Library makeovers parks new interest in books
For a time, the library at James S. Hogg Middle School was a neglected space, tucked into the corner of the third floor.
That all changed when the newly appointed principal Angela Sugarek took the helm in the summer of 2015.
Now the space has received a makeover, as well as a new librarian to make sure the book haven continues growing in the right direction.
Sugarek said she was surprised when she discovered the state of the library on the HISD campus at 1100 Merrill St. in the Heights.
“It was forgotten,” she said. “It wasn’t updated. It wasn’t a place that I wanted to be, so I couldn’t imagine it was a place our kids would want to be either.”
The renovation became her top priority.
“I wanted to create a space where kids would want to go, look things up and learn,” she said. “We also needed a librarian.”
Sugarek hired Mary Chance for the position.
The new librarian knew that first the space needed to be reorganized to be more functional for teachers and pupils, she added.
“It looked more like a lab; it was kind of empty and didn’t have a lot of books,” Chance said.
The librarian and principal were convinced that a wellstocked and more accessible space was essential, especially because the campus is an International Baccalaureate World School.
“We teach Texas curriculum, but it’s about how we teach it,” Sugarek said. “We
teach with big ideas, and every area of content is equally important. The arts are as important as math.”
She said that research is an important tool on the campus.
“And the library is an important place for that to happen,” she said. “Whether Mary is helping students check out a book or other media, she’s a connection to that world.”
With the help of volunteers from the community, parents and teachers, the school moved the books out and started to remodel the space.
Shelves and tables were put on wheels to make it a flexible classroom.
More shelves were added to house a broader collection. More comfortable seating was installed, and the space received a coat of fresh paint to make it lighter and brighter.
Parents from Learn Local, a nonprofit established to devoted itself largely to recruiting more Heights-area families to attend Hogg, signed up to donate items from Chance’s wish list, rugs, side tables, coffee tables, all designed to make the space more inviting.
Then Chance and her pupils restocked the shelves and hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan. 21.
Chance has noticed that students are already showing an increased interest in the library.
“You find kids sneaking in at lunch and reading in the corner,” she said.
Sugarek said that when the school focused on the library, pupils saw that the space was important.
“It shows them that we believe in them and that reading matters,” she said.
Chance said that the library can serve as an example for other schools in the district.
She said that in HISD, principals decide whether they want to hire a fulltime, certified librarian or not.
“We wanted to do this, because we think libraries are important and libraries matter,” she said.
Chance said librarians come with a unique skill set.
“It’s not just about checking out books,” she said. “We’re all about databases and rolling out technology in the right way.”
She also brings visiting authors to campus and designs literacy related field trips.
Debbie Hall, a former HISD librarian, has organized a group called “Students Need Librarians in HISD” to raise awareness of the need to have qualified librarians in all schools throughout the district.
“It’s all about advocacy, trying to change the tide and raise awareness of this problem,” she said.
“HISD needs a vision. They need to make sure all kids have the same resources.”
Hall hopes that other campuses will be inspired by the initiatives Sugarek took to make the library a high priority and her dedication to hiring a full-time, certified librarian.
Hall said that the district and the community needs to be aware of the vital role librarians play in schools.
“They think librarians just check out books,” she said.
“They don’t think about that librarian connecting the right child to the right book at the right time.
“They don’t think about the teacher collaboration or the special programs the librarians create to inspire a love of reading.”