Placing a Hold on the Love of Reading: 

A School and Public Library Partnership in Atchison, Ks.

Cathy Coronado, Atchison Middle School Media Specialistccoronado@usd409.net

Diana Weaver, Atchison Public Library Directordweaver@atchisonlibrary.org

(Powerpoint without pictures or background)

How it all began.....NEKLS Summer Workshop featuring Tasha Squires, author of Library Partnerships: MAKING CONNECTIONS Between Schools and Public Libraries

A Library Partnership

Building our Partnership:

• Breakfast with area school librarians

• Personal visits over coffee

• Participation in Middle School in-service on school discipline

• Meeting with the School District Superintendent  • Public library staff visit to all AMS reading classes

to demonstrate how to place holds through the NExpress system

"Part of wearing a reader's clothes is learning how to navigate a library and feeling at home in one" (59).

--The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child

Students Tour Atchison Public Library

All 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade reading classes toured

Students learned about:

the YA book collection, including graphic novels available technology like laptops, audio books and

video games  upcoming and ongoing teen events how to get their own library card what homework resources are available

Atchison Library:

• AMS has its own card to place holds and checkout (with Cathy's permission)

• Items are transferred between the public library and schools daily via the district courier.

The Process

• Students can place holds on books at the APL Online Catalog Station

• Students write the title of the book they want and their name on a slip of paper and deposit it in the box

The Process at AMS

"Because so many students' reading choices are dictated by their teachers, they never learn how to choose books for themselves. How can they shape a self-identity as a reader if they never get the chance to find out what they like?" (28)

--The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child

The Process at AMS Continues

• There are in and out boxes for the books• Each book is checked out to the student

using a temporary number• I use the code APL at the beginning of the

call numbers of all the books• I periodically check the holds and books

checked out to see if they match my records

The Benefits of Our Partnership:

Public libraries have:

School libraries have:

More funding for materials and resources

Direct access to young readers!

For the Public Library:• Kids reading our stuff• Cooperative collection development• Better behavior in the library• Student Volunteers• Library Board members• Presence in community • Teachers also visiting us more

FOR THE SCHOOL LIBRARY:• Supplements our collection• Reference books and books

written primarily for adults are available

• Provides a service to teachers who love to read

• Teachers try out classroom sets of books

• Keeps students interested in reading when they can have the book they choose

"Our national discussion of reading has been reduced to a talking point a measurement score. How can we get our students to open books and start reading when, in many classrooms, the focus is on test performance?" (180).

--The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child

WE BOTH AGREE

The most important thing is creating life long readers and future library users.

Thank you!

Resources:

"Library Partnerships: Making Connections Between School and Public Libraries" by Tasha Squires

"The Book Whisperer: Awaking the Inner Reader in Every Child" by Donalyn Miller

http://book-whisperer.blogspot.com