Schroeder Library Media Center

More than a year ago, we made the decision to genrefy the library's fiction section. After hundreds of hours of researching, stickering, and moving books, we are finally genrefied. That is, we have identified each book's most dominant genre category: Classics, Adventure, Horror, Historical Fiction, Sports, Romance, Mystery, Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Realistic Fiction, and grouped the books together in genre sections. Each book has a color-coded sticker identifying its genre, and each section of the library is clearly labeled with a genre sign.

Nonfiction is already genrefied by the Dewey Decimal system, which groups books by subject matter. Fiction, however, can be overwhelming to browse, leading students to experience what librarian Arlen Kimmelman calls "choice overload." Genrefication helps students to mentally reduce their options. It also helps them browse more independently, and more equitably, as they don't have to rely upon their facility with the library catalog. We also know that other libraries that have genrefied have universally experienced increased book circulation. Finally, the fact that Spry library is genrefied makes the shift a good fit for us.

You may be wondering: So what if a book fits in more than one genre, or what if I want to browse for books by a particular author? This is where the library catalog comes in. When you search for an author or title, you will find that the books in your search results have a sublocation listed; this tells you where to locate the book in question. Of course our library staff is also on hand to help you find what you are looking for.

I have also put together a short video explaining these changes.

Women have served and advanced our nation in ways that are both ordinary, and extraordinary. The resources below will help acquaint you with their stories.

UNLADYLIKE2020: A series of 26 short films and a one-hour documentary profiling diverse and little-known American women from the turn of the 20th century, and contemporary women who follow in their footsteps.

Womenshistorymonth.gov: These resources showcase women as nurses, codebreakers, artists, writers, athletes, and activists.

National Women's Hall of Fame: Discover who is being inducted into this Seneca Falls institution in 2021.

National Women's History Museum: This museum without walls includes the history of National Women's History Month, along with biographies, online exhibits, and a study of the marginalization of women in social studies standards.

ReadWriteThink: This site has ready-to-use lessons for teachers.

Anti-defamation League: These lesson resources are specific to marginalized women.

Sciencenetlinks.com: Science NetLinks, a project of the Directorate for Education and Human Resources Programs of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, has developed a number of resources that will help you honor the achievements and scientific work of women.

The American Mathematical Society: Houses a number of resources celebrating women doing mathematics.

Swank Digital Streaming: BOCES has highlighted Women's Stories on their Swank page.

• Delve into slam poetry as a form of activism
• Use blackout poetry, book spine poetry, or other found poetry in a work of art
• Read a novel in verse
• Write an ode to an element on the periodic table
• Summarize a reading assignment or mathematical concept in poetic form
• Use movement to inspire strong verb use in a poem
• Research the work of a poet laureate
• Start your own favorite poem project

Don't forget that Schroeder Library has a LibGuide dedicated to poetry!

Teen Book Festival 2021 (TBF) is virtual, which makes it a great opportunity for more kids to easily access the event, and to drum up excitement for next year's in-person event.

One Book: Here Teen Book Festival authors tell us what one book of theirs you should read.

Schroeder Collection Highlights: Mrs. Murtha has highlighted some of the TBF books in our Schroeder collection.

TBF Collection: Here is our entire collection of TBF books. More are being added!

Website: https://www.teenbookfest.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roctbf/
Twitter: @roctbf

1207: Total number of student library users

100: Average number of student library users per day

2151: Number of database searches

61: LibGuide Hits

119: Number of books checked out

You may have read in the news that Dr. Seuss Enterprises has decided to stop publishing six of the works of Theodor Geisel (And to Think That it Happened on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Zoo, On Beyond Zebra, McElligot's Pool, Scrambled Eggs Super! and The Cat's Quizzer) citing that the books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong. This New York Times article traces the noteworthy publications over the past four years that have identified racism and stereotypical depictions in Geisel's works.

The Dr. Seuss Enterprises announcement coincided with Read Across America Day, which is celebrated on Geisel's March 2 birthday. For 20 years the Read Across America campaign recognized Dr. Seuss by using his characters and works in reading promotion efforts. In 2017, they decided to sever ties with Seuss and commit to "celebrating a diverse nation of readers....independent of any one particular book, publisher, or character" (NEA website).

Opponents to the decision to stop publishing these works cite cancel culture and censorship. Supporters point out that while the books containing anti-Asian, anti-Black, and anti-Jewish sentiments may provide teachable moments for older students, children should be presented with books that celebrate their value.

In an opinion piece for School Library Journal, Miranda Doyle, intellectual freedom chair of Oregon Association of School Libraries, suggests:

"Choosing not to display or highlight problematic titles is not censorship or “cancel culture.” It’s teachers and professional librarians using their judgement to benefit children and families. When we update our curriculum and the novels students read as a class, we also consider these issues. There are millions of books available. Why not skip books with racist illustrations, stereotypes, and other serious problems in favor of books that will be the “windows and mirrors” for all children, as described by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop?"

Website: https://www.websterschools.org/districtpage.cfm?pageid=890
Phone: 585-670-5006
Twitter: @WSHSLMC