Even with the extensive number of books and services, students at Pleasant Valley High School do not utilize everything their library has to offer.
According to the official Pleasant Valley High School library webpage, over 16,200 books are available for students to check out. Last month, 329 fiction books were checked out. PVHS librarian, Carissa McDonald reported that of those 329, one third to one half was checked out for the enjoyment of reading as opposed to being a required source for classwork.
What students may not recognize is how often the library is adding to their shelves. New selections are available to students monthly. At the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year, the PVHS library was presented with a large grant from the district, giving librarians, McDonald and Tonie Spencer, the ability to purchase more material for students.
Selections for the PVHS library are chosen based on popularity, reviews, and personal recommendations from staff and students. The librarians make it a priority to provide students with up-to-date reading materials, especially for non-fiction books, to keep facts and information accurate.
Students have the opportunity to request books or series to be brought to the school library through the forum on PV’s destiny.com. Library staff prioritizes student requests when reviewing and considering new books for purchase.
The Pleasant Valley Junior High school has celebrated literature with students at a young age, as seen with their efforts in ‘banned books.’ The high school shares these morals with what content they offer to students. McDonald shared her thoughts on censorship. “I’m not overly concerned as long as there is meaning or something the student can take from it,” she explained.
In the future, McDonald hopes to do more with library programs, such as banned books, along with the other services the library provides. The PVHS library webpage shares details about a book club and how students can check out more than novels and research texts with the library’s collection of magazines.
Students aren’t reading as much as they used to. That is why McDonald tries to provide as much as she can to students in with hopes that they read more. However, she realizes the difficulty some students have. “It’s hard to read in high school because you have so many things pulling at your attention,” she said. She wishes that the SSR (silent, sustained reading) time the high school provides to students was utilized more for reading by students.
Mathematics teacher at PVHS, Barb Pischke, agrees. “It gives them a break from school, gives them something they can enjoy by choosing what to read,” she explained. Pischke then described her personal experience in school and how reading more than the required texts greatly benefitted her.
Ultimately, it is up to students and their peers to encourage each other to start reading more. Word of mouth and personal opinions on books and magazines have proved to be effective in persuading students to step outside of their comfort zone in their reading endeavors.
This communication among students also shows to students the enjoyment that can come from reading, whether it’s the real news of the world or unique adventures in new places.
