Thousands of books make up the elementary school libraries; In Belmont, the average age of those books is about 24 years old. While many older books remain beloved by students and teachers alike, some contain outdated information, while others collect dust or are no longer relevant to students.
“We’re looking to bring our library more up to date because some of the books are on the old end,” said Wellington School Principal Heidi Paisner-Roffman. “[We want to] incorporate new texts but also at the same time to make sure our books are more representative of our population, our students — the backgrounds, the interests, the curriculum, and [make sure] they’re more closely connected to the work we do and the students who read them.”
The revitalization of Belmont’s elementary school libraries is being funded by a $200,000 grant from the Foundation for Belmont Education (FBE), the nonprofit organization that fundraises throughout the year to support the Belmont schools.
“The community…really wanted these libraries refreshed,” Assistant Superintendent Lucia Sullivan said.
The revitalization of the elementary libraries follows a similar project at the Chenery Upper Elementary School Library, which benefited from $25,000 of a $100,000 FBE grant last year. The remainder of the funds were given to the Belmont Middle School for its inaugural library.
“I just can’t thank them enough,” said Sullivan. “They’re continuously supporting the school.”
In the absence of a certified, full-time librarian at the elementary schools, part of the grant will cover the cost of engaging with Follett Software, which will assist with the process of culling outdated and irrelevant books, Sullivan said.
According to Sullivan, the agency will make a list of books it recommends the schools remove. They’ll consider factors such as the condition of the book, whether the information in it is accurate (particularly in books having to do with technology, space travel, and even global politics or geography), whether it has recently been checked out, or if the book is age-appropriate.
“A 40-year-old atlas isn’t going to have Kosovo or South Sudan, or reflect the breakup of Czechoslovakia,” Sullivan said.
After the weeding process is complete, the School Committee will be asked to declare the books as surplus, allowing them to be donated to the nonprofit More than Words, which takes used books to support young adults experiencing homelessness.
“That’s a huge process — in some [libraries], there could be 16,000 titles, so maybe 6,000 are going to go,” she said.
Sullivan expects anywhere from 30% to 40% of the books at each library to be weeded. Winn Brook Elementary, which, under its own volition, got a head start on this process last year, may have fewer, she noted.
Once the books are weeded out, new books can be purchased — a cost that will also be covered by the grant.
“We have heard from families that it’s really important to them that the books in the libraries reflect the demographics of our students,” she said. The goal is for the new collection to reflect the experiences of the students, while also offering them the opportunity to experience and “see into other worlds.” “That really aligns with our strategic plan goals and vision of a graduate,” Sullivan said.
As many as 2,000 new titles will be purchased for each school. Paisner-Roffman said her school is already in the process of finding out from students what books they like.
“We’re thrilled to be able to modernize our library and make it exciting for the kids,” she said. “Every student goes to the library every week and has the chance to take out a book. … How much more exciting is it going to be when we have around 1,500 new books?”
Paisner-Roffman said the library already serves as a great resource for teachers looking to support the curriculum. This process, she said, will allow them to do that on an even deeper level.
“We want to make sure our kids are getting accurate [information],” she said. “We really want our library to be representative of the students who use it, in every way.”
