April is School Library Month.  It got me thinking about school libraries and how they fit into this ever changing world of student education and schools.

School libraries for many children are their introduction to a world of books and learning that was never open to them before.  Yes, some of them have been to a local public library or even a bookstore.  It’s not the same.  As soon as a child steps into their school library, it takes only a moment for even a young child to understand the dynamic shift.  It is they, not their parents or other adult, that gets to decide what they read.  The books are checked out to them.  They are in charge of what they read.  It is an important moment.

Whether it is their first library book from a school library or their hundredth, school libraries help to forge the foundation to life long learning.   For many people, the first library they ever walked into was in their elementary school.  The first librarian they ever met was in that school library.  For some students, school libraries offer a calm moment in a hectic day.  It is a place to do research, homework, or even just to find the books they want to read.  The school library is a place for them.  Yes there are adults who work there, of course, but the school library isn’t built for adults.  It is tailored to the student and what the student needs and wants from a space. 

Information can be found in a school’s library.  Entertainment can be found there.  A child’s connection to the public conversation, be it something fun like the latest “must read” book or information on the latest political development, can be found there.  Libraries, particularly school libraries, help to connect children to the world around them in a way that they can understand and which captures their interest. 

But that’s just my opinion, now we want to hear from you!  Do you remember your school library?  Do you have children who talk about their school’s library?  Let us know in the comments!