Knightly News

How often do you find popsicle sticks, clay, paint, cardboard and craft supplies in a library? If you’re visiting Aldrich Library you are sure to find these items and more unexpected resources to help Middle and Upper School students learn.

Dedicated on April 28, 1972, Aldrich Library was named in honor of Ella Lanier Aldrich, mother of longtime Episcopal supporter Ella V. Schwing. Since the early 90s, the vision for Aldrich Library has been for the space to serve as a hub of campus and to enable growth in technology. Decades later, Library Director Tiffany Whitehead is pleased that that vision is being realized with the library serving as an academic space supporting collaborative, creative efforts with readily available project supplies, green screen, audio recording equipment and a 3D printer. A range of digital resources through renowned database subscriptions are also available to support student research and discovery. “It’s becoming a humanities workshop space, space for literacy, learning, creativity and research,” says Whitehead.

Tiffany Whitehead
Library Director

Nancy Kramm
Librarian

Whitehead is a natural collaborator and sees the library as a collaborative space for students and faculty. Recently, the Writing Center relocated to the top floor of the library, and members of the “Accolade” yearbook staff also call Aldrich home. Whitehead also initiated a partnership with the East Baton Rouge Parish Library to boost student research. Episcopal students now have digital parish library cards, which grant them access to more online resources and the Libby app, which allows readers to read books on electronic devices. All of this makes the Aldrich Library a valuable learning space and a hive of activity.

Recently, students in Upper School English teacher Dawn Burton’s English III: British Literature class tested out the library as a workspace. The students studied the epic poem, “Beowulf,” and Burton wanted to take the lesson up a level. “As well as experiencing the hero’s journey and impressive feats (just a little monster slaying and dragon wrangling), I wanted the students to immerse themselves in the world of the Anglo-Saxons and learn about the impact of the Saxons and Vikings on British language and culture,” she says. To accomplish this, Burton asked students to research a topic and create an artifact reflecting Anglo-Saxon life.

Aldrich Library proved to be the ideal location for the assignment. Burton says students used the library’s “collection of scholarly articles and reliable resources to access relevant information.” To help with the research, Whitehead provided a refresher of the research and citation platform, Noodletools, and reviewed the library’s research resources. Once the research was complete, students went to work on their artifacts. On project day, they rolled clay to make coins and rings, and they used the 3-D printer to bring their imaginations to life.

Why make the study of a poem a hands-on experience? “Literature reflects life,” says Burton. “Students benefit when they can investigate the context of a work to understand it.” It certainly helps when students have access to a space such as Aldrich Library, which sparks their imaginations and encourages exploration.

Middle School students also recently used Aldrich Library resources. Seventh grade English teacher Katy Valentine brought classes to the space as part of their exploration of graphic novels. “The graphic novel project takes the short story each student has created and illustrates a scene in a graphic novel style,” she says. “We were in the library for a discovery lesson where students looked at different collections of graphic novels and discovered how graphic novels are put together.” Valentine appreciates the collaborative environment of the library. “We used the library to work on the project because Tiffany Whitehead is a great resource, and she loves to share with the students,” says Valentine. “We’ve had at least 4 lessons in the library, if you include Dialogue Class with Katie Sutcliffe and Mrs. Pritchard. Also, the writing fellows have been excellent partners with the students as they write.”

The Aldrich Library staff are the ideal extension of the classroom teaching teams. That collaboration sets students up well for future success. “When the students have different experiences in the library, I believe that it makes the library more familiar to them and encourages them to visit more often,” says Valentine. “We work diligently in the middle school to encourage our students to become lifelong readers and the library team helps us with that!”

Collaboration, accessible resources and a passionate group of educators make Aldrich Library a great space for Middle and Upper School learning. Thank you, library team! 

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