A Look Inside Library at WMS

“The best candy shop a child can be left alone in is the library” - Maya Angelou

As a child, Susan Bertram usually had her nose in a book and a library card in her pocket.  After over 30 years of being in the classroom as an educator, becoming the WMS Librarian was a dream come true! Her background as an early childhood teacher gives her a unique perspective. Understanding how children learn, she sees herself as a facilitator. She recognizes the importance of scaffolding, connecting children’s current knowledge and their curious inquiries via literature

With an emphasis on expanding The Washington Market School’s collection of DEIB literature, Susan did a deep dive into acquiring new picture books and rediscovering our current wealth of titles. Throughout the year, she has gathered, displayed, and featured picture books by various authors and illustrators of color. Consequently, the students are invited to explore diversity through literacy. In the fall, the curated books were written and illustrated by Native Americans, African Americans were featured in the winter selection, and Asian American, Asian, and Pacific Islanders featured in the spring. 

During the weekly Duane Street library times, Susan shared one of these curated books and a corresponding activity to expand on the story. Susan also introduced the book’s author and illustrator, sharing their headshots and displaying them on the library walls. At Hudson Street, library time has focused on acquainting the children with the structure and attributes of a lending library. Susan enticed the children to peruse this openly displayed curated selection, inviting them to borrow one book for the week. Concurrently she introduced the children to the library book genres, one at a time. This exercise was to physically orient the children to where the collections reside so they could independently search for a book.  

Perhaps you may have heard… Susan is also known at WMS for wearing cat’s-eye glasses in various colors, teaching ASL to the children, wearing multicolored crystal bracelets, playing a kazoo, using a “cat reading a book” stamper, and keeping a collection of six live snails (from Brooklyn) that she collected.  And finally, her advice for parents who believe in fostering their child's literacy: “Read books to your child at bedtime. It is the human connection that matters.”