The Internet Lounge

During our bond renovations at McCullough I asked to have the old white bookshelves removed from this downstairs area. The library was repainted and new carpet was put in. I had a fantastic book fair the last two years, and I have saved the profits for something I have wanted since I came to McCullough eight years ago: an internet lounge!

BEFORE

Right now we have our old 1976 pink/burgundy chairs down there. Even that is an improvement and we have received some  compliments on how open and fresh it looks. However, this is not the permanent furniture.

I am placing the order for our new funiture from Educator's Depot. The furniture is manufactured by Bretford. Our district purchasing department ladies Chris and Courtney directed the company rep David Jones our way, and it has been a very nice experience working with him. He has a lot of patience, because he had to work with four women trying to decide on fabrics and colors. I think what we all put together is going to be just beautiful. I can't wait to post the "After" pictures in about six weeks! 

The reason it is called internet lounge is because the furniture itself will be wired for USB and AC, plus there will be Apple charging pads on the tables! Students, teachers, and visitors can charge their devices right in the furniture!

Can't wait for everyone to see it!

Banned Book Week September 30 - October 6

During the last week of September every year, hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to censorship of books by displaying challenged books.

I am surprised every year to realize that so many of the books on my library shelves have been challenged at one time or another, not here at McCullough but in other parts of the country! We always put a nice display of our own "banned books", and our students, teachers and parents are amazed to see the works of good literature that have been banned or challenged.

Some of our challenged books are:
Harry Potter, by J. K. Rowling
The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Scary Stories Series, by Alvin Schwartz
Captain Underpants, by Dav Pilkey
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume
Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
The Call of the Wild, by Jack London
A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck
The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline Cooney
Goosebumps Series, by R. L. Stine
The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson
How to Eat Fried Worms, by Thomas Rockwell
James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl
Killing Mr. Griffin, by Lois Duncan
Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
1984, by George Orwell
The Outsiders, by S. E. Hinton
A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle

A more complete list is available on the ALA  website: ALA Most Frequently Challenged Books