From Denise Bowen, MLS

USD 353 Elementary Librarian

As the librarian for Wellington’s four elementary schools, my sincere desire is to cultivate a library experience that stimulates creativity in learning for all of our students. While developing their library skills is important and certainly emphasized, everything we do should encourage our students to incorporate an almost playful nature into their intellectual investigations because children learn best when they enjoy the experience. We play with ideas and interpretations of what we are reading and look at diverse concepts through the varied perspectives of the characters and cultures we read about. We raise questions, make predictions, and disagree with what we read and expand each child’s awareness in the process.

My favorite quote today is one I recently read by Graham Greene:

“There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.”

It is my hope that the door that opens for your child may literally be the library door. Figuratively, the door might be one of our students’ construction fashioned by their own creativity and within the playground of their minds.

Students voted for their favorite William Allen White at Lincoln and the winner was:

A Dog's Life; The Autobiography of a Stray.

From Janice Shoemaker

Lincoln Elementary Library Clerk

Right now, my favorite book is The Polar Express. My favorite quote is:

“At one time most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years past, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I have grown old, the bell still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe.”

Hobbies: I love my family and my grandchildren are a very important part of my life. I enjoy a variety of other activities but they all pale in comparison to what is most important to me.