The 2011 Fall Scholastic Book Fair is history. Once more our expectations were exceeded and the results, fantastic. Turning students into lifelong readers with a love for books and the desire to read has become more and more challenging over the years. As enamored as many of our kids are with electronic distractions their excitement for books was enduring and reinforcing. The way kids looked, drooled, and carefully chose from a great selection of books, was a compliment to their teachers and the instruction they have had in selecting good books.

Book Fair sponsors took a chance this year in limiting student time for shopping while extending the time for family shopping. By backing the fair up to the parent teacher conferences, we were able to offer families much more, relaxed time to shop for their kids. Most sales to students traditionally occur in the first three days so fortunately, this calculated risk paid off. After considering the wish lists that students created and brought home, and then hearing the progress and ways they could support their kids at teacher conferences, parents stampeded into Russell Hall after great guidance and the desire to support their kids’ reading quest.

This is the third year we have asked the school to fund the Book Fair, with our promise to repay the initial expense. The first year was a trial run and we decided to err on the side of frugality. When most of the books sold out in the first two days we knew we were onto something. The following year we asked to borrow twice as much. This enabled us to offer our kids a much wider selection. Although we had many boxes of books left this time, we again profited enough to repay the school. With all the leftover books, we look forward to selling the remaining books in mini book fairs and adding them as additions to book fairs in the future.

At the beginning of this year we staged a mini book fair for both the Middle School and the Elementary School during Back to School Night. With a 30% discount and counting on a continued thirst for books, we sold over 17000 SR worth of books in two hours. All of the leftover books eventually joined this year’s order and again, we were able to repay the school. We now have over 40 boxes of leftover books – all of which are profit to be sold in as many venues and ways that make the most sense.

The Book Fair speaks to the connecting roles played by the library, the classroom teacher, and the community. For kids to understand the importance of reading, and how this piece of the curriculum lays over everything else, we must create print-rich environments everywhere kids live – in the classroom, in the library, and especially at home. Helping build home libraries is a goal the Book Fair addresses, while showing students how their reading lives are of paramount importance to all those adults who hold their reading success essential.

This event could not be staged without the fantastic help of many caring, involved community members.  A special thanks goes to Manal El Sol, our parent volunteer coordinator. This is Ms. El Sol's second year in this position and we are extremely lucky to have her organizational skills. Not only was she present to help run the fair every day, but she was able to enlist the help of enough volunteers to set up and run the fair from start to finish. To this list of volunteers we must add the entire library team, our wonderful facilities crew, and Dr. Matthews, for his trust in this event and the funding to make it happen.

Bob Jonas
Librarian