Whew. What a year in review for schools, education, libraries, literacy, advocacy, youth empowerment, youth leadership – youth possibility. This comes in all forms – finding ways for students to be the faces of legislative hall, Girls Who Code, hosting on air radio personalities and YA authors, this year students took charge and ran with so many events when give the reins. Following library legislative day where for the first time, we put students at the very front of advocacy to explain what librarianship means to them, we discovered … our library is and has always become…

…a workshop.

A planning nucleus of projects to be, a place where students can regroup, plan, strategize, create, and implement.

The workshop identity has served us well and to those stuck in the iconic idea that libraries are where books happen, wellll, they are only 30% correct. With the warm welcome of Senator David Wilson visiting the Walter P.J. Gilefski Media Center on on May 31st, the word transparent with Senator Wilson’s visits made us realize how lucky we are to live in a state where some legislators are so transparent where they stand and what they believe in. From the actual dedication of the Walter P.J. Gilefski Media Center to the support Senator Wilson has given to FFA programs, to his deep support and involvement in open space preservation, agricultural and farming initiatives up and down the state, we sat in the Woodbridge High School May 31st as he enlightened us on his involvement with various logistics of the many ties and connections he has had with agriculture. farming, land legislations, and so much more; so many people in and out of legislative hall and around the state became part and parcel of our conversation.

Very rarely do many get the chance to be able to learn, chat, and hear the history of Delaware unfold in front of us as it did with Senator David L. Wilson as it did this day. In addition, as our Woodbridge students, who did not have to be at school that day, one came back to escort Senator Wilson around school and talk with him about our concerns of maintaining healthy librarianship in the state. We appreciate this past year legislative hall student lobbyist, Carley, showing what she is capable of over and over again. Certainly the sky is the limit when opportunities exist and individuals are willing to grab them.

In addition, our architect of a unified literacy program that has taken off involving vocabulary, comprehension, and writing, (Mr Weiler) utilizing noted researches and practitioners of literacy and combing them into one solid, collaborative process, was introduced and discussed with Senator Wilson, was a breath of fresh air in being able to chat with him about this.

We agreed that students and educators need to have a plan that will activate and allow both to grow, learn and apply to address what often are the basic foundations of learning that are often missing. Hence, many students are pushed forward without truly acquiring the solid, retainable knowledge needed before moving to a next level ; they cannot work effectively missing the basic knowledge they need.

To have conversations as these, on an academic, literacy, and alongside areas of community history is to truly realize what and why a school library media center and a certified librarian is necessary to be an activated learning center. A nucleus of learning, creating, disciplines, and a place to contemplate and having the time to be able to entertain discussions with a large representation of community members, in order to really understand the deeper, powerful potential school library spaces have- is a best kept secret for those that do not know. Absolutely, books are definitely NOT on the decline when represented as being more than containers of page after page after page of have to reads.

No.

Books become a coveted tool when found in places that school libraries were meant to be found and known as – centers of inquiry, possibility, and in this case amplifying the transparency of wisdom of a Delawarean senator, while considering a literacy framework architect that designs programs allowing students to grow, and students in turn take on roles of leadership to be voices that normally are not amplified.

Being able to involve Senator Wilson on the passing of a prize to a student for being a frequent visitor snd patron checking out materials from our library was so much better than simply giving a gift to the student. This student, who might not often have the chance to travel to legislative hall, had the opportunity to meet a DE senator on her own school community, and congratulate her, from a senator, on keeping the possibility of literacy in front of her.

It was fitting that we ended out invitations and welcome of legislators to Woodbridge High’s Walter P.J. Gilefksi Media Center with Senator David L. Wilson, as it felt so many pieces of information and names he was able to share with us just felt like a hometown visit, as it always does when students are involved in something that is our own state history.

We were grateful for legislators like Senator David L. Wilson taking time to stop by and let us chat with him about our concerns for future investments in school librarians in our state. As we discussed, we want more certified librarians, alongside students, to facilitate the knowledge and know how of grabbing onto opportunities and resources that introduce vocational and apprenticeship paths, agricultural knowledge obtained first-hand and through university study, with the many experiences of so many past generations that have so much wisdom to pass on. It seems fitting so much of this can occur in a school library, when you have one. Without one, we keep saying you never know what you don’t have when you never had it.

Senator Wilson kept apologizing when our students travelled to Legislative Hall on March 28th as he was being pulled in many directions for several meetings. After a whole day of being in legislative hall, and seeing the last minute moves we made from senator to representatives’ offices, we understood how legislators’ schedules are not the same as schedules outside of legislative hall and can change on a dime. Yet, Senator Wilson that day had provided legislative hall pins for all our students even with him being pulled here and there.

He knew we were there, he acknowledged us in the best way he could with meetings requiring his presence, he was 100% transparent about his beliefs, actions and abilities. Students picked up on this and indeed, realized, there are so many good things that can be done that should not fall into a discussion on being partisan to one specific group. There are so many important values that are nonpartisan, and one of the most transparent qualities we saw, aside from Senator Wilson, was the transparency of the ability and voices of students. Enabling students to be more involved in adult roles has some amazing impacts and all of them are earning lessons that we need as communities.

Yes, definitely school libraries are the workshops of invention we need, and we need to increase the voices of the very stockholders impacted by them, students. Added to that how interested and involved we became in tying a literacy program that engages students where they have needs at crucial points, Senator Wilson walked away impressed that so much research, time, and effort was being utilized to employ such detail to a literacy framework. It was refreshing to be able to talk to him about this. Where else would you want to talk about improving literacy BUT in the school library?

Thank you Senator David L. Wilson for always willing to travel the distance to see, hear, and impact our students, allowing them as students and leaders, to be as transparent as the school libraries and yourself. We appreciate you so much and love opportunities to learn first hand.

Definitely we have worked with literacy and advocacy, workshop-style and tied to our school libraries – that is who we are as a school library.

Let’s keep the ability to dream and create, moving forward and gaining momentum, creating possibilities for everyone around us.