The Germantown Public Library has opened a new book space, the Spartan Branch, in the former high school. The new branch is a brand-new library space created exclusively for Valley View students in grades Pre-K through 12.

To date, this project has been completely funded with Germantown Public Library
funds. “The Germantown Public Library and Valley View Schools have worked together for many years,” said Ashley Dunn Assistant Director of the Germantown Public Library. “We have staffed the primary and intermediate school libraries in the past, and it feels so great to be able to have this library available to the kids and get books in their hands again.”

In a statement from Valley View treasurer Valorie Hill, the district explained its approach to reading and resources at the new school. “In our new K-12 facility, the District took a different approach to student access to books and literacy resources. Rather than constructing a single, traditional library space, reading materials and instructional resources are distributed throughout the building—particularly within English Language Arts (ELA) classroom areas. This model was developed during the design process in collaboration with staff and the project design team, with the goal of placing books and learning resources closer to students as part of their daily instructional environment.”

Value to Teachers and Students

In an announcement, the Germantown Library noted that teachers will be able to walk their classes over for library time, research projects, and reading adventures — giving every student the opportunity to explore books, technology, and get excited about reading.

First grade teacher Ms. Sacks said, “We are so fortunate to have such a
welcoming and cozy library just a short walk from our school. The visit truly sparked
excitement for reading, and our students are already counting down the days until we
can return at the end of the month!”

High school educator Mrs. Greenup added, "I am so thankful for the services the
Germantown Public Library provides to Valley View teachers and students. My students
have been able to complete a reading project because of the education and book
deliveries provided by library staff. Having the new branch right next door adds to this
great resource."  

“It is hard to put into words what it means to our students at Valley View to have
access to the new Spartan Branch of the library, “ said Mrs. Harshberger, 5th grade
Valley View educator, “One tradition of our old buildings that we miss the most is
monthly walks to the Germantown Library, and now we are able to replace that tradition
with a walk down to the old HS to visit the Spartan Branch. Thank you Ms. Jackie and
Ms. Michelle for filling a void that our students so desperately needed. We appreciate
you!”

Libraries in School Construction

The school also provided a statement from the new building’s Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) project manager:

"Library areas are co-funded areas and are included however they are not always a traditional library room as they can also be distributed throughout the facility.  Fanning Howey who worked with the District personnel and design team members on wants and needs during the Program of Requirements / early stages of design.”

“If you look at this PoR spreadsheet below it appears that the final decision that was made by the District was that the Reading Room / Library areas were to be accounted for as being distributed into the open ELA spaces in each area meaning the traditional library area was not being utilized and the spaces are distributed into the open ELA’s areas.  See E-MC-1, M-MC-1, H-MC-1 and note at the far right of the spreadsheet.”

“As a result,” the District stated, “students have regular access to classroom libraries and shared reading spaces embedded within their learning areas. This approach supports more immediate, day-to-day interaction with texts, guided reading, and instructional use of materials by teachers.”

School / Library Partnership

The Spartan Branch will offer age-appropriate books for all grade levels, digital resources, and programming. This new branch for Valley View students and educators will not be open to the general public.

“It’s designed to give students a welcoming space to foster a joy of reading, provide books and resources that supplement the education of Valley View Local School District and promote school readiness for the preschool classes located on site,” the Germantown Library said in an announcement. The branch will be staffed by Germantown Public Library employees.

In creating the branch, Germantown Library staff were able to use many books from the three former school libraries to stock the shelves of the new branch and continue to add new books to the collection. The Valley View Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) also generously gifted the branch with $1,000 of scholastic dollars towards the purchase of books.

In its statement, the school said, “We also recognize and appreciate the valuable partnership with the Germantown Public Library, including their efforts to expand access to books within the community. Opportunities for collaboration between the school District and the public library remain an important part of supporting student literacy.”

Recently, the library was awarded several grants from the Federal Institute of
Museum and Library Services through the State Library of Ohio, one in the amount of $4,987.00 towards strengthening literacy programming at this branch and the other for
$2,000 towards the purchase of books written by Ohio authors.

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