Board adopts library review emphasizing media literacy and family engagement

The School District of Clayton Board of Education approved the library self-study and associated goals after a presentation by library coordinator Lauren Digny.

Digny said school libraries used standards adopted from the Missouri Association of School Libraries and emphasized reading engagement, information literacy and media literacy. She described initiatives to increase family engagement—including newsletters, programming tied to parent-teacher events and a partnership with the family center to distribute literacy kits—and said the district plans to create a searchable database of community organization resources (museums, universities and nonprofits) to support classroom work.

Board members asked how the libraries encourage diverse student enrollment and how the district communicates scholarship instrument funds and low‑cost options for families; Digny said the district will add clear messaging in course descriptions and program materials to make instrument support more visible and will promote late-start enrollment opportunities for strings instruction.

The board moved and approved the library goals and financials as submitted. Administrators said next steps include increasing parent-facing communications, expanding media‑literacy professional development and finalizing a community-resources database for staff use.

Lauren Digny also noted the importance of media literacy and recommended embedding media-literacy instruction into curriculum rather than isolating it as a single pull-out program.