Boston Latin School’s Keefe Library has recently added new updates to its website, providing resources for students and staff to stay updated on current events.

As this year progresses in a virtual environment, students cannot visit the library in person. In response to this challenge, the Keefe Library website has become an integral part to the online learning experience. School librarians Ms. Deeth Ellis and Ms. Susan Harari seek to keep students engaged in events taking place around the world.

Alongside their team of library praefects, Ms. Harari and Ms. Ellis have added a brand new Current Events resource section. The section comprises links to various student accessible news sources, which the librarians have deemed to be credible.

Teachers are already incorporating these recent changes into their lessons. Recently, members of Class V conducted a mini project in collaboration with the librarians, focusing on issues relating to the 2020 Presidential Election and voting in the U.S.

“During the current political climate and with the recent elections, I think we just want to know what is reliable, what is true […], but [we] didn’t really know where to find information telling us that. Having these simple and made-for-us documents about evaluating news sources was something I don’t think exists elsewhere online, at least that I know of,” says Mark Snekvik (V).

In addition to the current events section, the Keefe Library has also developed a new “Blog” section for their renovated website. In the midst of social justice movements over the past few months, there has been an increase in discussion and learning within our school community. Ms. Ellis created a new blog post entitled New eBooks on Race, Anti Racism, and History, featuring a variety of books for students regarding social justice issues. Some other recent Keefe Library blog posts include Banned Books Week 2020 – Celebrate the Freedom to Read! and Race, Social Justice & Civil Rights.

“Libraries need to have a strong digital presence. […] We have been committed to building that digital library for our community,” says Ms. Ellis.

Another new addition to the website includes a book review blog, known as the “Good Reads” section. This creation was launched by Christopher Dech (II), Kali Ibrahim (II) and Manasvi Chilakapati (II), a group of juniors seeking to help students dive into reading during the pandemic.

In the future, Ms. Ellis and Ms. Harari plan to announce new updates to the Keefe Library website in the Daily Bulletin. Other ways to keep up with the Library include staying up-to-date with their student-run social media platforms, including Twitter (@KeefeLibrary) and Instagram (@keefe_library).

“The library is not just a place, it is a program. Just because the library is not open doesn’t mean we’re not teaching […] important skills,” Ms. Harari adds.

With these new updates, the library staff hope to provide useful resources to BLS students and staff members and to make everybody’s quarantine experience a little more interesting.