Library A Week

Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School Library

2011 no. 7

Library Profile

Library Name: Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School Library Location: 1008 Fairview,Urbana, IL Type: School Mission: The mission of the Urbana School District library program is to ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas and information as specified in standards set by the American Library Association and the Common Core Standards for Language Arts. Furthermore, the USD libraries practice policies and procedures that enable them to function for the benefit of all their patrons. Library Website: http://www.usd116.org/king/library.html LTLS Directory Page: http://www.lincolntrail.info/jun.html Member Since: 1982 An interview with Natalie Sapkarov.

What is unique about your library?

Our students visit the library twice a week - once for a 30-minute library lesson and again for a 15-minute library checkout. Because we have a large ESL population, our collection includes foreign language materials in over 15 languages. In total, our collection boasts more than 30,000 materials for students and teachers to use.

What are the primary goals and objectives of your library?

Library lessons focus on literature appreciation and library skills. Students will leave King School with a love of reading and an ability to find, use, evaluate, and create information effectively.

What cooperative efforts are you currently doing?

Library lessons reflect the classroom curriculum whenever appropriate. For example, as fifth grade students are studying the Civil War in social studies, we will read Civil War stories during their library lessons. This year, I have also worked with teachers to enhance their research projects, teaching note-taking and outline lessons to 4th/5th grade ESL students and compiling websites for students to use during their research. The library is also a meeting place for many special events, including our recent National African-American Parent Involvement Day luncheon. At the end of February, we will also have an African-American Read-In to celebrate Black History Month. Additionally, in the fall, the library hosts a Family Reading Night.

Tell us a story about your library.

This week, first and second grade students will vote for their favorite Monarch Award nominee! The Monarch Award is a reader’s choice award for K-3 students in Illinois, and we have been reading the books on the nominee list since the beginning of the school year. While we review the Monarch Award candidates that we have read this year, we will also be having a popcorn and juice voting party! Students enjoy telling each other about their favorites and look forward to this treat all year long

If money were no object, what services would you add?

I would love to create a Playaway collection for students, as we currently do not have an audiobook collection beyond our book & cassettes for teacher checkout. Along the same lines, I would also like to create an e-book collection of popular titles since students have shared that they do have e-readers at home. Perhaps the most ambitious project I have in mind stems from a workshop I went to at last year’s Illinois School Library Media Association Conference, which is creating a Kindergarten Play curriculum. The idea is to pair literature with real-life situations for students to role play. For example, read Pete’s a Pizza! and allow students to pretend they are in a pizzeria, with students acting as restaurant patrons and waiters, complete with aprons, table settings, and of course, pizza ovens and pizzas!

What is popular in your library?

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - all of them! Star Wars Pokemon SpongeBob Dork Diaries Dying to Meet You The Secret of the Painted House

How does your library use online tools to connect to your users?

From third grade up, every student learns to use the library’s online catalog. In fourth and fifth grade, students learn to use the World Book Encyclopedia Online and FactMonster website to find information. The library’s website provides a highlighted resource for students and their families - the International Children’s Digital Library. We also provide Links for Teachers, Links for Students, and Lab Links for students to use in the computer lab. During library lessons, I often integrate technology into the curriculum, using our SmartBoard for students to interact with. Just today, I taught 4th/5th grade students about the Coretta Scott King Award, and we watched video clips of an interview with Coretta Scott King to gain some background information about her life.

Request a visit to your library If you would like to set up a special date for us to visit your library contact LTLS Consultant Michelle Ralston Library of the Week is published by Lincoln Trail Libraries System, 1704 W. Interstate Dr., Champaign, IL 61822 217-352-0047  -   [email protected] Executive Director: Jan Ison, Editorial and Design Team: Michelle Ralston and David Lottes