From Dec. 8–12, the school library transformed into a space filled with shelves, posters and stacks of books as the Scholastic Book Fair arrived at Gabrielino High School. While many students saw the event as a chance to pick up key chains or an entertaining read, the library staff said the book fair serves a much bigger purpose.

“We want students to purchase more books and to encourage more reading,” said Dana Padilla, library tech. The book fair is designed to bring excitement to students while also supporting the school library.

A percentage of the profits from the fair goes to the library, allowing staff to purchase new books and materials for students throughout the year. According to district librarian Eileen Chi, these benefits come at an important time. “We have been massively reorganizing the library, getting rid of a bunch of dated stuff, so we want to replenish it with new books,” she said. This year, the fair was especially meaningful because a generous donation allowed the library to provide free books to 15 students.

The fair takes over a significant portion of the library, a sign of the preparation that occurs beforehand. Library staff must schedule an appointment with Scholastic, speak with a representative and go over details such as the appropriate age level of the books to make the event happen.

While Scholastic supplies the materials, the layout and presentation are led by the library staff. The physical setup took nearly a full school day, beginning around 9 a.m. and lasting until fifth period. “We didn’t like some of the way they set it up, so we moved it around,” Chi said.

The layout was deliberately organized so that books for younger readers appeared at the front, gradually transitioning to more advanced books aimed at older students.

“The staff get really excited, too,” Chi said. Teachers are given preview days before the fair opens to students, giving them the opportunity to browse the selection and purchase books for themselves and their families.

For Padilla, the most rewarding part of the fair isn’t the sales or logistics. Her favorite aspect is “seeing the kids reminisce and get excited about the books.” Students often spot books they read in elementary school and relive the joy of past reading experiences—now as high school students.