ABSTRACT
This chapter describes findings about setting up classroom libraries based on six years of work that several faculty members did as they prepared new teachers for teaching in urban schools. Rudine Sims Bishop noted that teachers must establish mirrors and windows in the classroom and that these windows exist in the curriculum, classroom environment, and teachers’ discussions with children throughout the school day. The value of the mirror sets a tone in the classroom, recognizing the importance of the lives of learners in the immediate environments. Many classroom libraries are established with books teachers either inherit when they begin their career from teachers who are retiring or books they have collected over their time in a teacher preparation program. One of the greatest challenges in establishing the classroom library and the culturally relevant books as part of the reading program is helping teachers to use these books as supporting materials for their mandated curriculum.
