Some kids are naturally drawn to libraries. For others, the stacks rank somewhere between the dentist chair and principal’s office on their list of favorite destinations. Corey Wittig is working to change that. He’s a librarian at the Falk Laboratory School, a progressive, experimental, demonstration grade school at the University of Pittsburgh. At Falk, Corey works to demonstrate to students in grades K-8 that libraries are places to gather and gain a multitude of literacies, from the traditional (reading in a comfy corner or writing on Falk’s vintage typewriters) to the progressive (recording music, sewing a new piece of clothing, or learning the basics of graphic design).

Before joining the Falk team, Corey served as the Digital Learning Lead Librarian at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP). At CLP, Corey developed The Labs, a new curriculum of informal education experiences that revolved around mentorship and interest-based explorations of STEAM learning (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math), including workshops and after-school programs.