UToledo International Student Finds New Campus Home for Children’s Literature Collection

UToledo International Student Finds New Campus Home for Children's Literature Collection

A new campus resource aims to inspire grade school students through storytelling by giving Rockets access to a robust collection of children's books. Through her internship at the Carver Resource Center, international student Mariya Kottilangatt Jojy, a senior studying English with a concentration in literature, is helping to ensure the joy of reading comes alive for future generations.

"I got the love of stories, books and reading from my grandmother," Kottilangatt Jojy said. "I still remember sitting on the porch with her, reading stories from children's magazines."

Growing up in Kerala, India, Kottilangatt Jojy carried the early appreciation for reading from her grandmother forward. It's a passion she followed to the University in spring 2022 to pursue her degree.

"Mariya's love of reading showed she was a natural fit for this project," said Joshua Spieles, director of the Carver Resource Center who serves as Jojy's internship supervisor. "When we received the children's collection, I realized it would be a monumental undertaking to catalog and prepare the books for checkout."

Kottilangatt Jojy received the children's book collection from the William S. Carlson Library after its recent remodel and created a new, dedicated space for it in the Carver Resource Center. The collection includes fiction, nonfiction and picture books across a dynamic range of subjects that UToledo students, faculty and staff can check out for up to three weeks.

"The children's collection at Carver Resource Center serves as a great resource for our student teachers who can easily integrate any of those books into their lesson plans," Kottilangatt Jojy said. "I think it's also an amazing collection for UToledo students and employees who are parents - we have books for kiddos from preK to 12."

Located on the third floor of Gillham Hall, the Carver Resource Center serves as a hub of support for education students. In addition to housing the children's book collection, the center provides technology, training and classroom materials to help UToledo student teachers succeed in their field placements. As one of their first events featuring the collection, the center will observe October's Banned Books Week, where they plan to highlight banned books and spread awareness about the freedom to read.

"Mariya jumped at the opportunity and worked tirelessly to prepare the library," Spieles said. "Thanks to her efforts, Mariya and the rest of the Carver Center team are ready to share these fantastic resources with the entire Rockets community."

The Carver Resource Center is housed in the Judith Herb College of Arts, Social Sciences and Education and is open Monday through Friday during fall and spring semesters. The children's literature collection is available to all UToledo community members to use, but especially benefits student teachers and students studying English.

"Through this internship, I am excited to share my passion and love for books and reading to the entire UToledo family," Kottilangatt Jojy said. "I hope to bring everyone a little closer with the magic of books and stories."