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The school librarian as motivational agent and strategist for reading appreciation

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Journal of Librarianship and Information Science

Published online on

Abstract

The promotion of reading appreciation is one of the many responsibilities of school librarians. Different strategies have been used in elementary and middle school to achieve this, and these strategies need to meet the students’ interests. This article presents the results of a study that was conducted to identify the different strategies elementary and middle school librarians in Puerto Rico are currently using to promote reading appreciation. A total of 24 elementary school librarians and 12 middle school librarians completed a questionnaire. The participants work in public schools located in different cities around the island of Puerto Rico. Through the collected data it was possible to identify and compare the different strategies. Some of the conclusions indicate that school librarians consider Library Week a key activity for the promotion of reading appreciation, and the Internet as a key resource for the implementation of the different activities they design. The conclusions also acknowledge that school librarians face different challenges, the most difficult being collaboration and support from the students’ parents. In general, this study provides useful information to be considered by school librarians, school administrators, and by the Department of Education as a way of identifying what needs to be done in terms of reading appreciation. It also provides school librarians with an overview of important elements that are needed when promoting reading as a key activity in the learning process.