Create Your School Library Writing Center

Book excerpt: Colleges typically have writing centers to which students can bring their writing assignments to a peer tutor for assistance, but most high schools and middle schools do not. This book advocates for the creation of writing centers in 7–12 schools and explains why the school library is the best place for the writing center. There is a glaring absence of writing centers in today's K–12 schools. More and more students are being asked in college entrance testing to submit samples of their writing, and employers are expecting their workers to write correctly and clearly. This book addresses the critical lack of writing centers below the undergraduate level. It demonstrates how middle school and high school librarians can create writing centers in their school libraries, explains how to assist students through a one-on-one writing tutorial method, and gives students and teachers the tools for learning and understanding the complex art of writing. Author Timothy Horan—inventor of the School Library Writing Center—establishes why school libraries represent the best—and most logical—places to create writing centers, and why school librarians are the natural choice to direct writing center operations. He then takes readers through the process of creating a writing center from original conception up through opening day. Additional topics covered include how to publicize and "grow" your School Library Writing Center; maintaining your writing center for efficient operation on a daily basis as well as for years to come; how to become an effective writing center director and writing tutor; the most current technology that can be used to assist in the writing, composition, and research process; and working with English language learner (ELL) students within your writing center.