Bloomfield Township Library and West Bloomfield Library work hand in hand with our school Media Center Specialists to provide March is Reading Month opportunities at all of our schools. Both public and school libraries are community centers at heart, with the same goal: to provide a safe, welcoming environment for all patrons and access to information in a variety of formats.
Our students read, make “favorites” lists, write book reviews, discuss books, and recommend books to others. Laura Amatulli, Media Center Specialist for all three Bloomfield Hills middle schools, shares, "I even have a fifth grader who is continually looking for books for his grandmother. Good thing she enjoys middle-grade literature!"
Public librarians work collaboratively with our Media Center Specialists to:
- create grade-level book recommendations
- provide book talks
- coordinate author visits
- collaborate on Maker Learning and Career Learning
- create shared e-book resources and database usage for students (when our students add their public library to their online Sora account, they go from hundreds of options to thousands!)
- embed best literacy practices into our school curriculum
Public librarians also meet virtually for book talks in our media centers which inspire students to read something new and to travel to the public library to meet their public librarian.
The public library’s intent in working closely with our schools is to introduce children to quality literature that they might not pick up on their own, and to try to provide a range of topics and genres so there is something for everyone. When public and school librarians and library workers engage in collaboration, our students reap the benefits. Enjoy this March is Reading Month by asking your Bloomfield Hills School student what books their public and school librarians recommend, and consider reading a book together as a family!