Running head: MEASURING IMPACT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOKGIFTING 1

Measuring the Impact of a Public Library’s Middle School Bookgifting Program

MacKenzie Smiddy

Kent State University

MEASURING IMPACT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOKGIFTING 2

Abstract

The St. Louis County Library’s Gift of Reading program provides free young adult books to the

Normandy 7th and 8th Grade Center, a public school in North St. Louis County. Anecdotal

evidence suggests that this program increases student reading motivation and focus during

sustained silent reading (SSR) time, but a formal assessment has never been completed. A series

of questionnaires will be distributed to the 7th grade students that will assess their interest in

reading, behavior during SSR time, and participation in the Gift of Reading program. The results

of this study could have significant implications regarding library-school partnerships, teen

reading motivation, and the development of library bookgifting initiatives for adolescents.
MEASURING IMPACT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOKGIFTING 3

Introduction

The Normandy 7th and 8th Grade Center is the sole middle school of the Normandy

Schools Collaborative, a school district located in North St. Louis County. Since September

2016, the school has participated in the St. Louis County Library’s Gift of Reading program. This

initiative, which began in 2010, provides free monthly books to children across St. Louis County.

Until very recently, the Gift of Reading program was only accessible to preschool age children.

Because of the library’s need to foster stronger relationships with secondary schools, however, it

was decided that the Normandy 7th and 8th Grade Center would become the first secondary

school to participate in the program.

The Gift of Reading program at the Normandy 7th and 8th Grade Center is currently in its

second year, and while there have been no formal attempts to assess the program and its impact,

informal comments collected by library staff seems to indicate that the program is popular with

both students and teachers. Furthermore, several teachers have reported an increased interest in

reading and more focus during the school’s mandatory sustained silent-reading (SSR) time. This

study hopes to formally assess these claims and determine if the Gift of Reading program has a

measurable impact on the students’ interest in reading. Such a study could possibly influence

other public libraries or non-profit organizations to adopt bookgifting programs or other reading

initiatives specifically for young adults.

Research Questions

This study will attempt to answer the following questions:

1. Does the St. Louis County Library’s Gift of Reading program at the Normandy 7th and 8th

Grade Center increase student reading motivation?

MEASURING IMPACT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOKGIFTING 4

2. Does the St. Louis County Library’s Gift of Reading program at the Normandy 7th and 8th

Grade Center encourage better use of in-class sustained silent-reading (SSR) time?

Literature Review

Bookgifting Initiatives

Public libraries have been longstanding advocates of youth literacy and the development

of print motivation in children (Campana et al, 2016). Most of their efforts, however, focus

primarily on early literacy development in the young child. For example, both the State Library

of Australia’s Better Beginnings initiative and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library are

longstanding bookgifting initiatives that have been providing free books to young children for

over a decade. Although research assessing the effectiveness of such programs is sparse, there

does seem to be a correlation between participation in such programs and increased levels of

kindergarten readiness (Barret-Pogh & Rohl, 2013; Samiei et al, 2016). There are currently no

adolescent bookgifting programs similar to Better Beginnings or Imagination Library. This

makes the St. Louis County Library’s inclusion of middle school students in the Gift of Reading

program fairly unique.

Reading motivation in middle schoolers

When it comes to motivating middle school students to read, many library and education

professionals may feel they are fighting an uphill battle. Motivation tends to decline during the

middle school years (Malaspina & Rimm-Kaufman, 2008), so it is not surprising that a teen’s

interest in reading generally declines during this time as well. Librarians and teachers are

constantly looking for ways to encourage leisure reading at this age, as reading for pleasure is a

critical developmental milestone in adolescents (Search Institute, 2007). According to Wigfield

and Eccles (2002), teens crave opportunities for autonomous decision-making. This strong desire
MEASURING IMPACT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOKGIFTING 5

to make choices for themselves goes hand-in-hand with their increasing need for independence.

The Gift of Reading program, as it is currently presented by the St. Louis County Library,

encourages autonomous decision-making by allowing the students to select from four diverse

titles during each session. This freedom of choice, a critical factor in motivation (Deci et al,

2001), could possibly make the students feel more excited about their book selection, thus more

engaged in leisure reading.

Sustained-silent reading (SSR) initiatives in middle schools

Sustained silent reading is defined as a period of uninterrupted silent reading that

typically takes place within the classroom (Siah & Kwok, 2010). Usually, a school will set aside

15-20 minutes each day for students and staff to engage in leisure reading. The Normandy 7th

and 8th Grade Center requires teachers to provide 20 minutes of SSR time prior to school

dismissal. Research has shown that when students increase their amount of reading, they become

more efficient readers (Vacca & Vacca, 2005).

Because of this simple, yet critical concept, many schools are implementing mandatory

sustained silent reading (SSR). It’s been shown that SSR time, when correctly implemented, can

cultivate better reading habits and more interest in reading (Chua, 2008). It’s important,

however, to offer middle school students books that are both culturally relevant and varied in

genre and level (Williams, 2014). Each month, the Gift of Reading program provides the middle

schoolers with four high-interest titles to choose from. These diverse and culturally relevant titles

may encourage student reading. Furthermore, the book talks provided by library staff may pique

student curiosity, leading to more focus during SSR time.

Research Methods

Data Collection
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A questionnaire will be distributed to all 7th grade students at the beginning of the school

year. This data collection method is preferred as it will be relatively easy to distribute and

analyze (Johnson & Turner, 2003). The questionnaire, inspired by the Motivation for Reading

Questionnaire (MRQ) developed by Wigfield & Guthrie (1997) and the Survey of Adolescent

Reading Attitudes (SARA) developed by Conradi et al (2013), will feature a mixture of closed

and open-ended questions pertaining to the students’ overall interest in reading and their

behavior during SSR time. It will be critical that the survey questions remain concise and easy to

interpret, as most of the participants will be 12-14 years old. Another questionnaire will be

distributed at the end of the school year. This questionnaire will be similar to the first one, but

will also include questions about the Gift of Reading program. The first student questionnaire

will be distributed by teachers during various homeroom periods throughout the month of

August. The second student questionnaire will be distributed during the final 7th grade Gift of

Reading visits in April.

The Participants

The participants include the 207 7th grade students at the Normandy 7th and 8th Grade

Center that participate in the Gift of Reading program and the school’s SSR program. The 8th

graders were not selected to participate in this study as they have already experienced the Gift of

Reading program during the previous school year. Because this study includes both a pre- and

post-questionnaire, it seemed prudent to only survey the students who have not yet participated

in the program.

Data Analysis

The survey data will be organized and stored using an Excel spreadsheet. The

quantitative data responses will be counted and a comparative analysis will be conducted to
MEASURING IMPACT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOKGIFTING 7

identify any measurable changes in reading interest or SSR-engagement over the course of the

school year. Student opinions about the Gift of Reading program will also be organized and

displayed via tables and charts. The short-answer responses will be recorded and codified using

an open-coding approach. This approach was selected as it allows for the recorder to analyze the

data without as many preconceived notions (Gibbs, 2007). Furthermore, an in-vivo coding

approach will also be used, as it is an efficient way of capturing the unique voices and insider

vocabulary of the middle school participants (Connaway & Radford, 2017).

Findings

It is anticipated that the students will self-report the Gift of Reading program as having a

positive impact on their behavior during SSR time and their overall interest in reading. If a

positive relationship is found, it may suggest that bookgifting initiatives are a form of school-

library collaboration that has a demonstrably positive influence on middle school students and

their reading motivation. If the results show no correlation, it may mean that the program and its

goals need to be reevaluated. Optimistically, general student feedback about the program via the

second questionnaire will also lead to future improvements.

Furthermore, there may be unforeseen correlations that are identified once the data is

analyzed. For example, we may find that the program does not increase reading motivation, but it

does encourage more visits to the public library. The results of this study will hopefully lead to

more conversations regarding teen reading motivation, library-school partnerships, and the

development of bookgifting programs for adolescents.

Timeline

Research Proposal Approved December 2017

Thesis Proposal Approved May 2018
First Questionnaire Distributed August 2018
Second Questionnaire Distributed April 2019
MEASURING IMPACT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOKGIFTING 8

Data Analysis April 2019

Thesis Completed May 2019

Limitations

There are several limitations involved with this study. As with all questionnaires, there is

a risk that participants may be inaccurate in their self-reporting. Furthermore, given the

collaborative relationship between St. Louis County Library and the Normandy 7th and 8th Grade

Center, there may be some researcher and responder bias (Connaway & Radford, 2017). Lastly,

even if a positive correlation is identified, it may challenging to link student reading motivation

or use of SSR time directly to the Gift of Reading program, as there may be multiple contributing

factors (ex: other literacy initiatives, reading incentives, etc.). While this study would by no

means provide conclusive evidence, it could demonstrate the need for more research into

bookgifting initiatives, particularly for adolescents.

MEASURING IMPACT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOKGIFTING 9

References

1. Barratt-Pugh, C., & Rohl, M. (2016). Evaluation of family literacy programs: A case study of
Better Beginnings, a library-initiated family literacy bookgifting program in Western
Australia. Library Trends, 65(1), 19-40.

2. Boeglen, T., & Cherrington-Stoddart, B. (2017). Advocating for teens in public libraries:
Exploring the ways library staff can advocate for teens in the library. Young Adult
Library Services, 15(3), 25-29.

3. Campana, K., Mills, J.E., Capps, J.L., Dresang, E.T., Carlyle, A., Metoyer, C.A. & … Kotrla,
B. (2016). Early literacy in library storytimes: A study of measures of effectiveness.
Library Quarterly, 86(4), 369-388.

4. Chua, S.P. (2008). The Effects of the Sustained Silent Reading Program on Cultivating
Students' Habits and Attitudes in Reading Books for Leisure. Clearing House, 81(4),
180-184.

5. Conradi, K., Jang, B.G., Bryant, C., Craft, A., & McKenna, M.C. (2013). Measuring
adolescents’ attitudes toward reading: A classroom survey. Journal of Adolescent & Adult
Literacy, 56(7), 565-576.

6. Connaway, L. S., & Radford, M. L. (2017). Research methods in library and information
science. (6th Ed.) Santa Barbara: CA. Libraries Unlimited. Ethnographic Approaches to
Qualitative Research, chapter 10, 287-323.

7. Deci, E., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. (2001). Extrinsic rewards and intrinsic motivation in
education: Reconsidered once again. Review of Educational Research, 71(1), 1-26.

8. Gambrell, L. (1996). Creating classroom cultures that foster reading motivation. The Reading
Teacher, 50(10), 14-25.

9. Gibbs, G. R. (2007). Thematic coding and categorizing. In Qualitative research kit:

Analyzing qualitative data (pp. 38-55). London, England: SAGE Publications.

10. Johnson, R.B. & Turner, L.A. (2003). Data collection strategies in mixed methods research.
In A. Tashakkori & C. Teddlie (Eds.), Handbook of mixed methods in social and
behavioral research (pp. 297-319). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

11. Malaspina, D., & Rimm-Kaufman, S. (2008). Early predictors of school performance
declines at school transition points. Research in Middle Level Education Online, 31(9), 1-
16.

12. Pandora, C. & Hayman, S. (2013). Better serving teens through school library-public library
collaborations. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.
MEASURING IMPACT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOKGIFTING 10

13. Samiei, S., Imig, D., Bush, A.J., Sell, M. (2016). Examining the association between the
Imagination Library early childhood literacy program and kindergarten readiness.
Reading Psychology, 37(4), 601-626.

14. Siah, P. & Kwok, W. (2010). The value of reading and the effectiveness of sustained silent
reading. Clearing House, 83(5), 168-174.

15. Vacca, R. T., & Vacca, J. L. (2005). Content area reading: Literacy and learning across the
curriculum (8th ed). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

16. Wigfield, A. & Guthrie, J.T. (1997). Relations of children’s motivation for reading to the
amount and breadth of their reading. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89, 420-432.

17. Wigfield, A., & Eccles, J. (2002). Students' motivation during the middle school years. In J.
Aronson (Ed.). Improving academic achievement: Impact of psychological factors on
education (pp. 160-185). Amsterdam, NL: Academic Press.

18. Williams, E. (2014). Breaking the barriers to reading success in middle school and high
school. Reading Improvement, 51(2), 233-236.
MEASURING IMPACT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOKGIFTING 11

APPENDIX

Student Survey 1
Pre-Program Questionnaire

Please answer the following questions:

1. I am ______ years old.

2. I enjoy reading.
a. Yes
b. Mostly
c. Sometimes
d. No

3. I feel that reading is good for me.

a. Yes
b. Mostly
c. Sometimes
d. No

4. I read for fun _________________.

a. Less than 20 minutes a day
b. 20-40 minutes a day
c. 40-60 minutes a day
d. Over 60 minutes a day

3. During in-class reading time, I usually:

a. Read for fun
b. Do homework
c. Talk to my friends
d. Other (please identify):____________________________________

4. I feel it’s important to read during in-class reading time.

a. Yes
b. Mostly
c. Sometimes
d. No

5. I see my teachers reading during in-class reading time.

a. Yes
b. Mostly
c. Sometimes
d. No
MEASURING IMPACT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOKGIFTING 12

6. What do you like to read? (Ex: graphic novels, short stories, scary books, etc.)

7. How often do you check-out books from the school library?

a. At least once a month
b. Once every few months
c. At least once
d. Never

8. How often do you visit the Natural Bridge branch library?

a. At least once a month
b. Once every few months
c. At least once
d. Never

9. Please share any additional comments below:

MEASURING IMPACT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOKGIFTING 13

Student Survey 2
Post-Program Questionnaire

Please answer the following questions:

1. I am ______ years old.

2. I enjoy reading.
a. Yes
b. Mostly
c. Sometimes
d. No

3. I feel that reading is good for me.

a. Yes
b. Mostly
c. Sometimes
d. No

4. I read for fun _____________________.

a. Less than 20 minutes a day
b. 20-40 minutes a day
c. 40-60 minutes a day
d. Over 60 minutes a day

10. During in-class reading time, I usually:

a. Read for fun
b. Do homework
c. Talk to my friends
d. Other (please identify):____________________________________

11. I feel it’s important to read during in-class reading time.

a. Yes
b. Mostly
c. Sometimes
d. No

12. I see my teachers reading during in-class reading time.

a. Yes
b. Mostly
c. Sometimes
d. No
MEASURING IMPACT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOKGIFTING 14

13. What do you like to read? (Ex: graphic novels, short stories, scary books, etc.)

14. How often do you check-out books from the school library?
a. At least once a month
b. Once every few months
c. At least once
d. Never

15. How often do you visit the Natural Bridge branch library?
a. At least once a month
b. Once every few months
c. At least once
d. Never
Please answer the following questions about the Gift of Reading program:

1. I enjoyed participating in the Gift of Reading program.

a. Yes
b. Mostly
c. Sometimes
d. No

2. I liked the book choices offered by the library.

a. Yes
b. Mostly
c. Sometimes
d. No

3. I feel like I always received my first choice.

a. Yes
b. Mostly
c. Sometimes
d. No

4. The Gift of Reading program made me more excited about reading.

a. Yes
b. Mostly
c. Sometimes
d. No

5. The Gift of Reading program has increased the amount of time I spend reading at school.
MEASURING IMPACT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOKGIFTING 15

a. Yes
b. Mostly
c. Sometimes
d. No

6. The Gift of Reading program has increased the amount of time I spend reading at home.
a. Yes
b. Mostly
c. Sometimes
d. No

7. I would like to participate in the Gift of Reading program next year.

a. Yes
b. Maybe
c. No
d. I don’t know

8. Which book choice was your favorite?

9. Which book choice was your least favorite?

10. What books (Ex: Harry Potter, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, etc.) or types of books (Ex:
fantasy, survival, comic books, etc.) would you like to see on next year’s reading list?

11. Please share any additional comments below: