Davin Savikko wears a lot of hats at Kax̲dig̲oowu Héen Elementary School. In addition to teaching integrated arts, he also works as the school’s librarian. And the library looks really, really different this year.
On Wednesday, Savikko walked around and pointed out handmade signs marking different sections and genres, from “spooky stories” to historical fiction and staff picks. Sunshine streamed through stained glass windows, lighting up the “everybody books” section of the library. Picture books filled cubby-like shelves on top, with books filed in a traditional manner on lower shelves.
“It was really cool to get these new bins like you see at the public library that are accessible for young kids,” he said. “Before it was just, everything looked spines out and it was just really overcrowded.”
The school closed temporarily in 2022 after flooding from burst pipes. While students could go back to the school a couple months later, the library needed more repairs. Instead of bookshelves, books sat in cardboard boxes that Savikko dug through as needed.
The school received the final insurance reimbursement earlier this year. About $94,000 went toward buying materials for the library, according to meeting minutes from an April Facilities Committee meeting.
Between waiting on insurance payouts and getting supplies, it took more than three years to reopen the library.
“Imagine, like, three years of dread just looking at these boxes and knowing, like, you don’t really have the power to do anything with them,” Savikko said. “I didn’t have the shelving, we didn’t have the insurance money, etc, and so now it’s just so freeing to have this really beautiful space that I am really proud of. “
Shortly after the flood, Savikko turned half of the library into an integrated arts classroom. Students learn different art skills and connect it with what they’re learning in classes. Savikko said it’s built as a fluid space where students can come and go. But there was a bit of confusion when the library first opened. He said many students didn’t know how a library worked.
“They’ll be like, ‘how much does this book cost?’ You know, and things like that. And so it’s like, ‘Ah, well, the library books are for free. You get to check out books,’” he said. “So I’m really excited to give them this opportunity that they deserve.”
Savikko said the library can support classroom teachers by being a space for students to explore their interests. Since the Alaska Reads Act passed in 2023, Savikko said teachers have more focused skills to teach. While teachers can still build in more flexible time in their days, Savikko said the library is a place that’s well suited to support students on that front.
“The kids want two things. They want a choice in their education, and they want to have a voice in their education.
Principal Katie Koski said it was a community effort in the school to get the library back together. The previous principal helped to work out the insurance settlement. In the meantime, teachers kept classroom libraries, and students would also go to the Mendenhall Valley Public Library nearby with their class. Koski said she’s excited to see what students can do in the new space.
“The library, in many ways, can be like the heart of a school,” she said.
And now, that heart is beating again.
