Library
James Baldwin Library
Mission and Vision of the Library
James Baldwin’s library welcomes student imagination and curiosity. A strong library program has many goals. It provides a safe and welcoming environment; offers a collection and programming that encourages students to read widely; fosters students who read for enjoyment; equips learners to ask questions, seek information, evaluate their findings, and communicate their learning in a variety of ways; and encourages students to develop their interests in a variety of genres and content areas.
Summer Reading
Keep reading all summer long! This will reinforce and grow reading abilities. Here are several resources to help you keep reading.
Reading Lists
- Our Librarian at Northgate SPL, Jesse’s recommendations
- SPL NE Erica Delavan’s Book Recommendations
- School Library Journal recommends these inclusive chapter books
- New York Public Library recommendations
- Horn Book recommendations
- HarperCollins recommendations
- Chapter Book recommendations from Indigenous Reads Rising
- New Books from Penguin Random House
Summer Reading Programs
- UW Real Dawgs Read: Read 20 minutes a day for 30 days,; earn UW gear! https://www.washington.edu/realdawgsread/
- Pizza Hut (Book It!): Register for “Summer of Stories” and log your reading on a mobile app to win a free personal pan pizza. https://www.bookitprogram.com/
- Seahawks Summer Reading Challenge Register now, log your reading minutes to the end of July, and the top 10 readers win tickets, a jersey, and our school gets a visit from Blitz, the Seahawks mascot. https://www.seahawks.com/community/youth-empowerment/12-pages/
- Get Caught Reading with Cal Have a parent submit a picture of you reading during the Mariner’s regular season, for a chance to win a Cal autographed baseball. https://go.pemco.com/caughtreading
- Second Lady’s 2026 Summer Reading Challenge. Log 12 books by September 4to win a 250th Anniversary Bookmark and a chance to visit the White House with a chaperone. https://www.whitehouse.gov/read/
- Seattle Public Library Summer Reading program is renamed Summer Quest, and readers can earn books and tickets to PlayDate https://www.spl.org/programs-and-services/fun-and-games/summer-quest
Seattle Public Library (SPL) access
Sora and Libby are linked on students’ Clever pages. SORA is an eBook access point for children, and this guide explains how to access it at home. This video explains how to access Seattle Public Library and its other electronic resources.
Password for SPL is now last four digits of username.
Hours
The library is open Thursday, Friday and every other Wednesday. We open on Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 and students are invited to come to the library before school starts on those days.
Books that are overdue or lost
Books are checked out for 2 weeks of school days. Fines for late books are never charged. However, we do ask families to replace books that are lost or damaged. Parents can see their students’ library book checkouts and lost book fees on the Source. Mistakes happen and times are tough- let us know if replacing lost books would create a hardship. Older students can keep track of their checkouts by logging in to our library website to the right. Students can browse the book collection, check to see due dates, and find research avenues there.
Media and Digital Literacy
The library teaches Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship. Library lessons will encourage children to think critically about media messages, when they engage in consuming or creating messages. Digital citizen lessons teach how to use technology in ways that are safe and kind, ethical and responsible, and balanced.
Volunteer Opportunities
The library space needs constant work, checking in returned books, shelving them, and repairing them. If you are interested in volunteering, please complete your SPS volunteer training, and let me know. We have a great volunteer group who will be glad to welcome you.
Thank you!
Jodie Purcell, James Baldwin Elementary Librarian
jkpurcell@seattleschools.org