Camden Middle School
Introducing....
Dr. Kathleen Durant
Dr. Durant has been the librarian at Camden Middle School for five years. She is a graduate of the UofSC MLIS program. Dr. Durant strives to create a welcoming environment for all students and staff at Camden Middle School.
Explore...
The Shared Foundation EXPLORE Key Commitment is to "Discover and innovate in a growth mindset developed through experience and reflection" (National School Library Standards, 2018). This Shared Foundation was ever-present from the moment I entered the library at CMS. This year, the school chose to participate in One Book One School twice. The second book that was chosen was Hoot by Carl Hiaasen. Students read the book in class and Mrs. Durant hosted a culminating activity in the library. For the Book Hoot, Mrs. Durant scheduled a visit by the Clemson Extention. During this visit, wild animals, animal food, animal droppings, and animal skins were brought in for the kids to explore. Due to scheduling conflicts, Clemson Extention was not able to serve the entire school. Because of this, Dr. Durant hosted the former CMS art teacher, Mr. Tolen. Mr. Tolen taught a wonderful lesson that showcased his drawing ability and allowed the students to explore their future professions. His lesson was a wonderful example of the Create Domain in the Explore Shared Foundation.
"I am a welder."
During my interview, Dr. Durant shared other ways that she has used the Explore Shared Foundation. She has worked with students during the research process. She felt it was important to allow students to explore new ways to use the information found during research. Using the Think Domain, she encourages students to create things like magazines, videos, and art to showcase their research findings.
Dr. Durant schedules a collaborative research unit with each grade once per year. In the past, she has worked with sixth-grade Social Studies teachers to create a research unit about mummies. She also collaborated with eighth-grade math teachers on a mapping lesson using math standards. For both of these units, she heavily relied on CultureGrams through Discus. 
CultureGrams is a part of Discus which is offered to all teachers and students in the Kershaw County School District. Through CultureGrams, students have access to concise and reliable cultural information that is affecting their lives.
When I asked about the challenges that Dr. Durant faces while trying to implement the AASL standards, she stated that the biggest challenge was getting the teachers to carve out class time for the students to visit the library. Since Covid, Dr. Durant has not implemented her research projects. This is due to the fact that during the 2020-2021 school year, teachers were struggling to teach in person and virtually. The teachers felt that the library research was too much of a burden.
Even though Dr. Durant is not collaborating with teachers on research units with the students, she still sees all of the CMS students twice per month. During this time, she offers mini-lessons on technology, research skills, and book talks.
Resources
National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries (2018).
American Library Association, Chicago, IL.
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