2005 Giant Step Award Winner
Laramie County Library System and Barnett Shoals Elementary School
Gale, part of The Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC), and School Library Journal awarded Laramie County Library System and Barnett Shoals Elementary School the 2005 Giant Step Award today at the American Library Association’s annual conference.
The libraries were honored for their innovative programs, their impact on their school and community, and their youth outreach.
Wyoming's Laramie County Library System (LCLS) recognized a gap among its patrons: attendance for children's storytimes had dwindled and older kids often overlooked the system's services and resources.
Teaming up with the local schools, LCLS launched an awareness campaign designed to put library cards into the hands of as many children as possible. To reach grades K-3, for example, LCLS created Arthur's Library Adventure program, based on the cartoon character. To encourage teenage reading, a library staff member made her pitch directly to middle-school students.
As a result of their efforts, LCLS has seen a 17% growth in children's circulation over the past three years. Summer reading participation rose 12% for grades K-6 and 14% for grades 7-12.
In Athens, Ga., the Barnett Shoals Elementary School Media Center serves a culturally and economically diverse student population, the majority of whom are from low-income urban and rural households. Reading readiness at the kindergarten level was singled out as a need.
In response, Barnett Shoals launched several initiatives, including the Beary Special Readers program (the school mascot is a bear). The school involved parents and caregivers on the front lines, encouraging the adults to read to their children daily. Prizes and celebrations honored the families that met reading goals of 25 books per grading period – 100 books per school year.
The school proudly reports that in one nine-week period, more than 4,000 books were read to 90 kindergarten students.
School Library Journal prescreened more than 100 applications. Judges for the 2005 Giant Step Award were: Teresa Fredericka, executive director, InfOhio; Chris Balsano, Downers Grove North High School, IL; Susan Moore, Louisville Free Public Library, KY; Kathleen Reif, director, St. Mary's County Library, MD; and Joel Schoemaker, Iowa City Community Schools.
The Giant Step Award is sponsored jointly by Gale and School Library Journal. Learn more about the award.
Applications for the 2007 Giant Step Award are being accepted through March 5, 2007. If you have any questions, call Phyllis Levy Mandell at SLJ at 646-746-6763 (or toll-free at 1-866-436-0727, ext. 6763) or your Gale representative at 1-800-877-GALE.