Blog

What do students call you? 

Ms. Strauss (she/her)

How long has your library been open? How long have you been working there? 

The library has been open 30+ years. This is my first year as the Teacher Librarian. I taught second grade at Joaquin Miller before this.

What is something you’d like folks to know about your library? What makes it unique? 

Our school serves students from all across the city of Oakland, which makes us particularly diverse in many ways. Our previous librarian and I have worked hard to fill our library with books that feature characters that look like our diverse student body, with storylines that mirror the experiences of our students. The library is also a community space – students spend recess in the library playing games, reading books, drawing, and socializing.

What is your favorite thing about working at Joaquin Miller Elementary’s library? How do you see it enriching students’ education? 

I love seeing students discover the joy of reading and get excited to read and reread favorite books. In my role, I collaborate with classroom teachers to provide thematic books they can use in their classrooms while studying specific topics, or I am also able to teach lessons in the library or point students to specific resources that support what students are learning in class whether it is a research project, poetry, or anything else. 

The library serves the whole school community from parents who borrow books, to teachers who borrow books for themselves or their own children to read, to a calm welcoming space where many students who don’t feel comfortable in the wildness of the playground can congregate.

Why are school libraries important to you?  

I love public libraries (including libraries at public schools) because they offer free books and resources to everyone, regardless of income or background, which ensures equal access to information and opportunities. There’s nothing like reading a new book and being transported to another land or adventure, or seeing your own life mirrored in a book. Libraries are special places where these experiences are shared with anyone who comes in.

Tell us about your journey to working at Joaquin Miller. 

I taught kindergarten through third grade for the past 14 years and, most recently, six years of second grade at Joaquin Miller. I have worked a bit in book publishing and early childhood literature, and always collected engaging, diverse children’s books. When our previous librarian announced her retirement, it felt like a natural move for me to step into a teacher librarian’s role. I’m now enrolled in a program to get my MLIS.

What do you remember about your school library?

I didn’t have one – but my parents took me to the public library weekly and I would check out the maximum number of books that I could each time. I remember walking out with a towering stack of Nancy Drew books, just so I could head back in the next week for more (I read them all in order).

What are some of your favorite books to share with students? 

My favorite books to read with students are books that make us laugh out loud together. I recently read the nonfiction book “Butt or Face?” with all grade levels and it amused everyone from TK-5th grade.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love to read, go on outdoor adventures with my family and dog, spend time with friends, play games and hang out with my kids.

What are YOU reading now?

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune, Real Americans by Rachel Khong, Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa.

What do you remember about your school library? 

I didn’t have one – but my parents took me to the public library weekly and I would check out the maximum number of books that I could each time. I remember walking out with a towering stack of Nancy Drew books, just so I could head back in the next week for more (I read them all in order).