Family Nights at the School Library―It's Computer Time!

by Lynette Romito, Campbell City Schools, Campbell, Ohio

A few years ago, through an Improving Literacy through School Libraries Grant, we were able to open our school libraries in the evening for family use. As a result, integration of technology became a family affair.

Applying for the Grant

We found out that we were eligible to apply for an Improving Literacy through School Libraries Grant because of the district's low wealth status. We already had outstanding technology resources in place, largely through other grants. The goal of our evening program was to offer the richness of our technology infrastructure to the citizens of Campbell by providing expanded hours for students and parents (we also had many senior citizens attend) with the support of certified teaching staff and supervised tutors. This answered one of our CIP goals, which was to make the district a center of learning for the community. In fact, the grant narrative was "Creating a Community Circle: Information Power for the Campbell City Schools." This was a play on words since the new street dedicated to our new elementary/middle school was named Community Circle; the three prongs of the grant application were CCC (collection, collaboration, community).

Completing the application took months of drafting and gathering data. In the grant application, we specified that we planned to acquire books and other resources―several of them online, electronic resources. We also promoted active collaboration with teachers and students. And, of course, we sketched out our plans for an evening program to serve our students' families and other members of the community. (If you are interested, you can see the PowerPoint presentation we gave at OELMA―the Ohio Educational Library Media Association―describing the grant.

We Got It!

After we got the grant and followed through with our plans, we needed to let people know about our family nights―in essence, we needed to market our program. We got the word out to families through flyers (both in Spanish and in Greek), our school library website, and ads on our local cable TV station (which is student-operated).

We launched family night in October, and it continued throughout the school year (to May), Monday through Thursday, from 5 to 8 p.m. For the most part, families and other members of the community could drop in as they liked. The only time we needed an attendance heads-up was for programs for which refreshments or materials had to be prepared.

To participate, people went to the school libraries in our two new buildings—the atmosphere in both was very inviting and well supported technologically. Each library was set up differently, but both were well organized for technology as well as print access. Teachers were trained to check books in and out and answer reference questions using INFOhio and other online resources. The grant paid for approximately $38,000 in print and nonprint materials, including electronic databases such as Culturegrams and Opposing Viewpoints.

Certified teachers were available for help, not only in research and writing, but also in math tutoring. As well, students from the high school math club helped tutor math, while volunteers from Ohio Reads helped tutor reading.

Numerous special programs were offered, especially those involving literacy. Some sessions were facilitated by district staff. For example, our computer teacher offered a session on computer literacy. Others sessions were facilitated through contracted services, such as those of a storyteller or guest author.

Some Thoughts About the Program

One of the outcomes was a greater willingness for teachers to collaborate, especially when using technology. One grant activity paid for a sub for every teacher in the district for a half day while the teachers, in groups of three or four, attended a professional development session devoted to the topic of integration of technology into the curriculum. Specifically, they received hands-on training in INFOhio and the electronic resources the district purchased.

And the outcome for students? Well, in a sense, the project served to bridge the digital divide since many students did not have home access to technology.

When I think back, I remember the first year as very busy and very encouraging, especially the tutoring. It was wonderful to see the high school students tutoring elementary-aged students. The evening programs were generally well attended. We always tried to make them family-oriented so everyone could attend (even though a few crawling babies had to be plucked from the edge of the stage).

Although the project started out in the library, it really branched out. During the state's bicentennial year, we were the local host for the Wallpaper Project, an oral history readers' theater. It was videotaped by students and archived. We resurrected a version for the Youngstown State University English Festival as it tied in to one of the festival books that dealt with oral history.

We no longer have the program, partly due to a lack of funding and to a shift in parent demographics—fewer families were taking advantage of the opportunity. Still, the grant is currently available, and we are again eligible. We just have not had the time to reapply.

Lynette Romito is a library media specialist for grades K-8. She has a B.S. and an M.S. in education from Youngstown State University. She is a National Board Certified Teacher in Early Adolescence English Language Arts and has earned Library Media Specialist Certification from Kent State University.

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