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At Robinson, the library is known as a quiet mostly empty room, where students come and go during study halls. New media specialist, Shannon Chamberlain, intends to change that.
Chamberlain plans to increase the popularity of the library by co-sponsoring calligraphy and book club and holding meetings in the library. She’s also in the process of making her own table-top gaming club, where students get to play a different type of game a month.
“My goal this year is to increase circulation in the library, and I want more kids to come in and know that this is their place too. They can come for whatever reason: to work on a project, get a book, just to relax, or to ask questions,” Chamberlain said.
Chamberlain has been a media specialist for ten years and has worked at many elementary schools including a school for special needs children. She majored in English Literature at USF and got her masters in librarian information sciences. Chasing books throughout her childhood, she looks forward to helping students find their own favorite books.
“I grew up loving reading and remember begging my mom to take me to the library and spending all my allowance on books,” Chamberlain said.
Her family has always been involved in teaching which was part of her motivation to become a teacher but didn’t feel like having a classroom was a good fit for her and only found her place in education when she began to work at the library.
“I enjoy interacting with students and just helping them connect to the information they’re looking for,” Chamberlain said. “I feel like a lot of times students are intimidated to ask questions, and I just want to let them know that my job is to find the information and the resources that they need.”
She is currently focused on improving the library and making it more accessible to students. She’s putting up a suggestion box and different signage encouraging students to make requests on how to enhance the library and make it better for them.
“I want to bring students into the library and make it an interactive space,” Chamberlain said. “This is your library and I’m open to suggestions, I will do what I can to make you guys comfortable and make the library more user-friendly. Come see me.”
