Twice a year, there is a tradition that brings books to students in a uniquely personal way. Working together, Students for Literacy Club officers and the school librarians create curated book packages for students by thoughtfully considering each student’s book preferences and matching them with books they believe the student will enjoy. Behind each recommendation is a labor of love that leaves a lasting impact across the campus.
Before December break, teacher librarian Amy Ashworth, library media specialist Susan Lucas and Students for Literacy Club officers release a form to the student population consisting of questions about book preferences. One of the first questions asked to students is if they would like to receive a digital book recommendation list or a physical book to take home. This question determines whether the librarians or the club officers will be the ones doing the book-matching. Officers of Students for Literacy handle all reading list requests and delegate the book-matching requests between officers, so that each officer ends up with about 21 book matches. On the other side of the operation, the librarians handle the physical book requests and split the load between their two-woman team.
When deciding on a book to match a particular student, the librarians factor in as many of the questionnaire components as possible.
“If they select all the genres in the preference forms, it becomes overwhelming for us to create a match,” Lucas said.
Many times, the librarians will also look into past book checkouts to see if there are any patterns in reading habits and suggest books that the student is likely to enjoy.
The librarians also like to push students out of their comfort zone, suggesting books that students may not have picked up on their own. By recommending titles outside of familiar genres, students are able to explore new themes and authors, fostering an appreciation for diversity and inspiring them to do the same outside of the matching.
“I personally love to recommend ‘Howl’s Moving Castle;’ I know many people have seen the movie but haven’t read the book,” Ashworth said. “I like fantasy, dystopian and mystery books, so it’s easy to make recommendations for books in those genres.”
This personal touch allows the librarians to connect with the student population, sharing their own reading preferences. This approach to book-matching helps create a more engaging and supportive reading environment.
On the other front, Students for Literacy officers create book recommendations similarly to the librarians; the only difference is that they do it digitally. They utilize online resources to recommend three books with similar genres or ones they think fit with the common theme of the requesting student’s past book reads.
“I either suggest books that will push them out of their comfort zone or books I personally enjoyed reading,” senior and Students for Literacy co-president Audrey Na said.
The process of reviving, reviewing and recommending the books is long and tedious. The librarians and club members spend several days completing these recommendations to meet the winter break or summer deadline. Despite the hard work, it’s a rewarding experience for both groups to see students discover new books and hopefully get more excited about reading.
Neatly tucked inside each paper-wrapped book is a handwritten note from the librarians, which serves as a marker to identify the returning book as one sent out as part of the match program.
“Oftentimes if I’m checking a student’s book in and I see the note, I’ll ask them how they liked the book,” Lucas said. “Most of the time, the response is very positive.”
The book-matching program at Lynbrook is more than the joy that comes from sharing and expanding on literature; it builds a sense of community through the personalized exchange of stories that all students love. As this tradition continues, it fosters an appreciation for the hard work that the librarians and Students for Literacy put into expanding literary journeys.
