Media Specialists MaryAnn Sullivan (left) and Angela Pendley (right) sit in the Media Center on March 15. The Media Center has experienced an increase in check-out circulation during the 2021-22 school year compared to the 2019-2020 school year. “We want to be able to offer (books) as recommendations and to be able to talk about those (books) with students. I think it was like (a) 190% increase in circulation in (the true crime section) because we’ve built that section specifically to cater to what students want,” Pendley said. Photo by Lucas Donnelly
The CCHS Media Center has increased its circulation rate from previous years by taking book suggestions from students and teachers.
With 724 more books checked out from the 2019-2020 school year to the 2021-22 school year, the Clarke Central High School Media Center has gained a boost in circulation.
Media Specialists Angela Pendley and MaryAnn Sullivan have made an effort to take their audience’s wants into account, in order to make the rise in book check-outs happen. They use student preference to guide their book purchases, allowing students to have access to books they are interested in.
“We have taken student voices, student opinions (and) student recommendations for books very seriously and have used that specifically to target building our collection,” Pendley said. “In January of 2020 students came to Ms. Sullivan and me and asked for more serial killer books and true crime, so we immediately worked to put together a book order through Avid Bookshop.”
In addition to student recommendations, Pendley and Sullivan take public opinion into consideration when purchasing new books through the use of online resources.
“We go through the vendors, a lot of reviews like Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, Booklist, and we look at what you know they recommend,” Sullivan said. “Sometimes I just go online and just say ‘Top 50 books for young adults for this year’ (and) start right there.”
“We have taken student voices, student opinions (and) student recommendations for books very seriously and have used that specifically to target building our collection.”
— Angela Pendley,
Media Specialist
Junior Makenna Mincey is drawn to the selection of books available at the Media Center while also valuing the other aspects that make the Media Center appealing.
“I would say (the Media Center) is a much quieter area than other areas of the school so it has appeal there,” Mincey said. “But really, it’s always been about the books for me. It’s really about the variety of books and the fact that they offer the things that I like to read.”
