The Bear’s Den

Bartlett’s Community and its Library

Bartlett High School serves approximately 1400 students in an ethnically diverse section of Anchorage, Alaska. The ethnic distribution of the student body is 30% Asian or Pacific Islander, 20% Caucasian, 15% multi-ethnic, 12% African-American, 12 % Hispanic, and 11% Alaskan Native or Native American. Bartlett is a Title I school and receives federal aid for educational support programs, nutrition, and other enrichment activities (ASD 2018).

As many of our students are multi-lingual, first-generation  US citizens, or new immigrants to the country, the school provides a variety of educational and other services to support our diverse community. In addition to these programs, the school supports ongoing initiatives to promote and increase ethnic diversity in Honors and Advanced Placement classes. The School also supports a host of sports teams and other after-school activities.

The Library

The Bartlett School Library is centrally located in the school and a social center of student activity during lunch and before and after school. The library hosts tutoring and other educational support activities after school along with Battle of the Books, Poetry Out Loud, and other literacy based activities. The library is also the venue of choice for scholarship signings and other community celebrations throughout the year. The Bartlett School Librarian and staff maintain a current catalogue of Young Adult literature and other media are maintained for student use as well as professional resources for faculty and staff. The Bartlett High School Librarian and staff are focused on maintaining and developing the school library as a center of community and academic activity within the school.  

A Showcase and Vision for Bartlett’s Library by Tom Grenier