Re-Focusing for the New Year

School starts back tomorrow after a week and a half of no schedules, no structure, and no school work. The alarm clock will go off at the usual time. I will make lunches as I usually do. I will get Isaac's usual breakfast ready. And we will all head off to our usual places for the day. I am hoping, though, that I can make the rest of this school year a bit unusual.

I brought home some journals to peruse during the holidays that I hadn't had the time to read in the fall, and I actually accomplished my goal of going through them over the break. One of them had an article about how to attract boys to the library. It was written by a middle school librarian, so many of her ideas would be hard for me to implement. But the general attitude that she promotes for getting boys interested in the library transcends age and grade levels.

Libraries in general, and school libraries in particular, are not the quiet domains of books and periodicals any longer. They are, or should be, noisy, busy places that are student-centered and child/adolescent-friendly. They house computers, games, videos, and cds, along with the books and magazines.

I have a fairly strong contingent of boys that I see in the library regularly. But I want more. So, at the risk of making this sound like a New Year's resolution, I am going to find ways to attract more boys to the library this year. Whether that means buying more graphic novels, allowing some more freedom on the internet, bringing in some games, or simply having the right attitude, I will be searching for the right mix of elements to pull the boys in.

Wish me luck.