Currently, our library is running the annual summer learning program and the community center located right next to us is hosting their annual summer camp which means that a lot more children are visiting our library. It’s always encouraging to see our younger patrons in the library – they approach the service desk to ask questions or just to chat with a staff member, they crowd around the computers to play games with their friends, and as expected, they also look for books.
One of my favorite things about being a library page is seeing the way children light up when you hand them the right books. Most of the children who ask for help don’t have a particular book in mind but a subject – they want books about animals, history, the human body, and anything else they can think of. These are some books that I’ve recommended to patrons this month. When I see a child grab a book out of my hand with excitement as they exclaim that this was exactly what they were looking for, I’m reminded how the library serves as a place for learning, connecting, and self-discovery which is especially important to children.
In a library, children can find books that reflect their own experiences – reassuring them that their own stories are valuable – or they can find books that show them something that’s unfamiliar – teaching them how to understand others’ emotions and experiences (Klinker, 2020). Seeing children read, play, talk, and explore in a library reminds me that this is where they are learning to be a human being. When they come up to the information desk to talk to us, they’re learning about social cues and how to interact with people that are different from them. When they’re playing games on our computers, they’re learning how to work together and how to make friends. It is important to reflect on children and their role in the hyperlinked community because they will ultimately be the ones to inherit whatever the community has left for them.
References
Klinker, J. (2020, July 24). The healing power of books: Using reading to address social and emotional needs. Gale. https://blog.gale.com/the-healing-power-of-books/
I enjoyed reading your post. You mentioned that children are learning to interact with people different from themselves in the library, which I agree with. It also left me wondering- how do you think libraries can continue to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in their collections and programs to support this important skill? I feel the library I work for can do more in this area!
I definitely agree that libraries can do more to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion! I think a good idea would be to reach out to the community directly to see what they would want for the library – maybe host a community night at the library and invite people in to give their ideas on how the library can improve.