Underused to Unmissable: Repositioning the Library as a Dynamic Learning Space for the Whole Community

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Ali Kennedy - Upper School Librarian (akennedy@tasisengland.org) | 20 March 2026 | ISLE Conference

Context

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• American International School
• Part of a “family” of 4 schools
• Boarding (248 students) and Day
• Over 650 students Grades K-12 (Boarding from G8)
• 70+ nationalities
• Multiple pathways including the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and an American curriculum that include Advanced Placement courses

TASIS England Campus

Upper School Library - February 2022

Upper School Library - February 2022

Upper School Library (Main Room) - February 2026

Upper School Library - February 2026

Left: A teaching classroom

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Right: A smaller study space

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Above: The View of both and how they link

What was the situation when I arrived?

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• Dated collection - Average age 1992
• Only 12% fiction - Average age 2000

Challenges (from survey data):

• Low student awareness - “I don’t know much about the Library”

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• Limited collaboration with teachers - “I went in once to do a duty and asked for information about taking attendance at which the previous librarian shushed me for being too loud, even though we were the only people in there.”

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• No community engagement - “at the moment there are extremely few people who actually use the library”

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Collection Analysis - February 2022

What does it look like now?

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• Updated collection - Average age 2002
• Now 25% fiction - Average age 2013

New Challenges (from survey data):

• Too popular - “sometimes it is too crowded or people can't get in because it is full”

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• Teacher engagement - “It would be great to have a teacher space so that if we wanted a quiet zone it would be there” or “Holding PD sessions or meetings in there so that staff get used to going into the space”

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• Opening hours - “Keep it open longer after school” and “It would be a good idea to extend the time after 5.00 for the students”

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Collection Analysis - February 2026

How did I plan the transformation?

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Mission, Commitments and Outcomes

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School Mission

TASIS England nurtures intellectual curiosity and emboldens each learner to flourish as a principled, open-minded, and compassionate member of the global community.

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Professional Development Rubric

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The Librarians’ professional development rubric was designed in conjunction with my Lower/Middle School colleague and the Head of School.

While the teacher rubric had many pertinent elements, it did not cover ALL that a librarian does.

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By basing all decisions on the Mission, Commitments and Outcomes combined with the Professional Development Rubric, the change was strategic rather than cosmetic.

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Student Awareness and Ownership

Achieved via adherence to school Mission:

Multiple Pathways - Student promotion and collection development

Life-long Learning - After school clubs

Connections - Conversations and Student Voice

International-mindedness - Student CAS projects

Engagement - Book Clubs and Boarding

Service Leadership - Student Librarians, Student run events

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Achieved via adherence to professional development rubric:

• Planning
• Teaching
• Collection Development and Promotion
• Community Engagement
• Library Environment
• Professional Development
• Professional Responsibilities
• Safeguarding

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Collaboration with teachers

Achieved via adherence to school Mission:

Multiple Pathways - Working with IB, AP and Honours; Teaching on the TASIS Leadership Academy

Life-long Learning - Skills based instruction embedded in subject areas, inquiry projects and literacy support

Connections - Faculty book club, staff involvement in initiatives

International-mindedness - Engagement with Modern Languages and the International section

Engagement - Constant promotion, flexibility and creativity e.g. lessons on graphic novels for IB English

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Achieved via adherence to professional development rubric:

• Planning
• Teaching
• Collection Development and Promotion
• Community Engagement
• Library Environment
• Professional Development
• Professional Responsibilities
• Safeguarding

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Community Engagement

Achieved via adherence to school Mission:

Connections - Parent “lessons”, reading events and library initiatives across campus.

International-mindedness - Events “beyond the walls” e.g. International Festival.

Engagement - Borrowing for all members of the community, book clubs for all.

Service Leadership - Parent volunteers, parent volunteers partnering with students.

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Achieved via adherence to professional development rubric:

• Planning
• Teaching
• Collection Development and Promotion
• Community Engagement
• Library Environment
• Professional Development
• Professional Responsibilities
• Safeguarding

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Overall Visibility

Achieved via adherence to school Mission:

Connections - Advisory programme, boarding initiatives, full school book week, librarian presence at community events.

Engagement - Orientation sessions, displays and events, Marketing dept on board.

Service Leadership - Student Book of the Week and reading lists, adults leading by example by getting involved.

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Achieved via adherence to professional development rubric:

• Planning
• Teaching
• Collection Development and Promotion
• Community Engagement
• Library Environment
• Professional Development
• Professional Responsibilities
• Safeguarding

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Feb 2022 vs Feb 2026 - Overall opinions

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Shift towards “very good” and “excellent” and far less ambivalence

Feb 2022 vs Feb 2026 - Frequency of Use

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Once a week or more - 50%

Once a week or more - 68.1%

Feb 2022 vs Feb 2026 - Attitudes to the service

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Continued shift from ambivalence to positivity

So what do the borrowing stats say?

• Significant decline before 2021� Book borrowing dropped from 779 in 2017/18 to 184 in 2020/21.While this could be attributed to COVID, there was a downward trend before that.

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• Strong recovery and growth� From 2021/22 onward, borrowing increased rapidly, rising from 829 to over 2,100 books by 2024/25.

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• Sustained high engagement�The dip at the end is for the current academic year (Incomplete). Borrowing remains more than double pre-2021 levels, indicating continued strong library use.

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And what about the engagement stats?

I know how much work Ms.Kennedy puts into making sure that all students look and get the books they want to find and use. And myself included really appreciates all support I have received on my essays with sources from the library. In general the library is also a very good environment to study as it is a lot quieter and makes me very productive.

Out of the mouths of babes…

I find that the library is a place where I can find peace during the rush of the day.

Awesome librarian who has read every book ever made, easy to find books, large collection, good study spaces and overrall a great vibe.

I really enjoy the library space, the support from our wonderful librarian, and the book selection we have here.

Out of the mouths of babes…

The abundance of useful and informative books is wonderful and the librarian is always very helpful and knowledgeable about resources.

It is very organized and the librarian is very helpful, she generally knows exactly what a student needs.

“At the moment that we persuade a child, any child, to cross that threshold, that magic threshold into a library, we change their lives forever, for the better”

• Barack Obama

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And the next challenges…?

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Questions?

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Coldharbour Lane, Thorpe TW20 8TE | tasisengland.org | ukadmissions@tasisengland.org | +44 (0)1932 582316

Email: akennedy@tasisengland.org

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/alisonakennedy