To enter the library at Hubbell Elementary School, you pass through a glass door set in a wall of windows. All of the glass is stained and leaded, not unlike what you might see in a place of worship. It’s an apt comparison as the library is something of a sanctuary for students.
Once inside, librarian Darcy Hankenson is in the corner reading “The Story of Diva and Flea” – a tale of a cat and a dog who develop an unlikely friendship – with a group of students seated on the floor. The morning sun peaks through the venetian blinds, casting patterns across the wooden tables and bookcases. Above it all a mural of students soaring away on books graces a far wall.
“Our library is a place where any student can just be. Students can read, work on a puzzle, draw or color, catch up on a project, or just relax,” said Hankenson. “I want all kids to be comfortable surrounded by books and in a library setting, because when you are in a library, you are surrounded by doors and windows to other worlds and other states of mind.”
“I like the quote about books as windows and mirrors. Mirrors to see the reflection of ourselves on the pages and windows to see other lives and views that may be different than our own,” added Merrill Middle School’s Carrie Kent. “It is my hope that all students can walk into a library and find a book that speaks to them.”
April is School Library Month, and this is National Library Week. And while banning books and defunding libraries has been political fodder in some places around the country, including Iowa, the librarians, teachers, and associates who staff the libraries across Des Moines Public Schools continue the important work of providing students access to books, information, and ideas.
School librarians do much more than making sure every book is in its proper place. They are educators, mentors, and advocates for education and their students. This month our communications team visited more than forty school libraries across the district to take a photo of each librarian within their space (see the photo album below) as well as share some of their thoughts about what their work – and these spaces – mean for students.
For many, their work is about helping students expand their knowledge and horizons.
“Librarians help readers as they discover and make sense of the world around them. Libraries are important because they are safe places for all students,” said Julie Burtnette of Cowles Montessori School. “Librarians are persistent in helping others seek knowledge because librarians are always seeking knowledge too.”
The library spaces around DMPS are almost as varied as the books on the shelves. While many were purpose-built to be libraries, others served different roles long ago. At McKinley, Moulton and Willard schools, the libraries are in what were the schools’ original gymnasiums; at Greenwood, the space was once the lunchroom; and at Phillips, the library is housed in what was originially the school’s auditorium. Regardless of the space, each is a place for students to find what is of interest to them.
As Scot Surprenant at Hanawalt Elementary School notes: “We have worked hard with our community to make our library and media center accessible, relevant, and diverse for all our students. One of my main goals is to get books that students want into their hands!”
Most of all, libraries are places that welcome every student.
“When I read to children, I try to make sure everyone feels included,” said Jodee Catron at Studebaker Elementary School. “I want each student to be able to reflect upon the importance of building community and showing how important it is to be unique.”
Thank you to our library staff for everything you do to support our students … and to make sure everyone feels included.
