Here's how Mrs. Gamble is reimagining her school library.

Use DonorsChoose a donation to an underfunded school. 100% of your donation goes directly to providing the teacher with the resources they need. Today, all donations are being MATCHED – so your gift goes twice as far! Here are some classroom projects that inspire me.

Please note: our readers don’t mess around, and we fund classrooms I link here FAST. If you tap through and find these projects already funded, don’t let it discourage you! Explore the hundreds of projects seeking support by location or topic.

• Mrs. Jessica, a therapist in Rancho Cordova, CA, is looking for $75 to complete the therapeutic space she’s building in her classroom. Donate >

• Ms. G at Gibson Elementary School needs only $30 to get a classroom carpet to ground her learners this school year. Donate >

• Ms. Said needs $87 to get a HP Color LaserJet printer and autism communication cards so she can create adaptive daily lesson plans for her students in New York, NY. Donate >

• Do you love making ceramics? Consider helping Ms. Matthews in Minneapolis, MN get Kiln shelves, shelf supports, gloves, and stilts for their elementary school students to make their own. Donate >

Ronda Gamble is a middle school librarian at Davis-Emerson Middle School, a suburban public school in Cottondale, Alabama. She’s been teaching for 22 years, and currently supports grades 6-8 with reading, using digital technology, and exploring STEAM-related projects. She’s been using DonorsChoose for several years, and also volunteers by vetting projects submitted by other teachers to the platform. Today, she joins us to talk about the evolution of libraries and how she’s used social media to connect with communities that can help her library grow. You can follow her on X @RondaGambleLMS and support her classroom here.

Thanks so much for joining us, Ronda. How’s the new school year unfolding so far?

We have a brand new administration, so we’re navigating that, but we hit the ground running with several returning faculty members. We’re going with the flow because the kids are coming either way! It's interesting seeing the changes in our students from year to year, but I'm always amazed by the new sixth graders the first time they come in – they're so enamored with everything. Their eyes are so big seeing all these brand-new books. My sixth-grade class is really eager this year, and I've been excited to see that.

What drew you to teaching?

I always wanted to be a teacher. Growing up, I had a social studies teacher whose class I loved, and I decided to follow in his footsteps. I did that for a few years, then found myself in the library during planning periods. I realized how much I loved being there, so I went to library school. I’ve loved every minute of it since. It’s a gift to encourage kids to read. I always tell them, “you might not think you like to read, but you are a reader. You just have to find the book that catches your interest.” I hope to be able to do that for them and turn them into readers.

There’s a growing conversation around the rise of book bans and access to diverse books. How is that impacting you and your school? 

It's definitely being discussed. As librarians, we're worried about it, and we're watching what's going on in our state and also the states around us. But so far, I have stood my ground. I am serving my community. I want to make sure that all my kids are seen and heard, and I'm not going to deny my kids who need access to certain books as long as they are grade-level appropriate and have good reviews. It's my job to make sure they are appropriate. And if they are, then my kids will have access to them.

We have a diverse population here, and I want everyone to walk in and see books that reflect what they look like and the issues affecting their lives. I also want to highlight cultures that my students aren’t exposed to, because some kids don’t get opportunities to travel out of our area. But they can experience them through books. I had a student one time come in and say, "Mrs. Gamble, I'm going through this same thing in this book,” or, “I understand some of my classmates a little bit better because of what I read in that book.

I’m also focused on creating more adaptive library lessons. I work with our self-contained class and make sure that even though they may learn differently, they can have access to coding lessons and other skills. I've been working really hard on getting materials that I can adapt for those students who need fine motor adaptation or cognitive adaptation. 

Incredible, and I know that DonorsChoose has been your place to get these resources! How do you get support for your fundraising campaigns? Do you rally the parents of the kids in your school, or do you look for support from people you connect with online?

I don't post locally because I work in a Title I community. My parents and community are pretty low-income, so I don't ask them for donations because I know they’ve got other priorities. Instead, I've worked hard in building a donor base through social media on X. It's taken a lot of effort, but it's been worthwhile because I've met great people across the country who specifically want to support schools. I focus on reaching people who can help schools rather than overwhelming my local community, which are already giving what they can.

Libraries have changed so much. When I was growing up, libraries just had books. But so many librarians I talk to have maker spaces or mental health resources. You're creating these worlds of opportunities for kids, not just to learn literacy, but all of those things around it.

Libraries are no longer the libraries that we grew up with. The part of my job that we’d consider a “librarian” is such a tiny part of what I do each day. Besides being the librarian, I'm a tech specialist. So I help troubleshoot technology in the school. I’m also the digital literacy coach, and I help train teachers on new programs. I'm trying to integrate digital citizenship into our lessons in the library because our kids need to know how to use tech and use it appropriately. So yes, the library role has changed a whole lot.

Without DonorsChoose, my kids wouldn't have so many opportunities. It's put countless books in my library and brought my average copyright date to 10 years old, which is great given our local and state funding levels. I've been able to provide flexible seating, technology lessons, makerspace materials, and adaptive lessons for students needing differentiation. I've helped other teachers get classroom book sets and our sports programs get equipment. None of this would be possible without donors, DonorsChoose, and corporate matching programs. It's given my kids access to experiences we simply couldn't afford otherwise.

You mentioned that you also do pre-screening for DonorsChoose. What does that mean, and why do you volunteer this way?

There are volunteer screeners from across the country who review projects submitted to DonorsChoose in our spare time. When a project is submitted, we read through it to ensure it meets guidelines, then either approve it or send it back for edits. As a screener, it's inspiring to see what other teachers are requesting nationwide. I'll think, "This is neat, my kids would love this project too." It helps get projects live faster, and I love that DonorsChoose allows us teachers to be involved in the whole process. There are volunteers behind the scenes helping with thank-you packages and screening photos, too. DonorsChoose really allows us as teachers to contribute back.

Incredible. I don’t know how you have time for that! Last question: What's bringing you joy right now?

I know this is cliché for a librarian, but this year I have just been reading a lot. I’m close to completing 100 books so far, which is the most I’ve ever read, so I’m really excited. Reading comes in many forms. You can pick up a physical book and read, you can pick up an ebook, you can do audiobooks…studies show all of these use the same brain receptors. I have been loving mystery audiobooks; they're my escape. I love hearing how those producers bring the characters to life. That's been bringing me joy – as a person and as a librarian.