Project 2: Proposal to create Reference Library

I am proposing to build an elementary school library at Whittier Elementary School in Chicago, Illinois. This school is a Pre-K through 8^th grade school located in the Pilsen (lower west) community of Chicago. As of 2009-2010, this school’s performance rating is Low Academic Standing and it is on probationary status. During this time there were 372 students enrolled; 98.4% were low income students; 10.2% were Special Education students; and 57.5% were Limited English Learners (http://www.cps.edu/Schools/Pages/school.aspx?id=610228). Although this Dual Language School (Spanish and English) is faced with many problems, it has a mission and vision to challenge each student to achieve academic excellence and be prepared for high school and beyond (http://whittierschool.org/about-2/mission-and-vision/). Unfortunately, there is no school library located at this campus. There has been an on-going battle between parents, community members, and the Chicago Public Schools district about using an old field house next to the school for a library. The field house was found to have many structural and architectural defects which would cost too much to repair and turn the building into a library; the school district wants it torn down and the property used for a soccer field (http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/886933-312/chicago_parents_kids_stage_sit-in.html.csp). It appears that the district sees building a library as a financial burden rather than an academic windfall.

Pilsen is Chicago’s largest Mexican American community, with 93.5% Latino (predominantly of Mexican heritage). The median age is 18 years (the youngest for any Chicago community). Over 36% of the community’s children live below the federal poverty level. Unfortunately, the level of gang-violence is considered to be second only to East Los Angeles, and 70% of Pilsen adults have not even completed 9^th grade (http://www.uicni.org/page.php?section=neighborhoods&subsection=pilsen). Building a library at this school has the potential of educating and changing many lives for the better.

There are currently 24 Chicago libraries located within 5 miles of Whittier Elementary and 4 of them are within 2 miles. However, it is not always possible for an elementary student to travel that distance to visit a library. The closest library is the Lozano Public Library and it is geared mainly toward cultural and Hispanic arts (http://www.chipublib.org/branch/details/library/lozano/p/History/). The Harold Washington Library Center is the main library for the Chicago Public Library system. This is a full-service library but is located over 4 miles from the school. It offers a media center; children’s library; general information services; business, science and technology; government publications; visual and performing arts; special collections; exhibits; a talking book center; and more (http://www.chipublib.org/branch/details/library/harold-washington/p/About/). These are the things that would be important to access in a school library.

My school library would include a knowledgeable reference librarian. It would have a media center and computers for students old enough and responsible enough to use them. It would include a younger reference area for the students in Pre-K through 3^rd grade with picture dictionaries and encyclopedias. There would be a reference section with bilingual dictionaries, almanacs, yearbooks, and encyclopedias. There would be tutors available to help students after school each day. There would be electronic reference sources available such as ERIC, World Factbook, ProQuest, FedStats, and InfoPlease. There would be availability to monitored social networking and blogging. Some of these sites may be advanced for the younger students, but the upper grades would benefit by knowing how to properly do research by the time they get into high school. This is one way to make sure that Pilsen’s future adults get a higher education than many of their parents. This school library does not have to be large, it just has to have dedicated staff and students to fulfill Whittier Elementary School’s vision of success.