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Concurrent with previous research from the National Assessment of Education
Progress Report (2015), students have more positive attitudes toward reading when
they have been exposed to classrooms with classroom libraries. Research has
established that more access to books results in more reading and that more reading
leads to better literacy development (Krashen, 2012; Merga, 2016). Previous studies
have shown a positive relationship between access to quality literature and reading
achievement (Krashen, 2004, 2012; McQuillan, 1998). Reading habits are changing,
and reading for pleasure, especially among teens, is on the decline (Harmon et al., Dr. Holly Rice is Associate
2019; Witten et al., 2016). An important aspect of the classroom library is that it Professor of Education
provides quick access to books and the opportunity for students to select preferred at Cameron University.
Before working at the
reading material. When students have the opportunity to select what they want to collegiate level, she
read, they are more apt to read for pleasure, also improving academic performance worked as an early
(McGeown et al., 2015; Merga, 2018; Whitten et al., 2016). childhood special
In 2010, the amount of technology in classrooms was doubling every 72 hours education teacher.
(Darling-Hammond). Although technology is a major contributor in our classrooms She teaches special
currently, classroom libraries, in fact, still hold value. Recent studies have shown education courses at
both the undergraduate
students prefer traditional print over digital screens (Baron et al., 2017; Barshay, and graduate level.
2019; Davidovitch et al., 2016; Kurata et al., 2017; Mizrachi, 2015). However, it Her research interests
is important for classroom libraries to include both multimodal texts and digital, include parents of
demonstrating diversity in both (International Literacy Association, 2019). Routman children with disabilities
(2003) stated, “I have seen excellent classroom libraries transform children as and special education
readers. Conversely, when there are no libraries or poor ones, students often do not preservice teachers. She
is a member of Xi Chapter
like to read and do not achieve their highest potential” (p. 63). Teachers who create of Oklahoma State
an inviting space within their classroom for a library show how much they value Organization. hrice@
reading. Having shelves filled with literature that is both interesting and diverse cameron.edu
offers a venue for teachers and students to enhance the learning process. A quality
classroom library creates an environment that demonstrates literacy is important.

An Effective Classroom Library
In the attempt to encourage reading, the organization of the classroom library is
important. Just as it is important to pick the right “apps” to use in the classroom, it is
also important to pick the right books. In building an effective classroom library, not
only are student teachers wary of whether they should or not, but they are sometimes in
a disarray of where to begin. Classroom libraries that are well organized demonstrate
that reading is valued and provide an essential resource for any classroom (Bickert,
1999). The physical environment, the content of the collection, and the organization
are all important components in providing an aesthetically pleasing environment for
students to use. Pillows, rugs, bean bag chairs, and soft lighting are all ways to create
a relaxing and positive environment in which students may read comfortably (Diller,
2003). Creating a pleasant learning space in the classroom library is conducive to
reading (Merga, 2019; Porterfield et al., 2020).
As faculty, we often recommend that student teachers visit various garage sales,
thrift stores, dollar stores, and book fairs in selecting books for their classrooms.
Doing so will allow them to provide many different types of reading materials
that may engage and motivate students. Research has demonstrated that access to
a wide variety of captivating choices increases reading motivation, and students
engage more when they are motivated to read. Engagement is not to be taken lightly:
“Reading comprehension test scores are more influenced by students’ amount of
engaged reading than any other single factor” (Routman, 2003, p. 66). Furthermore,

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