By Rosemary Kallal
Things are really hopping at the Hood Canal School Library! That’s the exciting news Librarian Melanie Lankford shared at a recent Hood Canal Lions Club meeting. Thanks to the Lions' generous donation, Melanie has been able to purchase new books, uncover unique thrift store treasures, acquire popular series that students have been requesting, and introduce beautiful graphic novels and manga series.
While the '80s may have been great for disco, a library full of books from that era didn’t exactly appeal to students when Melanie started her role nearly two years ago. “Many of our books were castoffs from other schools after a fire at our school,” Melanie explained. She quickly got to work, discarding over eight boxes of outdated books. Cleaning, organizing, and transforming the library into a welcoming space became her top priority.
Serving students from preschool through 8th grade, Melanie’s journey to recreate the library as an inviting space for all ages has been quite an adventure. Checkouts have soared to nearly 1,000 this year, and her library skills lessons have made a real difference—missing books have dropped from 200 last year to just 35 now. The library is bustling all day, plus before and after school. “Kids still prefer paper books,” Melanie shared. She’s been reimagining the space with cozy seating and creative displays for every age group. With the school’s focus on English and Language Arts, the library has truly become the heart of the school.
A partnership with the Timberland Regional Library has added another exciting resource: “Playaway” audiobooks, which help expand students' vocabulary and interest in reading. Twice a month, a Timberland librarian brings in books and fresh, small battery-operated audiobooks that capture students’ imaginations. Melanie notes that kids can often be seen walking the track, listening to these books as part of their PE warm-up. Listening to audiobooks can even inspire them to read the physical book later, much like watching a movie before diving into the story.
The school library also serves as a hub for other learning programs at Hood Canal School. Melanie has grown the Highly Capable program from five to fifteen students. The Robotics Club works on their competition robots in the library after school on Tuesdays and Fridays. When asked about her wish list, Melanie mentioned she could really use more storage space to accommodate all that’s happening. She also noted that replacing some well-loved series books would be beneficial. Community donations, newspapers, and cardboard rolls from gift wrap are always welcome.
In February, citizens will have the chance to approve a construction levy that could help bring some of Melanie’s dreams to life. The cost will be half of the previous bond initiative and would fund a new library, expand preschool classrooms, add a playground suited for special needs students, and repurpose the current library and classrooms to meet growing demands. More information about the proposed improvements and capital levy can be found here.
