Include with Ellen Hinrichs at RSES

Ellen Hinrichs has been the librarian at River Springs Elementary School (RSES) since 2013. Prior to her job at RSES, she worked for Scholastic. When working with Ellen for my internship, I immediately noticed her displays contained many diverse titles. I was intrigued to find out more about how she implements the Include AASL standard. In our interview, we discussed many topics in relation to the following questions: 

• What are some of the resources in your library program that you are using to implement these competencies?

• How do you ensure that the library collection reflects the diverse global community? What criteria do you use for selection?

• What strategies do you use to celebrate the differences and similarities of your student population through library initiatives?

• Can you describe how you create flexible learning spaces in the library to accommodate various learning styles and needs?

Ellen uses a variety of resources and strategies to help all students during library lessons or when collaborating with teachers. She often uses BookFlix, which has many adaptable features including read alouds, vocabulary assistance, and activities to connect to the text being presented. Ellen also teaches research with websites such as PebbleGo because it has diverse topics, is specifically designed for an elementary reading level, and has a read aloud feature. During library lessons, Ellen checks for understanding by using “exit ticket” questions or playing games to reinforce skills learned. Ellen is welcoming, kind, and encouraging to students which motivates them to participate. 

When selecting books for the RSES collection, Ellen tries to reflect the diversity of the school’s student population. She uses the idea of “windows” and “mirrors” when selecting titles, attempting to balance what is popular with what will help students grow and learn. Ellen subscribes to Hornbook and School Library Journal, as she knows these reviews offer diverse titles. When assisting students in selecting books for check out, she often makes diverse recommendations that students will like based on their current interests. When browsing the fiction and nonfiction topics, students have much to choose from and rarely have trouble finding a book of interest. 

While I initially found the RSES collection to be diverse, there were some deficits that concerned me. For example, when I asked about LGBTQ+ titles, Ellen stated she has them available upon request, but they are not shelved. I found this surprising as there are many students and caregivers who could benefit from seeing these books on the shelves. Ellen also mentioned she did not have certain popular titles, such as the Hunger Games because she does not like the violence it promotes. While I understand age appropriateness is a factor, this type of self-censorship in the current political climate limits the books students will be able to check out. In our district, school librarians do not have a specific set of guidelines they need to follow when selecting books for a library collection. In some ways, this is great for those who want to promote a diverse collection without limitations. However, some interpret this differently and are intimidated by potential administration and caregiver scrutiny. I think it is important for students to have choice and to see themselves represented in the library. This is something I hope to achieve when developing my own library collection.