Project supports national initiatives to provide high school students with library cards
The Paso Robles City Library and the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District have recently partnered in a project designed to improve students’ access to the Library’s collections. Known as the Student Success Initiative, the project will put a free Paso Robles City Library “Scholar” library card in the hands of every Grade 9 and alternative-education student, beginning in the spring of this year. Moving forward, each incoming freshman class will become part of the program.
Education research indicates that libraries strengthen student learning opportunities and that students who have library cards and make use of library resources perform better in school. The Paso Robles City Library’s digital resources are available 24/7 and include free access to eBooks and eAudiobooks, online databases for articles and reports, encyclopedias and test preparation materials. During business hours, on-site library staff is available to help students find additional materials to complete homework assignments, can recommend an interesting read for an upcoming book report, or can teach them how to select and navigate reliable databases to research a project. In addition, libraries are safe places for students after school and help prevent summer learning loss.
According to Youth Services Librarian Melissa Bailey, “We are excited to partner with the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District to support our students. With the new Scholar library cards, students who do not already have a library account will have immediate access from their school-issued Chromebooks to all of our digital resources, in addition to our physical collections, to support their educational and personal pursuits.”
For more information on the upcoming teen Scholar cards, contact Melissa Bailey at 805.237.3870.
