The Real Value of a Library Card

Today, I sent letters and library card applications home with students through their homerooms.  September is “Library Card Sign-Up Month” and I have again partnered with Mr. John Russell, youth services librarian and branch manager of the C. Blythe Andrews location of the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative.  I will use the letters as a means to invite students who don’t already have a card to sign-up for one.  Applications are to be returned to me by Friday, September 20^th, and I will double check the applications against the school records of address/contact information/parents’ names/etc.  I will deliver the applications to Mr. Russell at the Andrews library on Monday, September 23^rd.  From there, he will have them processed, and then he will arrive at my Media Center on Thursday, September 26^th to lead a student lunch-n-learn for the applicants.  He will bring their “hot-off-the-press” library cards, as well as speak with them about all the wonderful resources the public library has to offer!  

Those resources, as we know, include many materials for patrons.  However, it is the intangible resources that are often the most valuable.  I offer the story of one of my students.  Daisey is an 8^th grader who loves coming to my Media Center.  She also absolutely loves Manga.  Our manga collection, unfortunately, is small (although ever-increasing!).  She has nearly read every manga we own, and habitually flies into the Media Center (Fridays especially) to speedily checkout three or four mangas as she flies to catch her school bus home.  She finds diversion and adventure in her manga.  Daisey’s mom died unexpectedly last year, and since then, she has been coming to the library for hugs and for manga, of which I am happy to give her both.  When I see her, she inevitably tells me (very excitedly) about how she’s going to go to her public library this weekend and she’s going to get the next book in the manga series that she’s currently reading.  She says this with the biggest smile on her face.   I love to see my Daisey's smile bloom.

It is really for this reason, and for the many other Daisey’s out there in my school that I know, and don’t yet know, that I do library card drives, and encourage patronage of the public library to anyone who will listen. 

As you can tell, a library card drive involves a lot of coordination, but it is well worth it to open new worlds of opportunity to the kids.  It has been, and will continue to be, an annual event in my Media Center program.  

I would like to send a BIG thank you to John Russell and the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative!