GOING FORWARD

Ms. Hames had a hit with this great asynchronous programming. I know several Scotties who participated, and one or two who won!

I want our students to find themselves in the books we offer. We all know literature has historically excluded many voices; we are so lucky that today, things are changing! The Lamar collection should offer kids the windows, mirrors, and sliding doors that Emily Style and Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop wrote about.

I believe libraries should work to fit their reading community, not the other way around. My goal is to reduce barriers to reading by continuing to purchase audiobooks (ear reading) and books with special font or large print to aid our readers with dyslexia. These increase access for our students who struggle with fluency, comprehension, or both.

I think 2021-22 will be a year of rebuilding community. We are coming together again in-person and for some, it'll be the first time in over a year to do so. I would love to hold book clubs that include parents and students to increase the feeling of connection. The librarian at Gus Garcia YMLA did this in 2020-21 and I'm going to be picking her brain for tips.

Public libraries have had great success with crafts programming this past year. I'd love to do some cross-stitching with kids. It's fun, there are plenty of literature-themed patterns, and it's a nice break from screens.