This year, the PLD Library circulated 5, 507 items to students and staff. The top 5 titles were Five Survive by Holly Jackson (mystery/thriller), Outcasts United: The Story of a Refugee Soccer Team That Changed a Town by Warren St. John (non-fiction), Unwind by Neal Shusterman (sci fi/dystopian), As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh (realistic), and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (urban).
The PLD Library acquired and processed 699 new books ranging from hot new YA titles like Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington (horror) to the rest of the popular Demon Slayer series by Koyuharu Gotouge (manga).
Mrs. Faris hosted The PLD Library Book Club every two weeks in the Dunbar Den starting in October, and the students ate snacks, shared book recommendations, and read and discussed several Kentucky Bluegrass Award nomination books. Their favorite was Five Survive, which won the KBA award in April for the best High School book.
The PLD Library and the Dunbar Den spaces were always hopping! We hosted over 507 class visits in the library for various activities like Library Orientation, book tastings, book checkout, and research help. The Dunbar Den was booked over 250 times to host Socratic discussions, music therapy, small-group testing/class activities, and our Friday Prayers group.
Kim Overstreet managed over 2,000 student chromebooks, and the PLD Library/Tech Team processed over 420 chromebook tickets this year (Kim has more than earned her retirement!). Technology Guru Jim Adams and his tech aides fixed lots of broken screens, hinges, and internal issues. So many of our chromebooks are fixed in-house because of their talents!
The library is rarely quiet, and there's always something going on--and that's how we like it! This year, we hosted all kinds of special events like ACT prep classes, guest speakers from colleges like EKU & UK, Green Dot Bystander Training, a visit & reading from KY poet Willie Edward Carver Taylor, Jr., the Cultural Fair, and the first-ever FCPS All-High Schools GSA meeting. Everyone is welcome in the library! Here are some highlights in pictures.
It was a great first year in the library for Mrs. Faris! The Library/Tech team is so proud that our space is seen as one of the most welcoming and safe spaces at Dunbar (as voted on by the students in the annual Green Dot survey), and we look forward to continuing to serve our students, staff, and community. Keep on reading this summer, Dunbar! And remember, the 24 in 24 Challenge is still going on. So far, we have had 6 staff members and 5 students finish and receive their prize. #PLDREADS