Chicago Public School Libraries

From librarian, Deirdre Kean: My students and I are incredibly grateful for the generous $2,323.42 grant that has officially brought our Stories on the Go program to life! These funds have enabled me to integrate Playaways and matching books into our curriculum, and the results are already moving—literally! Our students have been hitting the new walking trail on the playground, lost in their favorite stories while staying active. The engagement has been so high that students are already asking to take these stories home to keep the adventure going. Thank you for helping us foster a deep love for reading and improved comprehension through this innovative, multi-sensory experience.

The Sound of Stories is a collaborative program that combines culturally diverse literature with the exploration of music. McCormick Elementary School is fortunate to have a Global Music teacher as the result of a Creative Schools Fund grant. Library and Music work together to present PK-2nd graders with weekly library and music lessons that connect multi-cultural stories and global music traditions.

These assignments were created with biographies purchased with the Innovative Programming Grant from CPS Libraries.

K-2 students at Lloyd Elementary read The Earth Book by Todd Parr and celebrated Earth Day by soaking old markers in water to create watercolor pop art a la Andy Warhol. They also created badges to commit to one thing they will do to take care of the Earth. 4th and 5th graders celebrated Earth Day and National Poetry Month by creating Blackout Poems using old weeded books.

At the beginning of the year, Lindblom librarian, MaryAnne Confer, won the CPS Libraries Innovative Programming Grant, which enabled her to fund school wide student-run crafting events like Cocoa and Crafts in the winter and the book fair in the Spring .

Galileo’s 6th graders had an unforgettable experience connecting with author Jacoby Cochran. After listening to one of his short stories in advance, students came prepared with thoughtful questions for a virtual author visit that sparked great conversation and inspiration. To top it all off, we got a special shoutout on his podcast after! Galileo Scholastic Academy of Math and Science

Libraries aren't just for books! Kindergarten students at Sawyer Elementary use iPads to practice their reading skills (and help each other out) during centers.

Juniors and Seniors at Lindblom collaborate to promote reading to 7th, 8th, and 9th graders at a book fair the week before Spring Break.

April is School Library Month!
Join us in celebrating our CPS school librarians for all that they do to create safe spaces for students learn more about themselves and the world around them.

Librarians from Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Public Library gathered together at the beautiful Woodson Regional Library on March 17 for an amazing day of learning and collaboration. We want to extend the biggest thanks to Dr. Nicole A. Cooke from the University of South Carolina for leading our workshop.
Thank you to Jordan McKenna from , Josh Johnson, Dama Alvarado, and Denise Ndukwu from the Office of Equity, and Sabrina Chen and Priscilla Lizasuain-Vazquez from Student Voice and Engagement for sharing your resources and knowledge with us.