Read–Explore–Act: A School Library Model for Community-Connected Learning and Transformative Awareness

Abstract

This poster demonstrates how a school library can become a learning platform that expands students’ perspectives and strengthens their connections with their local community, rather than serving only as a place for reading.

The project began with the observation that many students overlook the people, nature, and issues surrounding them, even in places where they have lived for years. To address this, a school library learning model based on Read–Explore–Act was designed and implemented. Students first explored community issues through books, then investigated their local environment through observation and fieldwork, and finally shared their discoveries by creating picture books, short-form videos, and community-based resources.

The projects included documenting stairs for people with mobility challenges, exploring local ecosystems, and recording vacant houses in the community. Through these experiences, students began to recognize overlooked aspects of everyday life and shifted their perspectives from seeing these as “someone else’s problems” to “our shared responsibility.” Some students further developed their interests into career exploration, while many became more engaged with their communities.

This poster argues that school libraries can move beyond supporting reading to become educational platforms that inspire critical awareness, community engagement, and meaningful action through community-connected learning.