Location
Breakout room 1
Start Date
10-8-2018 2:20 PM
End Date
10-8-2018 3:10 PM
Description
Stetser Elementary School is a K-5 school in Chester, PA with approximately 300 students and no library. The Wolfgram Memorial Library of Widener University maintains a collection of children’s literature for use by students in the teacher education program. Stetser Elementary School and the Wolfgram Memorial Library are located on the same city block.
In the September of 2016, I was approached by two second grade teachers from Stetser Elementary School about the possibility of bringing their classes to the Wolfgram Library once a week for the children’s sustained silent reading. In October 2016, both classes of Stetser students began visiting the Wolfgram Library on Friday mornings to read books from the children’s collection and to learn about how libraries work.
Now in its second year, this partnership has grown to include Stetser’s first grade classes as well as second grade classes. In addition, this project has led to additional collaborations with Widener teaching faculty and teacher education students.
In this presentation I will detail the development and collaboration process that made this outreach successful. In addition, I will discuss the service learning projects that have grown out of this project.
Short bio of the presenter(s)
Molly Wolf is a Reference Librarian and Archivist at Widener University in Chester, PA. She wears many hats including Reference Librarian, Liaison Librarian, Sexuality Archivist, and Curriculum Librarian. Molly lives with her husband and son in the suburbs of Philadelphia.
“Bring in the Kids!”: The Experience of an Academic Library/Elementary School Partnership
Breakout room 1
Stetser Elementary School is a K-5 school in Chester, PA with approximately 300 students and no library. The Wolfgram Memorial Library of Widener University maintains a collection of children’s literature for use by students in the teacher education program. Stetser Elementary School and the Wolfgram Memorial Library are located on the same city block.
In the September of 2016, I was approached by two second grade teachers from Stetser Elementary School about the possibility of bringing their classes to the Wolfgram Library once a week for the children’s sustained silent reading. In October 2016, both classes of Stetser students began visiting the Wolfgram Library on Friday mornings to read books from the children’s collection and to learn about how libraries work.
Now in its second year, this partnership has grown to include Stetser’s first grade classes as well as second grade classes. In addition, this project has led to additional collaborations with Widener teaching faculty and teacher education students.
In this presentation I will detail the development and collaboration process that made this outreach successful. In addition, I will discuss the service learning projects that have grown out of this project.