At Union Middle School, the books are moving. A lot. 
So far this school year, Union students have checked out 6,601 books — more than any other secondary school in Canyons District. To put that in perspective, that works out to about 1,200 titles a month, or 7.2 per student. 

In an age of constant scrolling, short attention spans, and endless digital distractions, those numbers say something important. At Union Middle, reading is cool. Or, dare we say (using modern vernacular): No cap, at Union Middle, students are leveling up and slaying their literacy goals, because reading is lit.
More than a chore or school assignment, reading has become a daily habit sealed in the heart of what it means to be a Bobcat, due in large part, to the work of teacher librarian Elaine Zheng.
“A lot of people don’t know this about me,” said Zheng, “but I actually did not come to the U.S. until I was 6 years old. So English is actually not my first language.” To help her become proficient in English, a teacher recommended, at first, simple picture books, and before long, Zheng was an avid reader. 
“It gave me an outlet for just enjoying school and loving school,” she said. 
That early love of books led Zheng into education. She began her career as an elementary teacher where she learned schools also employ teacher librarians, or certified educators with deep training in literacy, research, and instruction. After earning her library endorsement, she landed a job at Union Middle where she has worked for nearly 10 years. 
Teacher librarians in Canyons School District wear many hats. They collaborate with teachers, and support students with the databases and digital tools needed to perform research for classroom projects. They manage access to e-books and support makerspaces and the smart, responsible use of technology. Modern school libraries are learning hubs, not just rooms full of books. 
But books remain at the core, and Zheng’s impressive circulation rate has helped Union come just one percentage point shy of reaching its end-of-the-year reading goals half way into the school year.
“One of our academic goals for the year was to develop a schoolwide culture of literacy, and she has really been among those taking the lead,” said Union Middle Principal Angi Holden.
Zheng sponsors a popular book club and holds regular reading contests. Each month, she dreams up a new schoolwide promotion; this month is themed on March Madness. 
Like all Canyons schools, Union has built regular library visits into the school experience with students rotating into the library on a regular basis. During those visits, Zheng gives book talks, leads activities, hosts “book tastings,” and introduces students to titles they might never have found on their own.
She gets to know the students one by one, making reading suggestions tailored to their interests. That’s important, because, she says, one of the biggest barriers to reading is just feeling overwhelmed.
Zheng is quick to credit Union’s teachers for driving the school’s literacy goals. Across the building, English, science, and social studies teachers are carving out time for students to simply read.
“We have such a great teacher-librarian pool in Canyons, and we are here as resources for our hard-working teachers,” Zheng said. 
Some teachers at Union use five-minute reading sprints. Others dedicate longer reading blocks a few times a week. The exact structure varies, but the goal is to give students, whose evenings and lives are busy and full, time to settle into a book long enough to become invested. 
Zheng has also restructured how books are placed in classroom libraries by working with teachers to secure multiple copies of three or four high-interest titles tied, often tied to what’s being taught in the classroom. This way, students know they can pick up that same book again until the plot thickens and they get hooked. 
One English teacher recently told Zheng she is seeing students finish books who have never finished them before. 
Graphic novels, comics, audiobooks — Zheng is an advocate for all of them as the entry point to a life of reading. 
Even picture books are making a comeback as Zheng purchases picture books to support the middle school curriculum, from Utah history to seventh-grade science concepts. Those books help students connect visuals with vocabular and ideas, reinforcing classroom instruction in a way that feels approachable and engaging. 
The key is helping students find their way in, and Zheng believes families play an essential role, too. 
Her advice to parents is to create a dedicated reading time at home, even if it is just for 30 minutes a day or set number of chapters. Help students push through the early part of a book, because the payoff often comes later as the characters and plot take shape. 
Modeling also helps. Students notice when adults read and when teachers talk about books. 
At Union, books have become conversation starters. Teachers are posting what they are currently reading, and students are recommending titles to one another. 
“I think just [it’s about] giving kids time to read, making sure that you find books that can drive their passion in some way, but making books a natural conversation in your life, in your day to day,” Zheng said.
Those small shifts can change the culture of a classroom, or even an entire school. 
At Union Middle, the story is being written one page at a time, and students are building a reading vibe that just hits different.