When a student walks into the school library they are met with a comfortable silence and become surrounded by stories from around the world. In a new age of social media consumption and quick, easily accessible entertainment, fewer books are being checked out and the library is being forgotten.

Libraries are evolving and adapting just like everything else, offering new innovative ways to keep a steady influx of students utilizing its resources. The month of April is National Library Month, and it celebrates the importance of the public school spaces students have grown up with.

“I wish libraries would be celebrated every day,” Librarian Shawn Roden said. “It is nice that there is an entire month dedicated to the emphasis on libraries. Libraries are fundamental to the love and enjoyment of reading, students that find themselves lost in books often have improved social skills and test scores.”

Library appreciation month may seem silly to some, but it is more necessary than most may believe.

“There’s been a lot of heat on libraries lately and cuts in funding and staff,” Rhoden said. “In Willis ISD we do not even have true librarians. Books are being banned for ‘inappropriate’ themes. These books are not inappropriate. There are stories for people who have nowhere else to turn to because they think they’re the oddities in life.”

Every year from April 15 to 19 the association of public school libraries hosts an event that promotes advocacy for books. Opposers bring books to the public’s attention and gain traction based on their ‘inappropriate’ themes. But these stories have no adult themes, they just portray individuals that go against the grain.

“The biggest thing right now is advocacy for letting students read whatever they want,” Rhoden said. “Freedom of speech is also the freedom to read. In Conroe, they are coming up with policies that will ban certain books with topics like the LGBTQ+ community, and now committees are coming together to speak against that.” 

Rhoden advocates for all students. 

“If a parent comes to me telling me to take a book out of our library and I comply, I have also taken that same story from 2600 other kids,” she said. “By doing that I am violating a child’s First Amendment right. It is a choice. Nobody makes a kid come in here and pick a certain book. There are 12,000 books to choose from, and it is okay to not finish one.”

While the library not only offers out-of-the-mainstream life stories, it is important to note the amenities and services that come with it as well. With plenty of new additions each year, the library isn’t going anywhere.

“Our library offers audio and digital books,” Rhoden said. “We offer them from an overdraft company called Sora, and other schools use it as well. Along with that, we offer a common area for students to get away from busy lunches. We offer color printing, school supplies and headphones. Students that need research can even use our plethora of databases.”