Reading Experiments with an Online Library

“I never thought I’d see you so glued to your phone.” My husband has repeated that bemused observation a couple of times recently. The attraction isn’t FOMO or social media. It’s books. 

You may be able to walk into a US public library any day of the year and access thousands of English books. Here in Japan, it’s not so easy. So I was intrigued when a colleague who teaches at another international school introduced me to an online library that she was excited about.   

Thus, one of the big markers of my past academic year became my school's joining the consortium last spring, making thousands of books available to our students and staff. I’ve learned a lot by reading widely on the library myself, advertising the available riches to students and staff, and doodling around in the admin sections to figure out how to use the online library even better.

I’ve enjoyed the library personally for both learning and recreation—from Barak Obama’s memoirs of his presidency A Promised Land, to the fascinating nonfiction Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, to the intriguing mystery The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, to background for the current Russian aggression The Gates of Europe, A History of Ukraine. 

I’ve also discovered many great middle grades books to recommend to students—from Finding Junie Kim to Amari and the Night Brothers to While I Was Away to Phoebe and Her Unicorn. While the data says I’ve checked out 149 books, they’re not all 400-page novels (or histories). A number of them are elementary books I read just to be able to recommend them to students. (Another blessing of the library—I was teaching elementary English language arts for the first time ever, so needed to expand my repertoire!)

To what extent has it been used by other people than me? In the past year since we got the library, as a small school with a majority of Japanese first language speakers, we’ve had 1,314 total loans of 600 active titles to 170 active patrons.  Modeling reading, recommending online books, and making time in class for reading helps. I do those things, and 8 out of 10 of the top patrons have been me and 7 of my students. 

I’ve also experimented with recommending books beyond my class. In the past, I’ve made posters of books available both in my classroom library and online. This spring break, I learned how to make banners on the school’s library splash page recommending spring break reading for elementary, middle school, and high school. My goal over the break is to change the titles every week. Once the school year resumes, I won’t have the time for that (or the books!), but I’m envisioning monthly themes, like refugees (a current topic), friendship (always a hot topic), memoirs (we all need heroes).

Actually, I am old school, really preferring a physical book for many reasons. However, when the available library is digital, one learns. That’s the chief benefit: Availability. Other benefits: 

• Cultural fit: When you’re using public transportation frequently, digital is easier.
• Exigency of the times: Every time we’d go to online school due to Covid, I’d remind my students of the online library and ask whether any of them needed to be reminded of their passwords. I always got a few takers.
• English availability: We have extended spring, summer, and Christmas breaks. Access to English books is a great asset for sustaining English fluency.

The last day of the academic year before spring break, I announced to my students that I wouldn’t be giving homework over the break. They burst into cheers. “But,” I cautioned them, “What do you think will happen to your English if you don’t use it at all for 4 weeks?” They suddenly looked very sober. “However,” I continued, “because you are all readers, and because you have access to the online library, you will read. Because you want to. Not because I make you.” 

I’m looking forward to posting new book banners on the library splash page on Monday. I’m looking forward to seeing what students have read when they return. And I’m looking forward to continuing my current online library book, Lessons from the Edge: A Memoir by Marie Yovanovitch, former US ambassador to Ukraine. 

What online libraries do you and your students have access to? How do you use and advertise them?