⇤📚Throwback Reads are Here!

Excitement fills the air as we unveil our latest addition to the library collection: Throwback Reads! Thanks to a generous grant from Casey's, we've been able to stock our shelves with beloved middle school favorites that students have been requesting. From timeless classics to contemporary gems in both chapter book and graphic novel formats, these books are sure to evoke fond memories and spark new adventures for our high school readers.

With Throwback Reads, students can rediscover old favorites and share the magic of beloved stories with a new generation of readers. Whether it's revisiting the fantastical world of the Amulet series, embarking on thrilling adventures from author Stuart Gibbs, or hanging out with Greg Heffley again, there's something for every reader to enjoy.

This new section of the collection required quite a bit of movement of existing genres on the shelves. While an open bookcase was available, it was between other genres. Shifting the Adventure books allowed for the Throwback Reads to be shelved in the first case.

And while we're moving parts of the collection, why not undertake a large weeding project in the science fiction genre to be able to move the expanding thriller/suspense books into a larger space? 😀

For now, the collection is settled into their new places, and in moving one-third of the collection's genres, we're satisfied that books are on cases that will allow for continued expansion of the collection. So come on down to the library to not only see how we've rearranged but also to check out these nostalgic treasures. Let's embark on a journey down memory lane and celebrate the joy of reading with Throwback Reads!

👏👏 Celebrating Collection Development & Improvement

 After a two years of deliberate weeding and intentional purchasing, the nonfiction part of the collection is something to celebrate!

In just one year's time, the average copyright age has improved by four years, and the nonfiction books are now nearly 20% of the entire collection vs. 15% in August of this school year. 

Upon moving to the high school a year ago, it was evident that the nonfiction collection had been neglected. Years ago--under different building leadership--the nonfiction collection was significantly impacted by decisions related to a library remodel. It's taken more than five years to recover to this point, so while the current stats might be paltry by some standards, they're pretty impressive considering where we started. 

So how did this happen? Small steps with focus! Because of the popularity of graphic novels, that was the focus area last year. Using grant money and a portion of the budget, including using a subscription to graphic novels from a vendor, the graphic novel shelves began to fill and appeal more broadly to students. Gone were the older graphic novels and those that primarily appealed to younger readers; instead, students could choose current, full color, popular titles. Here's how the case looks now:

And this year? After hearing from students about what they were interested in, the nonfiction collection grew in these areas: biographies, true crime, poetry, and history. Many of the true crime and history purchases also fell under the "narrative nonfiction" umbrella, like Blood and Germs, and American Murderer: The Parasite that Haunted the South, as well books by Erik Larson and others. Another focus area this year was agriculture-themed books. After receiving a grant from the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation (see earlier blog post), these 12 books also helped bolster our growing nonfiction collection and were popular among a broad range of students.

With measurable improvement so prominent in the nonfiction collection, it's inspiring to think of where the collection can be in another year's time! 

New Books!

Recently, the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation generously awarded a grant related to purchasing books for the library!

The project summary on the grant application noted that students will strengthen existing connections and build new ones with the purchase and addition of agriculturally themed nonfiction and fiction materials to the collection. Even though some of our students come from rural backgrounds, many do not. These books will help reinforce students' understanding along with develop new learning.

Books arrived last month, and after processing, are now featured on the display table as students enter the library.

Already students have taken an interest in several of them, and upcoming AO offerings will feature the books. You can also see them featured on stories_from_the_stacks, our Instagram account.