Beech Grove students to receive about 3,500 library cards this week
BEECH GROVE, Ind. (WISH) — Students at Beech Grove City Schools who do not already have them will go home with a new library card this week.
Close to 3,500 students, kindergarten through 12th grade will get their first library card.
It is all part of the school district and Indianapolis Public Library’s push to encourage students to read often and early in life.
“It helps in your fluency, talking to your friends and it helps with you not saying bad grammar,” said Kirra Mack, who is in third grade at Central Elementary School in Beech Grove.
The Beech Grove branch of the Indianapolis Public Library has only been affiliated with the Indy PL system since 2016. The CEO of the library said foot traffic this year alone is up.
“Clearly Beech Grove is stepping up and taking advantage of what they’ve got here. The school’s been very progressive in using technology, helping the children understand how to function in a digital world and a lot of the things they’ll access with their library cards are digital material,” said CEO of the Indianapolis Public Library Jackie Nytes.
School officials hope that this will encourage students and parents alike to read more.
“We think giving them an early start with kindergarten up through high school is going to be great long-term for our community,” said Beech Grove City Schools Superintendent Dr. Paul Kaiser.
Students who are in kindergarten through first grade have access to an iPad at school while those in second through 12th grades have access to a Chromebook.
“What a great opportunity to take their reading library card and go right online and they have the whole world in front of them. From National Geographic to other individualized reading books, everything is right here at their fingertips so they can use it here at school then go home and use their own technology to continue doing that,” Kaiser added.
Da’zarria Bradford is in third grade and got her first library card Monday morning.
“I’m thinking I’m probably going to get every book I see because that’s all I do when I go to the library across the street from the school. It takes you to your own world, it’s like you’re in your own zone, you don’t hear anything around you,” she said.
With the card, students will be able to check out books, DVDs, music, and access material that is online through the Indianapolis Public Library.
According to the library, this is part of a goal to provide every student in Marion County with a library card. So far, cards have been given to about 37,000 students. There are plans for Franklin Township Schools to get cards in the near future.