Libraries are still relevant — even with today’s household technology and phones with Internet access — as extensions of local schools
CRESTVIEW — When Crestview librarians heard a speaker say “Libraries = Education” at the Florida Library Association’s Sept. 11 conference in Panama City, they knew they were ahead of a national trend, particularly when it comes to educating local kids.
The Crestview Public Library is the go-to resource for more than adults seeking the latest bestseller. “Our programs actually promote lifelong learning for the kids,” library director Jean Lewis said. “Once they come into the library, we hope we’ve got them for life.”
This year, the Crestview City Council restored the library’s book acquisition budget, in addition to funding computer upgrades, which library staffers say serve patrons of all ages.
For instance:
•Toddlers learn their A-B-C’s with ABC Mouse, an online children’s literacy and math game
•Middle- and high-schoolers use the library’s computers for term paper research and online test-taking
•College students use them for proctored exams
•Adults use the computers for job and benefits searches, and self-directed research
EXPLAINING THE MODERN LIBRARY
Research librarian Sandra Dreaden, who attended Howard County (Maryland) Library System President Valerie Gross’s Panama City presentation, said formalizing what Crestview’s library has been doing for years is easy.
Part of the “libraries = education” shift is marketing; clearly explaining the services a modern library provides, Dreaden said.
The initiative helps the public realize the local library is part of their community’s educational resources. “This means we’ll never again hear, ‘I get everything I need off the Internet — Why do we need libraries?’” Gross wrote.
“Nobody says that ‘We don’t need K-12; everything’s on the Internet,’” Dreaden said.
The initiative includes helping local politicians understand the library's importance in public education when it comes to funding, especially when facing budget cuts in lean times.
PARTNERS IN EDUCATION
Area educators don’t need convincing that the public library is an extension of their efforts.
“Some students don’t have the resources to purchase additional books at home,” Walker Elementary School media specialist Sheri Cyrus said. “I stress to our students they can go to the public library and check out books for free, and that the library card is free."
Crestview High School media specialist Heather Ramsey said she routinely sends students to the Crestview Public Library when needed materials aren’t available at the school library. “I tell students to check over there if they can’t find it here,” Ramsey said. “Plus, they have computers and services they can use if we’re closed.”
But to get kids used to checking for information at the local library, “You just (have) to start them using it at a young age,” she said.
A LIFE-LONG LOVE
Crestview Public Library’s youth education programs and classes start early, youth services librarian Heather Nitzell said.
“We have babies in the womb at Lap-Sit that hear the rhythm of language, and we have children at Lap-Sit from when they’re first breathing,” Nitzell said.
Students benefit from library classes and programs throughout their school years, and can earn Bright Futures community service hours by volunteering at the library. “They learn how to shelve and shelf-read, and that librarians don’t just sit around and read all day,” Nitzell said. “We hear, ‘Wow, we didn’t know how much work this is’ all the time.”
And they can grow a life-long love for libraries.
“I used to skip recess to hang out in my (middle school) library,” Cheryl Ann Baker said. “The first time my mom brought me to our county library, I was amazed at such a big room just full of books. I checked out ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.’ I must’ve kept it a year. My parents probably had a huge fine to pay!
“That led to volunteering at the library."
‘DUH’ MOMENT
To make it easier for kids to find age-appropriate books, Nitzell said the library is revamping its children’s books color coding, which classifies titles by grade level.
To further encourage integration between the school and library, Lewis said the Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative is considering issuing library cards to all county school teachers. “Then they can find and use and refer students to resources,” Lewis said.
The public library as a component of the community’s education system isn’t a new idea, especially to library staffers. What’s new is ensuring the public — and politicians — understand that.
“It’s one of those ‘duh’ moments,” Dreaden said. “Why didn’t we think of this before?”
CLASSES AND PROGRAMS
The Crestview Public Library offers these educational opportunities throughout the month:
Lap-Sit: 11:15 a.m. Tuesdays and 10:15 a.m. Wednesdays; for 0- to 2-year-olds, with parents
Storytime: 10:15 a.m. Mondays; for 3- to 5-year-olds, with parents
Teen Wii: 2-4 p.m. Fridays; for sixth- through 12th-graders
Family Library Time: Monthly; next session, featuring pumpkin painting, is 6:15 p.m. Oct. 27
Reading to Dozer: 10-11 a.m. Oct. 3; for elementary school age children
Family and adult classes and programs include the First Tuesday lecture series, monthly Poetry and Music Jams, weekly genealogy research, knitting and crocheting classes, monthly Ukelele Jams and senior health services assistance.
Call 682-4432, see www.cityofcrestview.org/library.php or visit the library, 1445 Commerce Drive, for more details.
THE LIBRARY’S THREE PILLARS
The Crestview Public Library provides educational services to all North Okaloosa County residents in three key areas:
• Self-directed education, using its diverse collection and, through the Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative, other municipal libraries’ collections
• Research assistance and instruction, including classes, seminars and workshops for all ages, taught by library instructors and community partners
• Instructive and enlightening experiences, through cultural and community center concepts, events and partnerships.
Source: Public Libraries magazine
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Editor's Note: This article has been updated to include Lapsit's new schedule.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CELEBRATE COMMUNITY: Crestview library ahead of national trend (FILE)