Books Alive: Reading Incentive Programs for High School Students

Linworth Publishing, Inc. 480 East Wilson Bridge Road Suite L, Worthington, OH 43085. Tel: 614-436-7107; e-mail: linworth@linworthpublishing.com; Web site: http://www.linworth.com/lmc.html

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Student Research; Media Specialists; Library Services; Information Skills; Information Literacy; Incentives; School Libraries; Reading Motivation; High School Students; Adolescent Literature; Learning Activities

1542-4715

Not only are the hills alive with the sound of music, but the school library media center at Delsea Regional High School in Franklinville, New Jersey, is alive with the sound of reading. The media center has become a hub of reading, because the school library media specialist has made the promotion of reading and reading-incentive activities an important priority for students and staff. School library media specialists have so many tasks--teaching students information literacy skills, collaborating with teachers, assisting with student research projects, and performing the administrative duties associated with running a library--that it is difficult for them to remember that instilling a lifelong love of literature in students is what makes a library so special. School librarians get so caught up with their other duties that reading-incentive activities seem like the last thing they should be focusing their attention on. However, there are some simple ways for school library media specialists to begin to incorporate reading activities into the daily functions of the library. Reading-promotion activities do not have to be full-blown projects. They can be one-day events, or they can run over several days or weeks. This article provides suggestions that highlight ways to begin to instill a lifelong love of reading in students.

ERIC

1

2007

EJ762387