Thanks to Generous Grant, Hamlin Library adds new Carson Reading Room

Students at Hamlin Middle School now have a cozy place for reading, relaxing, and connecting with other avid literature lovers—the Ben Carson Reading Room. Students got their first peek on December 6 of the new reading room, which was made possible thanks to a grant that was funded by the Gagon family.

“The goal of the reading room is to promote and encouraging a positive attitude towards lifelong reading and learning,” explained Karen Babcock, Springfield Public Schools K-12 library and media specialist. “The reading room is a visually appealing and inviting space located within a school that is packed full of popular and exciting books. It is a quiet spot where students can immerse themselves into the joy of reading, without the distractions and disruptions that can occur in other areas of a school (including a busy library).”

Hamlin Middle School is the first school in Oregon to receive the Ben Carson Reading Room Grant and is only the second middle school reading room in the nation funded by the grant.

The Ben Carson Reading Room is inside Hamlin's Library Media Center. The reading room contains entertaining nonfiction, quick reads, and short stories that students can finish in one reading session as well as a wide range of full novels and nonfiction for students to discover and enjoy. If a student finds a book in the reading room they want to finish, they can easily find that book on the library shelf and check it out.

Hamlin library manager Tracy Poe designed the space with input from students and with help from local designer Jeff Harris. The room features a photo mural of Oregon's own Crater Lake National Park. Students can enjoy their favorite book and recline on one of two Adirondack chairs or a couple of comfy bean bags. In addition, windows have been covered with textured translucent film that lets in light, but offers readers privacy.

“The library is the hub of our school and it can sometimes get noisy. [The reading room] is a nice sound-proof room—especially for students that need a quiet space,” said Poe. “The reading room also acts as an incentive, a reward, and a stress-free space for students. Teachers have ‘reading room passes’ that they can give to students when they display positive community behaviors such as being safe, respectful, responsible, and kind.”

Poe and Babcock believe the space will help promote positive behaviors across the school and turn the idea of reading into a reward, and in turn, advance literacy in our district.