and influx of information,  reading enables communication, comprehension and critical analysis and knowledge collection.

Reading makes me occupy my leisure hours fruitfully. It takes me on an imaginative ride to places unknown, past, present and future. It sparks my creativity to take on the persona of a character to better understand an event beyond my personal realm (Barone, 2010, p.5). Gaiman (2013) encourages this ‘escapism’ (para. 21) as it allows readers’ minds to wander, seek ways to solve a predicament, improve the world, to make it better and different. Thus, reading offers purposeful experiences to improving my quality of life.

As an educator, my priority, lies in inculcating the importance and joy of reading amongst my students. This would ideally place my students en route to evolving into lifelong passionate readers and proactive individuals.

References:

 Barone, D. M. (2010). Children’s literature in the classroom : Engaging lifelong readers. Guilford publications.

Gaiman (16 October 2013). Neil Gaiman: Why our future depends on libraries, reading and daydreaming. The Guardian.

Short, K. (2018). What’s trending in children’s literature and why it matters. Language Arts, 95(5), 287-298.