Creating a Culture of Reading in Your School Library

After you attend this course, you’ll be able to:

• Understand and articulate the critical need to foster a culture of reading in K–12 schools supported by current literacy data and research.
  


• Identify and analyze specific barriers to reading engagement within your own school environment.
  


• Implement and share practical strategies for promoting a culture of reading.
  


• Explore peer-submitted ideas to inspire and inform your own library practices.
  


• Design and implement a customized, actionable plan to cultivate a strong culture of reading in your school community.

This course consists of 4 on-demand modules:

Module 1: The Importance of Building a Reading Culture—Why It Matters Now More Than Ever 

Why is a culture of reading essential in today’s schools? What does the research say about literacy trends and student success? Explore the latest literacy data and examine the critical role libraries play in reversing national reading declines. Participants will reflect on current research and begin envisioning what a vibrant reading culture could look like in their school.

Module 2: What’s in the Way? Identifying Barriers to a Culture of Reading in Your School

What keeps students from reading? What are the obstacles unique to your school or community? Uncover the root causes of disengagement—from systemic issues to school-specific barriers—and begin crafting responses that meet your students where they are.

Module 3: The Power of Programming—Creating Opportunities to Engage

How can library programming spark student interest in reading? What kinds of experiences draw readers in and keep them coming back? Join a community of teacher libraries to share ideas for reading-based programming and events that build excitement around books.

Module 4: Bringing It to Life—Designing Your Reading Culture Action Plan

How do you turn good ideas into sustainable action? What does an effective reading initiative actually look like in practice? Synthesize what you’ve learned to create a customized plan for your school. Participants will map out actionable next steps tailored to their student population, community needs, and institutional resources.

Who should take this course

This course is designed for librarians and media specialists at secondary (6-12) schools.

This will be a self-paced, asynchronous online course.

Certificate of completion

Complete the course and earn 20 professional development credit hours. We provide a certificate that is emailed to you.

Support

For support with online courses, please contact course-support@libraryjournal.com.

Holly Hoggarth

I am a high school English Language Arts teacher and librarian in Denver, Colorado, with 18 years of experience in education. I hold an M.A. in English from Colorado State University and an M.A. in Learning Design & Technology from the University of Colorado, Denver. I am deeply invested in teaching research and media literacy to young people, as I believe these skills are essential for navigating the complexities of today’s world and will serve them throughout their lives. I also find great joy in connecting students to books they love and characters they relate to, knowing that these connections can spark a lifelong passion for reading.

Shoshannah Turgel

I’m a full-time Teacher Librarian in Boulder, Colorado, with 17 years of experience in the field. Prior to this role, I worked as a Research and Access Services Librarian at New York University. I hold an M.A. in Library and Information Sciences from Long Island University and an M.A. in World History from NYU. I believe that reading fiction and nonfiction texts is the cornerstone of cross-curricular success. By fostering a love for reading and supporting critical thinking skills, we better equip students for success in all subjects and throughout their lives.

Group Rates

We offer discounts for groups of 3 or more.

For larger groups of 15 or more, we offer the option to apply group rates across multiple courses to receive significant discounts. For more information, select “Bulk Course Credits Packages” in the form below.

Request Discounted Group Pricing

For support with group purchases, please contact groupsales@libraryjournal.com.