Interview with Laura Horton

                 Camden High School Library

         


Introducing.........

                            Mrs. Laura Horton

Mrs. Laura Horton has been the librarian at Camden High School for 39 years. She is very well known for her outstanding work in the school district and the community.  Mrs. Horton was CHS Teacher of the Year in 2003-2004 and CHS Reading Teacher of the Year for 2018-2019. Mrs. Horton is the leader of communications for the high school as well as the head of the Bulldog Club.

Include

During my visit to Camden High School, I was able to ask Mrs. Horton how she implements the Inquire Shared Foundation. This was my first time in a high school library and I was very interested in ways to make the library appeal to the entire population of a school. The Include Shared Foundation focuses on "inclusiveness and respect for diversity in the learning community" (National School Library Standards, 2018). During our conversation, I kept thinking about the Grow Domain within the Include Shared Foundation. One way Mrs. Horton empowers all learners is with the use of large book displays that highlight diverse cultures, differently-abled students, and women. These displays are filled with books that provide students the opportunity to explore different perspectives and develop awareness and respect for diversity. This month the display highlighted Black History Month. 

The library at CHS has been organized in a way that fits the needs of all readers. Graphic Novels has their own section. This section quickly attracts reluctant readers.

Mrs. Horton also created a section called Rapid Reads. This section is filled with shorter books that take less time to read than most young adult novels. 

Camden High School has an growing spanish speaking community. Mrs. Horton is actively growing a collection of popular books written in spanish.

    

Mrs. Horton would love to add STEAM and STEM activities to the library. Having these activities in the library would appeal to students with a variety of reading levels, abilities, and interests. The biggest obstacle for her is money. These tools and kits are extremely expensive. 

Mrs. Horton does an amazing job filling her library with books and materials that are mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors for the students at Camden High School.

Resources

National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries (2018).

            American Library Association, Chicago, IL.