It’s hard to miss all the New York City themed decorations in the library. At a glance, one might not see the relevance this theme has to the school, but there are aspects of the big city that encapsulate it perfectly.
“We felt like that would fit in well with the start of the school year, being just busy and full of hustle and bustle, and that’s kind of the vibe you get when you think of New York City,” Library Media Specialist Esther Meyers said.
Having a theme helps bring life to the library, but it also helps create a variety of displays to attract more students to more books.
“We have definitely found when we have books highlighted on different displays, or if there’s something eye-catching in the library, I feel like it just draws people in,” Meyers said. “And it’s been really effective, because when books are just on a shelf, and all you see is the spine, it’s hard to really know if it’s going to be worth your time or not, but when you can see the front, you kind of get a feel based on the display for maybe something that it pertains to. I think that really appeals to students more.”
A good theme allows for interesting displays. Meyers, along with Library Media Clerk Michelle Bellamy, put a lot of thought into the small details to make specific displays feel complete.
“On our ‘Friends’ display, you might not notice, unless you walk up to it, that we do have a smelly cat, and that was donated by none other than Mrs. Craig,” Bellamy said. “I just happened to ask her if she, by chance, had a stuffed cat that we could use for our display, and she brought us the coolest cat that we could use. And so it’s perfect for our display. It totally enhances it.”
Like any big project, planning is imperative. Even with brainstorming, coming up with display ideas or changing the theme entirely to stay relevant, Bellamy enjoys the process of decorating the library.
“The process is really, really, probably my favorite thing,” Bellamy said. “It’s kind of like planning a vacation. It’s just the planning of it is so fun. Trying to determine what students will find appealing or interesting and how teachers would be able to use certain elements from each display in their curriculum.”
The purpose of decorating the library isn’t just for looks; it’s meant to serve the best interests of the people accessing it.
“One thing people should know is how much we enjoy doing this for the students and staff because we get great feedback from people and it makes it just such a joy for us to do,” Bellamy said. “And when we get that feedback, it just makes us want to go bigger and better every single season.”
