Hillcrest, E.D. Walker among DISD schools getting updated libraries

Photo courtesy of Dallas ISD.

Libraries at schools in our neighborhood will be refurbished in a partnership between Apple and Dallas ISD.

Project R.E.A.D. (research, explore, application, design) is a yearlong partnership between the tech company and the district. It includes refreshing library spaces, updating technology and expanding services to staff and surrounding communities.

Each school selected for this program will have a R.E.A.D. Lead — a librarian or teacher who is trained in an Apple-designed curriculum. The training will occur throughout the school year.

R.E.A.D. Zones may have video studios, podcasting studio, coding areas or a model council zone. Some examples of how libraries will change are:

Removing bookshelves in the middle of the room to encourage collaboration;
Adding modular furniture to allow for flexibility and collaboration;
And removing large circulation desks and allowing students to use R.F.I.D. tags to check out books by themselves.

Cohort 1 of the R.E.A.D. Labs will launch spring 2022. The goal is to roll out to the rest of the schools over the next few years.

Here are the schools in our neighborhood that have been selected for these labs: