Mediawijsheid in het VO

“So you found the first clue, the call number to this book, somewhere in the library. Congratulations on having a sense of initiative and adventure. There is a reward, for this is a TREASURE HUNT.”

The role of the library in school

Our school libraries support students in many ways. The library space itself is often a refuge for students, a safe space where students are comfortable and free to be themselves. The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) defines an effective school library program for the purpose of the federal legislation Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): “An effective school library program has a certified school librarian at the helm, provides personalized learning environments, and offers equitable access to resources to ensure a well-rounded education for every student.”

At the heart of an effective school library program is the importance of individual understanding of each child. In recent years, the rates of students dealing with mental health issues have risen, boundaries between real and virtual lives have blurred, and technology has begun to be introduced in student lives much earlier. This alone offers reason enough to think about how our libraries are meeting the need for a comfortable, welcoming, personalized learning environment that takes the whole child into consideration.