The Who’s and the How’s of it all

Locke (n.d.) highlights the importance not only for TLs but teachers to work to create a strong reading culture across the school. Teachers who appreciate high quality children’s books; share their reading experiences in order to learn from one another; become role models and actively discuss books/recommendations (making reading seem cool?) with their students and create opportunities to read for specific reasons (linked to the curriculum), are all factors that appear to contribute to creating a solid foundation for the promotion of reading. However, key to Locke’s (n.d.) discussion was her point regarding teachers developing a strong collegial relationship with their school librarian. For is it not the knowledge and expertise of the TL that provides the impetus and means to realise the establishment and longevity of such a cause?

In practice what does this look like? The challenge is to instil a sense of pleasure in reading by providing reading materials that students find interesting and relevant, as such the TL is well-positioned to help support a strong reading culture in a number of ways:

1. Displays in the library / across the school. Perhaps negotiate with the classroom teachers to have a small spot on the classroom wall that can be updated regularly with new releases/book reviews. Great tag lines for inspiration might be #getcaughtreading #bedsidebook or #Tsundoku. Using a link to social media formatted in an Instagram style post or with emoticons or Netflix top 10 may grab student attention.
2. Newsletter posts or even better a library page on the school website. Enlist Library monitors/teachers and even the executive to contribute. These can include simple pictures of new books, who is reading what, book reviews, event recommendations (book sales?) and author highlights.
3. Inviting authors and publishers in to speak to the students (and teachers). In fact our book supplier is a wealth of information and has presented to the students and teachers regarding new literature releases and recommendations with great success.
4. Encourage student buy in (talking from a primary perspective – especially stage 3) – get them to make book recommendations (have a recommendation box in the library/classroom at all times) and invite them to choose new books to order for the library. The more they are involved in the process the more excited they become.
5. Introduce more active/interactive ways to engage with the library such as running Book Tastings, Bingo Selection, Post It note reviews or Lost Books of the Library*.
6. Consider extending the collection to include a graphic novel collection, magazines and digital books. This will involve budget considerations and seeking support from the executive (digital book in particular) but well worth looking at to create a more inclusive collection utilising more relevant platforms that speak to the young readers today.
7. Support teachers to actively read aloud to their students (for example during Crunch ‘n’ Sip time) each day, allow the students to suggest/vote on the book or introduce a book from the teachers’ childhood. Equally the TL could encourage DEAR time in the classrooms, which could be introduced as a schoolwide program with support from the executive.
8. Introduce and promote a teacher section in the library, perhaps with a collection of new releases (depending on budget) or a bring/swap book exchange if cost is an issue.
9. Investigate the introduction of street libraries across the school playground that could house community donated books/weeded books from the library that the students may access during recess/lunch.
10. Instigate and manage the running of student and teacher book clubs with the possibility of a mixed membership thus allowing the teachers to model reading/enthusiasm for reading and book review discussion to students.
11. Utilise the morning assembly of the whole school to introduce a new release or encourage a ‘What am I reading’ shout out by a teacher or student to instil a sense of community reading and show ‘n’ tell.
12. Support the set up and maintenance of classroom libraries. This may mean requesting funding to help purchase new quality books as well display shelving. The idea is to give value, visibility and availability to quality reading materials for the students.
13. Creating borrowing boxes from the library for the classrooms that can be returned and refreshed every 2-4 weeks involving input from the students themselves is a great way of getting the school library into the classroom. Equally these can be themed, reflect and support PRC reading or specific curriculum areas.

I believe that school leadership influences the very nature of school culture and have addressed this in previous blog posts whilst discussing the import role the principal plays in establishing a culture of collaboration across the school community. Would it not be the case then that a strong reading culture also requires the buy in from the principal, giving the necessary weight and support to ensure a continued program is assured? Can the TL alone guide the students and staff or are the principal and executive playing the pivotal role in ‘permitting’ a culture of reading to be harnessed within the school? I have previously reflected on the relationship between the principal and the TL. This symbiotic relationship is guided by the school vision and strengthened by a transparent leadership structure within the school. I do believe that given the servant leadership role (and in some instances distributed leadership) a TL displays, they have the ability to makes decisive headway in the promotion of a strong reading culture across the school.

*Bingo Selection – A great way to address the library visitors who don’t know what to borrow. Select a bingo ball and the number selected corresponds to a list of suggestions (made up by the TL) such as ‘Select a book written by an author beginning with…C’ or ‘ask a friend to select a genre for you to try’ or ‘Look at the review wall and select a book from there’.

*Post It note reviews – Ask students to add a Post It note in the front cover of a book they are returning – This can either stay in the book for the next reader OR be placed on a Book Review Wall display for all future library visitors to see.

*Lost books of the library – After running a report of all the books that have not been borrowed for a year (or perhaps only once, the TL can select the parameters), spend time promoting them with each class/add them to a display/use them for a Book Tasting to encourage students to borrow books they had not previously considered.

References

Locke, J. (n.d.).Do as I do: Teachers who read children’s books. American Library Association.