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High‑school librarian outlines collection, digital access and programming; committee asks about per‑student holdings
Summary
Kim Honey presented the high‑school library’s collection, digital subscriptions and community partnerships, noting about 45% of the collection is diverse and students have access to Sora and Boston Public Library e‑resources. Committee members questioned the per‑student item metric (13.9 vs recommended 20) and discussed donations and fundraising.
The committee heard a presentation from Kim Honey about the high‑school library’s role in supporting curriculum, independent reading and community programming.
Kim described the library’s collections and digital services — more than 2,000 reference volumes, over 8,000 non‑fiction, and over 7,000 fiction titles — and said the library provides district students with access to digital platforms including Sora, Boston Public Library e‑card resources, Bard for students who need audiobooks, and Learning Ally. She said approximately 45% of the collection is classified as diverse and 32% as social‑emotional learning materials, and that the library works with North and South public libraries to maintain database access.
Committee members focused on measures of per‑student holdings (the slide showed 13.9 items per student versus a recommended 20), circulation tracking, donation policies, fundraising options such as curated book drives or student‑run sales, and the practicality of interlibrary loan for students. Kim said circulation is tracked and that the library conducted a major weeding of older materials, which temporarily affects holdings; she said high‑demand titles are usually purchased and that the library tries to balance collection development with limited budget dollars.
Members suggested potential community fundraisers or student projects to raise targeted funds for collection growth and noted the library’s role in student engagement and curriculum support.
No formal action was taken; the presentation and Q&A were informational.
