How Can I Make the Most of My School Library?

As well as being a peaceful oasis for bookworms, the school library is a laboratory for ideas and discoveries. This makes it a natural extension of the classroom, an educational environment that fosters interdisciplinarity and cooperative learning.

When you take your class to the library, you can do things like following:

• Access a collection of versatile learning resources:

  • Digital tools

  • Magazines

  • CDs/DVDs

  • Etc.

• Use it as a coworking space: School libraries have the potential to be transformed into spaces for discussion, reflection, and the sharing of ideas. At the library, students can work quietly as a team or on their own with a minimum of distractions.

• Help students develop a whole host of overlooked skills:

  • Searching alphabetically

  • Practising oral expression through conversation groups

  • Understanding numerical sequences with call numbers used to classify books

  • Etc.

In the near future, when everyone is able to carry around a full library’s worth of books on their device, the role of physical libraries could become even more important, not only as a place to house resources, but also as a place to build knowledge. In fact, the library already offers plenty of opportunities to foster the development of 21st-century skills such as:

• Critical thinking skills

• Creativity

• Collaboration

• Communication

• Information, media, and technology literacy

• Etc.

Though most often associated with the development of language skills, libraries also support the development of information skills that are useful in all subject areas. The library helps students do the following:

• Become more independent in their search for information sources by using the catalogue, database, Dewey Decimal System, etc.

• Effectively use the resources available in the library to design multimedia presentations, science projects, presentations (link in French), infographics, and more.

• Do better research by developing information skills.

• Combat misinformation through awareness-raising workshops on fake news and plagiarism.

With a little creativity and planning, the school library can be used to enhance your lesson plans. Consider designing projects that rely on the library’s information resources for a more concrete approach to the concepts covered in class or to create learning stations. Do not hesitate to work with library staff to identify books or activities that align with your curriculum objectives. Here are a few ways you can incorporate the library into your lesson plans:

• Design a literary treasure hunt that relates to a history topic or that asks students to document the arguments used in a debate (link in French) on a topical issue.

• Introduce the concept of a narrative structure and develop inference skills through picture books (with or without words).

• Take advantage of the wide array of books on different topics to help students work on their comprehension of informative texts and stories (elementary school), or expository texts and narrative texts (high school).

• Use the Continuum des compétences informationnelles en bibliothèque scolaire (available in French only) to make connections with Quebec’s education program.

• Etc.

With a wide range of books to suit all tastes, the school library is the ideal place to cultivate a love of reading from an early age. In addition, students often spend much of their days glued to devices, so a library visit can be a welcome opportunity to unplug for a little while. Here are a few ideas for cultivating a love of reading with some help from your school library:

• Start book clubs or set group reading goals.

• Create themed reading nooks inspired by the time of year or the projects you are working on in class.

• Encourage students to put together presentations about their favourite books and form a school literary community.

• Fill a cart with a variety of books borrowed from the library to pique students’ curiosity, and let them each pick a book that suits their interests and reading level.

• Invite authors to come speak to your class, and study their books ahead of the visit. The Culture à l’école program (English authors also included) allows authors to serve a residency at a school.

• Pick an engaging book and read it aloud during story time or read an excerpt to your class to get them interested in reading the rest on their own.

• Use different text types (not just novels!) when teaching reading skills. Non-fiction books and popular science magazines are excellent ways to explore new concepts. Periodicals such as Owl Kids, Discovery Box, Brainspace, Les explorateurs, Les Débrouillards, Science et vie junior, Curium, Okapi and many others help young people learn about current affairs and the world around them.

• Set an example for your students by showing your appreciation for books: page through them and admire them as the objects brimming with possibilities that they are.

• Etc.

Teachers are often deterred from using the library to its full potential by a sense of being overwhelmed with work and concerns about managing a rowdy class in a space where silence is golden. To get around these obstacles and turn the library into an ally rather than an additional source of stress, you can try the following:

• Set clear ground rules before visiting the library and involve students in creating a respectful work environment.

• Explain to your students what will happen once you get to the library so that they develop a sense of predictability. Having a clear plan of action can help with classroom management. For example, “You have 10 minutes to look at the books on your table, then you’ll switch tables.”

• Talk to the library staff before you bring your class in, not only to let them know your plans, but also to benefit from the valuable advice they can offer. With their help, you can design specific learning paths. Remember that library staff are there to support you, and they know to expect a certain level of noise while students are talking (just like in class!).

• Check to see if there are different sections in the library and explain to your students what behaviour is expected in each of them. For example, there may be a “whisper area” and a “silent work area.”

• Designate one or two students as your library helpers and ask them to help with simple classroom management or book management tasks. Pick new students each visit.

• Etc.

Although there are inherent advantages and disadvantages to libraries, the downsides are far outweighed by the benefits: students who are more independent, better readers, less dependent on screens, more knowledgeable, etc.

It may be tough at first, but over time, your students will learn, and you will save time in the long run. Time spent in the library is always well spent!