Reinventing Reading in a Pandemic

American Association of School Librarians. Available from: American Library Association. 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611. Tel: 1-800-545-2433; Web site: http://knowledgequest.aasl.org/

Y

6

School Libraries; Librarians; Educational Change; Reading; COVID-19; Pandemics; Creativity; Partnerships in Education; Elementary Secondary Education; Library Services; Technology Uses in Education

1094-9046

Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) is the second largest school district in Tennessee. With 159 schools, 79,651 students, and 126 languages spoken, the student population is incredibly diverse, not only culturally but also socio-economically. MNPS shifted to virtual learning in late March 2020 on the heels of devastating tornadoes that ripped through the community on March 3, which abruptly caused the closure of schools. The early days of the pandemic were spent searching for hope amidst the devastation experienced by the community as it was cleaned up and re-built with the shadow of COVID-19 looming. With the start of the 2020-2021 school year, MNPS had to restore and increase access. The MNPS team of 130 school librarians were not only thinking about how to provide equitable services to their students and school communities, but together were also were thinking about how to provide equitable services across the district. This article shares how MNPS re-invented reading by breaking old rules and creating new ways to provide book access and support student literacy during virtual and hybrid learning.

ERIC

2022

EJ1327910