The story below is a preview from our July/August 2024 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
Local librarians share their experiences of doing what they love everyday.
Chances are that somewhere along your educational journey, a school librarian shared a great book which you have always cherished. Here are four local librarians that experience the joy of doing that every day.
Kendel Lively, Lord Botetourt High School
Kendel Lively has been teaching for 31 years, the last 26 at Lord Botetourt, 14 of which are as librarian. She explains how she began her journey as a bibliophile.
Bruce Ingram
Kendel Lively leading a lesson at the Lord Botetourt High School library.
“I’ve always loved to read and as a child even created a miniature library in my bedroom where I would check out books to my sister,” Lively said. “I had been teaching social studies for seven years at LB when I decided to take courses at UVA on becoming a librarian. Right after I finished the class, Sam Sutherland, our then librarian, announced his retirement and I was able to move right into the job.
“One of the best things about being a librarian is that I am still a teacher, just one of many hats I wear. But now all the students in the school are mine. That’s why I have the best job and the biggest classroom in the school.”
Lively says one of her favorite cooperative activities with classroom teachers is her “Lockbox Lesson Plan on Plagiarism.” Students have to solve a variety of clues concerning what are the forms of plagiarism and how to avoid it. At each step of the way, once a clue is solved, another lock on the box is removed until one chamber remains with a prize in it.
Another stimulating activity is a Makerspace poetry one. Students rotate among six stations where at each one they create a poem in a particular style. Lively is also known for her Book Talks where she regales students about new and/or interesting additions to the library.
“If you have a book with you, you are never alone,” she said. “Books can take you to different places, teach you to feel empathy for others, and be windows to new ideas. I know these are clichés, but they’re true.”
DeWayne Harrell, South Salem Elementary
Salem Public Schools’ DeWayne Harrell has been a librarian for 20 years at South Salem Elementary. He spent the first eight years of his career as a high school English teacher but felt he could reach more students as a librarian, so he enrolled in courses toward that goal. Harrell is known for his creativity and enthusiasm.
“The most innovative method I use is having a YouTube channel for my students,” he said. “I have classroom teachers read specific books for all grades, and I create videos where I involve the entire school with questions about particular books. I have found this helps students stay motivated to learn from a variety of forms of media and books.
Bruce Ingram
DeWayne Harrell, librarian at South Salem Elementary, has created a YouTube channel for his students.
“My channel has a playlist of books I have read, other students have read, and teachers have read. I am a firm believer of students learning from each other, and I understand some students are very influential, so they will have a strong impact on other students.
Harrell has a favorite series that he relishes sharing with youngsters.
“I start introducing the Choose Your Own Adventure books to students in the third grade,” he said. “They are an older series, but each book gives students an opportunity to learn from their mistakes. Students have to make a decision based on the information they have read, and sometimes they make the right choice and other times they end up in a bad situation.”
For this educator, cultivating a passion for knowledge is paramount.
“I think reading and learning are very similar when it comes to trying to cultivate them in schools,” he said. “In today’s society, there are so many ways to learn, and students need to have a base knowledge to help them gather more information either by reading or other media.
“When students grasp the fundamentals of reading, it allows them to be curious and become better lifelong learners. The most important aspect of being a librarian is knowing what each student likes in terms of reading and learning. Once this is accomplished, I can help guide the students to books that grab their attention and curiosity.”
Want to learn about more local school librarians leaving a lasting impact on the lives of students, including Woodrow Wilson Middle School's Kate McDaniel and Northside Middle School's Lauren Sprouse? Check out the latest issue, now on newsstands, or see it for free in our digital guide linked below!
The story above is a preview from our July/August 2024 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!