Reigniting Student Engagement in the Digital Age with Destiny Engage and Add-On Tools

The Challenge: Competing for Attention in a Digital World

For many students today, the library competes with the instant gratification of social media, video games, and streaming platforms. Consequently, encouraging students to read, explore books, and engage with library resources has become more challenging than ever.

Shannon McClintock Miller, a passionate librarian and advocate for literacy, faced this challenge head-on. She was determined to make reading an exciting experience for students – one beyond silent reading. However, she needed tools that would transform passive library visits into dynamic, student-led engagement.

The Solution: A Personalized, Gamified Reading Experience

As the District Teacher Librarian at Van Meter Community School in Iowa, Shannon relies on Follett Destiny® Library Manager to navigate her schools’ collection.

But, to bring reading to life, Shannon turned to its integration with Destiny Discover® Engage and its add-on tools, including Reading Program Management, Standards Alignment, WebPath Express™, and TitlePeek®. Together, these solutions allowed her to craft a student-centered library experience, fostering curiosity and collaboration.

Gamification That Keeps Students Coming Back

At the start of the school year, students are introduced to Destiny Discover Engage through an interactive session that sets the stage for an engaging library experience. A Google Classroom for the library serves as a digital hub, making it easy for students to access Destiny Discover and Destiny Discover Engage anytime, whether at school or home.

With Destiny Discover Engage, students don’t just check out books – they actively participate in their own reading journey. They log their progress, write reviews, favorite books, and challenge their friends to reading competitions. This inspires a sense of community amongst students and their peers.

“And it keeps them coming back! They remember to log in to Destiny because they want to use Engage to favorite books, write book reviews, track their reading, and start reading challenges with friends. They’re motivated to earn badges and love seeing what their friends have achieved too.”

Tracking Progress with Reading Program Management

By integrating Reading Program Management, Shannon streamlined the way students and teachers tracked reading progress. The system connects with Accelerated Reader and Scholastic Reading Counts, allowing students to filter books based on level, point value, or subject. “I appreciate this feature so much. It allows us to support reading within the library while fostering meaningful conversations with classroom teachers,” says Shannon.

“By collaborating, we can better support students on their reading journeys.”

Curriculum-Aligned Library Resources

The Standards Alignment tool ensures that library resources directly support classroom instruction. Teachers and librarians can find high-quality, curriculum-aligned content to enhance lesson plans and student research. Most importantly, it makes finding relevant content nearly instant, which saves both Van Meter educators and students time.

Turning Research into Exploration with WebPath Express

Instead of sending students to search engines filled with distractions, Shannon’s students have access to WebPath Express. This tool provides access to 100,000+ curated, educator-approved websites – ensuring that students engage with reliable sources. Best of all, it’s available 24/7.

“I love that WebPath Express connects students with relevant information while making research fun.”

Accessible through Destiny Discover, WebPath Express empowers students to refine their research skills by searching for specific topics or source types. Teachers and students can also collaborate by creating and sharing curated lists of trusted resources, making research more efficient and engaging.

Book Discovery Made Easy with TitlePeek

TitlePeek adds another layer of engagement by providing book cover images and summaries within Destiny Discover. Shannon’s students can browse visually and make more informed reading choices, increasing their excitement about checking out books.

The Results: A Thriving Library Community

Shannon’s innovative use of Destiny Discover Engage and its add-on tools has transformed the way students interact with their library. Since implementing these solutions:

• Library visits have increased as students actively engage with digital tools
• Peer-to-peer recommendations have skyrocketed, strengthening the school’s reading culture
• Collaboration between teachers and librarians has improved, with curriculum-aligned resources seamlessly integrated into lesson plans
• Students are excited about reading, with challenges, badges, and book reviews making literacy a shared adventure

“With these tools, our students can explore our collection, collaborate with each other, write book reviews, set up reading challenges, join reading programs, and so much more.”

Shannon’s efforts foster a culture of engaged, motivated, and lifelong readers. By making reading interactive, social, and accessible, she has redefined the library experience – proving that, even in a digital world, students can be excited about books.

“I love how our students have become an active part of our library program, using Destiny and these incredible tools. It’s changed the way they see reading – and that’s the ultimate goal.”

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