PURPLE & GOLD / 2024-25
THE POWER AND JOY OF
THE LIBRARY
In an age of digital entertainment, instant gratification, and limitless content at the tip of a finger, the calm, quiet invitation of a library full of books remains more important for young readers than ever. The Academy’ s Department of Libraries services the entire student body, curating physical spaces to promote literacy and preserve book-forward research, discovery, study, and leisure in early childhood through adolescence. For lower school librarian Joni Nesbitt, the library is a special place:“ I want the library to be a place that students want to be, and I don’ t ever want it to be a place where they feel discouraged.”
In the lower school library, Nesbitt has cultivated a welcoming environment where students can explore their interests, honing their reading skills without even realizing it. Books are selected with every type of reader in mind and span a wide spectrum of genres and reading levels. Her careful attention to every display and shelf works in tandem with each grade’ s curricula, current events, and relevant conversations. At any given time of day, you can find lower school students bustling around looking for their next great read. In addition to helping students check out their books, Nesbitt teaches class, helping students get acquainted with literature, understanding the patterns of different genres, background of the author, narrative voice, and context for the work.
This fall, lower school students checked out more than 12,765 books, and Nesbitt added a total of 236 new books to the library and taught over 450 classes.
Before joining CPA, Nesbitt identified the potential for school libraries to build on what students learn in the classroom to grow strong readers and writers – and the intrinsic connection between reading more to write better. Nesbitt also saw a need for classroom experience in the library,“ I thought it was just a natural progression of if you’ re going to be in the library and working with teachers, what better person than a teacher who has been in your shoes and has taught to step into that role?” At CPA, Nesbitt evaluates each grade’ s curriculum to tailor her teaching and stretch students’ imaginations. In Kindergarten, Nesbitt works alongside teachers to help students gain writing practice by writing about the books they read in the library. When students begin developing research skills, Nesbitt supports learning by teaching students about credible sources. Third-grade students research to create a trivia question for the library and then post their questions and answers by creating QR codes.
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