The ER library

Most FL/L2 education programmes usually involve specific textbooks on which the teaching process is based. However, the case is different with ER, which requires a library with a sufficient amount of appropriate reading materials. Establishing a library is not an easy task.

The first task to start with is deciding the size of the programme. As with any first-time experience of establishing something new, it is wise to start with a small ER programme. This completely depends on the number of students that the teacher can manage; the available funds to cover the reading materials; and the time that can be devoted to make the materials ready. In time, and after ups and downs in the first year, the programme can be expanded to include more students and planned accordingly (Jacobs & Farrell, 2012).

The second task is to find materials and make a budget. The school library usually has materials that are not appropriate for ER programmes. It may include some stories, books, magazines, newspapers, and other materials that could be used for ER, but it is unlikely to include the quantity, type, and range of materials that are necessary to get an ER programme started. Therefore, deciding the number of books that are necessary to start the programme and the available money to buy these materials are fundamental decisions. The minimum number of books to start any ER programme is one book at a suitable level for each student (Jacobs, 2014). However, the more books the better as this gives the student the choice and

freedom to choose rather than to be forced to read that book. It is ideal to have four different books or more for each student in a class.

Jacobs (2014) lists 16 ideas for finding ER materials if the school budget is insufficient. Online materials, students becoming key-pals, former students donating materials, teaching staff and students’ families donating materials, civic organisations and foundations are eager to help in education, second-hand

80 bookshops can be treasure troves of materials, students and teachers as writers of ER materials, are all some brilliant ideas for finding materials when schools run short of money to buy reading materials.

Thirdly, the students’ level and their interests have to be discovered for a later stage, which is purchasing the books. Students differ in their proficiency level even if they have studied the FL for the same amount of time (Claridge, 2012). Teachers should know the suitable level for their students. One common international

standard for describing learners’ language abilities and levels is the one created and developed by the Common European Framework of reference for Languages (CEFR). It is used around the world to describe language learners’ skills, where the levels range from A1 (basic user) and ladder up to C2 (proficient user). Teachers should obtain materials of all different levels, unless their students are advanced.

As for students’ interests, teachers could distribute a checklist or questionnaire to students asking about their favourite books, genres, topics, hobbies and interests to draw a clear picture of the students’ interests. Having decided what topics and books might interest the students, selecting and ordering the books comes next.

Having purchased the books, they should be organised and catalogued. This will add systemisation and allow the teacher to check the books regularly for any loss or damage (Day, 2013). Publishers have made the job as easy as possible by assigning a difficulty level for each book. Usually the scale of difficulty ranges from 1-6 or beginner to advanced, for graded readers. However, if teachers are using different materials, teachers have to make a different levels system. They might want to categorise the materials as easy, average, or hard with an appropriate mark. Attaching a colourful sticker on the cover of each book to identify its level can also be helpful (Waring, 2010). Organising and shelving the books should be according to their level.

The next task is to decide where to put the materials and how to display them. A main goal of ER is to encourage students to read more and more, which requires having materials accessible to students. Yet, these accessible materials need to be secured. Therefore, teachers have to establish the balance between security and access, and decide where to shelve the materials. The school library, a classroom library, and a delivery system are three choices of where to place the materials (Day & Bamford, 1998). Students are attracted to materials that are organised and well displayed. Thus, teachers should think about an eye-catching and attractive display

81 of materials for their students. There are many different ways of displaying

materials suggested by Nuttall (1996) and also by Waring (2010) (e.g., front covers facing forward, front covers are visible, hammer, nails, wood). Teachers should look for displays that are appealing to their students, and also changing the displays every few months could be an effective method of attracting students to take a look and read different books.

The final task is to create a checkout system to guarantee that no books are lost or stolen. At the beginning, teachers need to set some rules about the number of books a student can borrow at one time, the length of time a book can be borrowed and any penalty for late returns. Some students in the class could be used as

librarians with the teacher’s guidance and some training. Nuttall (1996) notes that students are more aware of who has borrowed a missing book and can bring it back more easily than the teacher, as they respond to peer pressure more than their teacher’s call. Waring, (2010), points out that the simplest checkout system is one where all students borrow and return the books at the same time. Books are only returned to the shelves when all books are returned by the students. Another way is to place a library card, with the title of the book written on, in the inside back cover of each book. The card should also contain spaces for the student’s name, their school number and when the book was borrowed. When the book is returned, the card is removed and a new one is put after keeping the removed one in an index box.

Establishing an ER library is a difficult undertaking. It cannot be done overnight. However, this section has summarised how an ER library could be created. Starting small, making a budget, determining the students’ levels and interests, organising and dividing the materials, how to display them, and creating a checkout system are all necessary and inevitable steps for starting ER libraries. It is worth mentioning that all these previously mentioned steps were followed while setting up an ER library for this study.