Elkhart County Juvenile Detention Center in Indiana provides a secure environment for detained youths, emphasizing their physical, emotional, educational, and social needs. The center’s commitment to education is transforming lives by fostering literacy among its residents.

Sean Bevier, the Center’s Education Specialist, underscores the transformative power of reading: “Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light,” a sentiment that resonates deeply at the center, where many students read their first book during their stay.

Addressing the Challenge

Prior to implementing Follett’s Destiny® Library Manager, the center struggled to manage its book collection. Books were scattered across various rooms, making it difficult for students to find books they could read or that interested them. “When I arrived, we had no way to track books…so there was no way to help the students find books they were able to read or that interested them,” recalls Bevier.

Implementing the Solution

In September 2022, Follett’s Destiny Library Manager was introduced at the center. This tool quickly became essential for the educational team. The catalog search feature allowed students to find books by subject matter, even without knowing the exact titles. The Lexile® score search ensured students received books matching their reading levels, fostering success and reducing frustration.

“If we give them a book or two above what they can read and understand, they may come to the wrong conclusion about their intelligence,” Bevier explains. “They may think, ‘Well, I can’t read this, so I must be dumb,’ and possibly give up reading or at least trying.”

The Results

Destiny Library Manager has revolutionized how the center manages its library. The system’s catalog search tool is frequently used to help students find books that interest them. “We use the search tool quite often to help them,” Bevier says.

Tracking books has also significantly improved. “When the books need a repair, we can take care of that before putting it back on the shelves – that not only lengthens the life of the books but saves us money,” Bevier notes.

The center’s book inventory has grown to over 2,000. Staff can now log into Destiny and check out books for students, even on weekends when teachers are unavailable. “Often, students will enter the Detention Center on a weekend and really want a book,” Bevier says. “Now, they do not have to wait until sometime Monday when the teachers are here to get a book.”

Destiny has nurtured a love of reading among students. Bevier shares a touching story: “A particular student was so angry at his father when he arrived, but that relationship began to be repaired through their phone conversations. The topic of reading came up, and when the student shared with his dad that he read a book, the father beamed with pride. That ignited this young man. Although it was difficult for him to read, he checked out another book, then another and another.”

One day, the student asked, “My dad said he read Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet when he was in school and really liked it. Do we have that?” The staff quickly found the book on Destiny, and the student checked it out with a smile.

Conclusion

Destiny Library Manager has become a vital part of the Elkhart County Juvenile Detention Center, helping students discover the joy of reading and supporting their educational and emotional needs. “It is a joy to observe their gratitude and recognize they have been heard when they see the book they recommended has been added to the shelf,” Bevier says.

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