'Blind Date with a Book' Wins Award for Claremont Middle School Library

Blind dates? Books in brown paper wrappers? A librarian who won't answer questions? Just what's been going on in the Claremont Middle School library?

Carla Riemer, who manages the library at CMS, 5750  College Ave., recently received the Oakland Unified School District's 2013 award for the most innovative practice in a school library for "Blind Date with a Book." 

The idea, Riemer explained, was to intrigue and surprise students with a book they might not otherwise read.

It worked like this: 

Instead of her usual book talk and reading suggestions during a seventh grade English class visit to the library, Riemer challenged students to select a book based on the sketchiest of descriptions — a book wrapped in brown paper that covered up everything except the bar code.

Riemer chose the books for the experiment — one book per student, plus a few extras, so no one was left without a choice among the "mystery" volumes. Volunteers wrapped them up. Kids picked a book for independent reading time in class with little or no information about its contents. (Riemer wouldn't answer specific questions about any of the wrapped books.)

The result? 

"The kids I heard from enjoyed it because it was different," Riemer said. "It's intriguing to get a surprise.

"They were all willing to take the risk. And if they really didn't like their choice, they could trade with other students in the classroom."

Riemer noted that she didn't invent the "blind date with a book" concept herself — it's been used before in public libraries, although not, as far as she knows, in any other local school libraries.

See Riemer's suggestions for keeping kids reading over the summer here.