The libraries at both Elementary Schools are open for business! Over the summer, the District hired Jenny Wolfe as our Elementary Library Media Specialist with the charge to bring our libraries back to life following the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms. Wolfe has been hard at work over the course of the last month cleaning and organizing our libraries and catalogs with the help of staff and volunteers.
The focus has been on getting book exchange up and running! Most classrooms will return to in-person book selection time in the Library, while some teachers have opted to have the library book cart come to visit them in their classroom instead. Ms. Wolfe will work with those teachers to make sure the cart has the books that are most appropriate for that class and their curriculum. Book exchange will take place every other week for approximately 30 minutes.
Students in kindergarten and grade 1 will be allowed to check out up to two books per visit, and students in grades 3 through 5 can check out up to three books per visit. Currently, Ms. Wolfe is working with the classes to bring them up to speed on the appropriate procedures for library time and has already allowed students to begin book exchange! Additionally, students will be able to utilize our online system, OPALS, to check out books in-between visits. Books requested through OPALS will be delivered directly to the classrooms.
In addition to book exchange time, Ms. Wolfe will be pushing into classrooms to review library, literacy, and technology-related topics, such as conducting “talks” on new library books, reviewing Chromebook use and digital citizenship practices, and showing books that have direct ties to what the students are learning in English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science.
We are excited about the return of in-person Book Exchange and the continued utilization of such a great school community resource!
