Wilder Library – Did you know?
Wilder Library - Did you Know?
Improved Accessibility & Student Engagement
Thanks to PTSA-funded clear shelving, books are now displayed forward-facing, so students can easily see covers and discover books independently. Students are also explicitly taught how the library is organized and how to use the catalog system to confidently find what they want to read.
Previously less obvious shelving
New Shelving and bins make books easier to see
The kiddos are able to find books more easily
Stronger & Updated Collection
Over the past three years, I have added many new, high-interest titles and significantly increased the number of books available to students, and they are more current. Our library now meets the American Library Association’s recommended number of books per student — a milestone we were not reaching just a few years ago.
Despite this progress, there are holes in the collection. Our non-fiction section is larger and more current than it was two years ago. It is ideal for books in non-fiction to be less than 15 years old. On average, our collection is now improved to 13 years old, so excellent progress overall.
However, we still have some work to do in some specific categories of non-fiction. For instance, the computer science section should be an average of three years or newer, and ours averages fully 11 years old. The science section should be 5 years or newer, and ours is fully 15 years old. These need to be addressed.
October 25th 2024:
April 1st 2026:
Expanded Student Leadership Opportunities
New programs such as Kid Librarians, 5th Grade Library Leaders, Amazing Reading Challenge and ABC Mystery Letter Displays give students meaningful leadership roles, including helping manage the library and reading to our preschool students, building confidence, responsibility, and a love of literacy across grade levels.
More Inclusive & Representative Books
After completing a diversity-focused library grant and coursework, our collection now better reflects the identities, cultures, experiences, and interests of all students in our school community, helping every child feel seen and valued as a reader.
October 25th 2024:
April 1st 2026:
Enriching Author Experiences Made Possible by PTSA
PTSA support helped fund our author visit with Emma Bland Smith, author of Claude and The Gardener of Alcatraz, giving students a memorable real-world connection to reading, writing, illustrating, and creativity. An author visit inspires students to see themselves as readers and writers, deepens their connection to books through real-world storytelling experiences, and motivates lifelong literacy by showing how creativity and perseverance lead to published work.
Shelving for Picture Book Access & Durability
To keep the library welcoming and easy for young readers to navigate, we are continuing to transition picture books to forward-facing shelving. Each shelf costs $125, and we still need 19 shelves over the next few years…that’s over $2000 of expense. Many of our current blue bins are also cracked and no longer safely support daily student use. Continued PTSA funding helps us maintain an accessible space despite reduced district budgets.
Accurate & Current Nonfiction Collection
While we have made good progress in building and renewing our collection overall, our nonfiction section is considered outdated based on recommendations from the American Library Association. Library-bound nonfiction books average $25–$35 each, with larger titles costing up to $50, making ongoing funding essential to keep information accurate, relevant, and aligned with curriculum needs as district funding declines. We currently have almost 1000 books in the two most out of date categories, that would be perhaps $20,000-35,000 to replace them over some period of years!!! Obviously a huge, multi-year task.
Thank you, PTSA, for continuing to invest in the library — your support directly expands access to books, strengthens literacy, and creates meaningful learning opportunities for every student.