FEATURE Beebe Badger Bookmobile… 8 Knowledge Quest | School Libraries Go Beyond the Four Walls Blazing a Reading Trail Kay Calvert [email protected] Volume 47, No. 4 | March/April 2019 9 he Beebe (AR) Public School In addition to applying for—and retrofitting on site, resulting in TDistrict is committed to the receiving—some small grants for substantial savings to the district in mission of utilizing all resources the project, we asked community comparison to the cost of conversion to provide learning opportuni- members to donate gently used by a specialty company. Beebe is ties, tools, progressive technology, books to supply the bookmobile. fortunate to have such a multi- and guidance to enable all students Many homes in our community talented workforce who embraced to become productive citizens and contain books that children have this project with open arms and with lifelong learners. Each school year, outgrown, books that have already open hearts. This effort was truly upon returning from summer been read, multiple copies of a labor of love! To start, seats and vacation, a noticeable decline in books, unused cookbooks, and windows were removed (see figure student reading levels from the end many other books that need a new 1) as custom, adjustable shelves that of the previous school year is evident. home. This bookmobile project slant to prevent books from falling The research is clear that children presented an opportunity for our while the bus is moving were built who do not read during the summer entire community to be part of the (see figure 2). The interior was can lose up to three months of solution to the summer reading painted before the installation of reading progress and that loss has a loss problem. One of our new 2018 laminate flooring, seventeen LED cumulative, long-term effect. community partners was Apple lights, two air-conditioners, and a Blossom Child Development Center. back-up camera. Interior speakers, a Our Collaborative Solution Rhonda Howell, center director, said desk for checkout, and small benches the bookmobile was a “wonderful built over the wheels completed the In an effort to combat summer opportunity for our kids to interact interior restoration. A generator reading loss in the district, in 2015 more with books.” She added, “The was added to supply power when a retired 1994 sixty-six-passenger kids would sit down and read the the bookmobile is parked. Exterior school bus from our fleet was books they checked out from the speakers, colored LED chaser lights, retrofitted into the Beebe Badger bookmobile. We had not seen them chrome wheel covers and exhaust tips, Bookmobile. The intentional focus so interested in books before!” and a custom wrap (collaboratively of the bookmobile project is to get designed by two district employees) books into the hands of students in The maintenance, technology, and ensure that the bookmobile our community. carpentry crews at Beebe Public maintains a stand-out presence in Schools completed most of the our community (see figure 3). Figure 1. Gutted bus ready for conversion into bookmobile. Figure 2. Custom-built slanted shelves. 10 Knowledge Quest | School Libraries Go Beyond the Four Walls Books, Meals, and Fun Feeding both the bodies and minds The bookmobile logo Blazing a Reading Trail (see figure 3) communicates of students during the summer is an our mission to cultivate a culture of literacy in our community. All action step toward fulfilling our mission community members—babies through adults—are invited to come onboard to select books to use all resources to guide students from our lending library and to attend programs and do activities to becoming lifelong learners. at the bookmobile stops. The bookmobile is carefully maintained by bookmobile personnel, as the shelves are organized by both bookmobile, one of our loyal patrons, came home the first day and decided audience age and category. Stickers Josie, said, “It is really just cool to we should do a book club! Every day, adhered to each book cover remind have books, if you do not have them after the bookmobile, we sit down patrons to return loaned books to at your home. You do not have to pay together and read.” the bookmobile. The mobile lending for these books! It is awesome...you library operates on the honor system, can just get books whenever!” The Each summer, an average of whereby no penalties or fines are hope is for families to come on board six hundred book checkouts by assessed for lost or overdue books. to choose books together. Patrons young people are recorded on the As patrons complete the checkout Taiyah and Zoey are cousins and bookmobile spreadsheet. (Adult process, books are placed in canvas come to the bookmobile together, borrowers are not recorded.) The bags with the bookmobile logo (paid pulling Taiyah’s younger sister in ages of young patrons are recorded for by a grant) and bookmarks are a little red wagon. For the video, on the chart in table 1. Each student offered. Taiyah said, “When the bookmobile in grades Pre-K through sixth in the Beebe School District is provided When the Arkansas Department of comes to YOU, it is really not that with an account for the Scholastic Education made a video about the hard to be able to read books. We Figure 3. Eye-catching exterior of upcycled school bus. Volume 47, No. 4 | March/April 2019 11 Summer Reading Challenge, so that an action step toward fulfilling generous with their time. We have their reading minutes can be logged. our mission to use all resources to been fortunate to have community To invite friendly competition, guide students to becoming lifelong members who have travelled exten- minutes are shared weekly through learners. sively, collected unusual artifacts, district social media accounts. and refined unique talents, skills, Beebe Public Schools appreciates and and interests willing to serve our The Beebe Badger Bookmobile acknowledges community collabo- students by volunteering their time joins the school lunch summer meal rators who have graciously granted to stimulate learners’ minds through program (supported by a federal permission for all bookmobile stops. the summer months. grant) on planned stops Monday I contact potential collaborators through Thursday of each week in the spring and have had a warm Partnerships with local childcare during the summer. Students, ages reception from daycare centers, facilities have afforded their students eighteen and under, are invited apartment-complex managers, weekly read-alouds by district to enjoy a healthy sack lunch and mobile-home park owners, and school librarians and visits to the beverage prepared by food service churches. bookmobile to maintain learners’ employees in an effort to meet reading achievement during the young learners’ physiological needs. Additionally, volunteers have enthu- summer months. Classroom The food service employees (who siastically shared knowledge and teachers have also volunteered have their own van) encourage all experiences with bookmobile patrons. their time to read to students students to visit the bookmobile after I solicit volunteers by writing or to provide learning activities. they finish their lunch. Likewise, articles for the local newspaper Classroom teacher Katrina Mills bookmobile employees encourage and by sending a recruitment said, “The thing I enjoyed most all patrons to enjoy a healthy school e-mail to members of our school about presenting the bubble-mak- lunch after they choose their books. community. In addition, local master ing science lesson in conjunction Feeding both the bodies and minds gardeners and staff members at our with the bookmobile was just the of students during the summer is county extension office have been excitement and joy that I saw within Table 1. Grade levels of young borrowers. 12% Pre-K Kindergarten 8% 18% 1st 6% 2nd 3rd 16% 4th 22% Middle School 10% Junior High High School 12 Knowledge Quest | School Libraries Go Beyond the Four Walls the students. Kids genuinely enjoy the public library are kept onboard block parties. The bookmobile learning, but many are not provided the bookmobile, and the local library coordinator also maintains the blog learning opportunities during the provides copies of the bookmobile throughout the year, so that students summer. Even though Beebe is a routes to its patrons. If requested and community members can follow small town, our district is really books are not available on the the ongoing adventures aboard the spread out and there are many bookmobile, it is suggested that Beebe Badger Bookmobile as we students who do not have the oppor- patrons visit the local public library, Blaze a Reading Trail through our tunity to enjoy our local library. The or access the public library’s e-book community. bookmobile is vital to giving those collection, to locate the desired title. students enjoyable summer learning Library card applications are also Other Community Organiza- opportunities.” See the sidebar available on the bookmobile. Instead tions That Have Helped on page 14 for more reflections by of operating as competitors, the volunteers. public library staff and the school The following community organiza- district bookmobile workers operate tions also contributed to the success A few of the opportunities presented in cooperative spirit in an effort to of the Beebe Badger Bookmobile: on bookmobile routes include best serve all of the patrons in our • Kiwanis Club conversations with master gardeners, community. instruction in origami, science • Major Jacob Gray Chapter investigation through experi- Ramona Howell, Goff Public Library Daughters of the American ments, cooking demonstrations, and Branch Manager, recently shared, Revolution watermelon seed-spitting contests. “We have so enjoyed our collabora- We have also had a community tion with the Badger Bookmobile • Delta Kappa Gamma – Beta Beta member share artifacts from her and hope to continue it for many Chapter African safari.