Thanks to our hardworking librarians, nothing can stop our community from getting their hands on reading material, not even the switch to remote learning.
“While we have been online this time, I have gathered requested print resources for students to pick up, helped students individually find good resources for their class work, and joined in classes to teach students how to access school databases and how to evaluate free resources found online. I have also been on campus working on rearranging some of the library collection and supporting teachers as they use some of our digital tools with students,” explains WAB’s HS Librarian & EE Coordinator, Jaye Shaer.
Indeed, since the switch to remote learning, WAB’s library team has quickly adapted to ensure students and families can continue to access the rich and varied learning resources in the library catalogues. In high school for example, digital resources include more than 20 research databases and access to online newspapers and magazines like The New York Times as well as Sora ebooks and audiobooks. There are also popular tools like Grammarly and Turnitin which help improve the students' academic writing.
Speaking about her role in the Middle School library during remote learning, WAB’s Teacher Librarian and Ed-Tech Integrator Luna Wang says:
“As the Ed-Tech Integrator, I am offering solutions to teachers and students when they encounter challenges before or during class sessions. When they have difficulty accessing any of our learning platforms or learning resources, I am there to support them.”
The Red Scroll Library in the Middle School is also home to an abundance of resources. Like the High School Library, it also boasts more than 20 digital resources including Sora & Epic e-books, E-newspapers, magazines and Press Reader, and databases like Britannica School, EBSCO, and Gale.
During remote learning, elementary school librarian, Beth Rohrbeck, has kept the library front and center. She said, “While online, my main goals have been creating a virtual library space for the elementary community, curating a virtual book collection, and providing instruction and support for students and teachers.”
Beth updated the Elementary Library Libguide to be the space where students, teachers, and parents can easily find and navigate library information and resources they need. One of the most important tasks was getting information to students and providing clear instructions on how to access the many online resources WAB has. In addition to many databases, the elementary library has a collection of eBooks and audiobooks and Beth has been curating other reading resources available online.
Finally, like all teacher-librarians, Beth continued to teach students. Just like in the physical library, the elementary students visited her once a week online for informational literacy lessons. Beth provided online opportunities for students to use the library resources for research, individual exploration, independent reading, and personal inquiry in addition to sharing and talking about books. These weekly meetings helped to create a community to celebrate reading.
As you can see, the WAB Teacher Librarians in all three divisions are committed to the students and ensuring they stay connected with diverse sources of information. WAB Libraries are all about community, not walls. If you’re interested in accessing information and digital resources, please explore the following: