The library has a new addition to their campaign to encourage students to read. At the top of the wall of magazines, there are now posters that say “Read” and feature teachers holding their favorite books. The idea came from the University of Texas Bevo library posters that show Bevo the longhorn reading and was in conjunction with the American Library Association.
Librarian Amelia Bligh collected photos from teachers who participated and used Photoshop to make each picture into a poster. Making the posters was a new process for Bligh and she had to learn to use Photoshop to crop the photos. Bligh made a few test posters before she was able to fine-tune the process. Now there are 18 posters on the library wall and some other teachers have smaller posters in their classrooms.
“It felt like it took a year to get all of the pictures done,” Bligh said. “I had to work out some issues with Photoshop; it was a process of elimination.”
“I think reading is very important,” campus mentor Rodney Page said. “I want to be a part of that message. I read a tremendous amount, so the message is authentic. Reading opens the door to many things. With electronics, Kindles and e-books, it’s still a good thing sometimes at home to sit with something in my hand. Reading is crucial. It opens the mind.”
Page was featured on his own poster with his book of choice, ‘The Measure of a Man,’ by Sidney Poitier.
“It’s a memoir and I can relate to that,” Page said.
Some of the posters have themes to them as well. Assistant Principal Mike Roche chose a book called ‘The Right Stuff’ about the first seven astronauts who were in the Air Force. Roche served in the Air Force and his poster has a picture of him in his uniform. Deaf education teachers Tami Rohn and Christine Corby are on posters that say ‘Read’ in sign language.
Posters also include Principal John Yonker with ‘Mockingjay’ by Suzanne Collins, librarian Laura Glaser with a Julia Child cookbook and many more. Visit the library to check them out and see what teachers read.
