This year we are using our holiday contest to shed light on an important issue that is very close to our hearts (and we guess many of yours as well): school libraries.
Every year at 49thShelf.com we run a holiday contest that ends up with one lucky member winning a lot of books. This year is no different and our holiday contest is on until December 12th, so don’t miss your chance to win big!
This year we are using our contest to shed light on an important issue that is very close to our hearts (and we guess many of yours as well): school libraries.
Year after year, studies tell us that teachers and teacher-librarians spend hundreds of their own dollars to buy books and learning materials to help stock their classrooms and libraries’ shelves. Without teachers’ own contributions and school fundraising events, school libraries can turn into barren rooms that aren’t fun for children, diminishing the likelihood that these children will grow up with a love of—or even a capacity for—reading. This is especially true in low-income areas.
The Ontario Library Association confirms that, “Students who are in schools without a staffed and resourced library program are not receiving the same education as students who have school libraries.”
“Students who are in schools without a staffed and resourced library program are not receiving the same education as students who have school libraries.”
To support teacher-librarians and all the extra work they do to make school libraries invigorating centres of learning and community, we have added a bonus to this year’s holiday contest: in addition to giving $250 worth of books to a winner, 49th Shelf will also give $250 in Canadian books to a school library in the winner’s community.
We know that this gesture is just a small drop in the bucket, but because our holiday contest often generates some attention, we hope that we can also help spread the word about the need for more books—especially Canadian books—in our school libraries.
49thShelf.com’s resident teacher-librarian, Julie Booker, says of the contest: “It’s really a way of reminding Canadians of how much school libraries matter to our kids, and a small gesture of thanks. Any adult whose love of reading started when they were a kid will like the spirit of the contest.”
“It’s really a way of reminding Canadians of how much school libraries matter to our kids, and a small gesture of thanks. Any adult whose love of reading started when they were a kid will like the spirit of the contest.”
So enter this year’s contest and help us spread the word! The end result will not just be one happy winner with an armful of books this season, but also a school library endowed with more Canadian books for their students to discover.
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