Unlock the Library

Economist/author Bryan Caplan has an interesting proposal to "change the K-12 curriculum in one small way"; he would Unlock the School Library

By this I mean...

1. Give kids the option of hanging out at the library during every break period.
2. Give kids the option of hanging out the library in lieu of electives.

My elementary, junior high, and high schools all had marvelous libraries. But they were virtually always closed to the student body. You couldn't go during recess or lunch. And you certainly couldn't say, "Instead of taking music/dance/art/P.E./woodshop, I'll read in the library." ....

Unlocking the school library requires almost no resources. Simply:...

After the novelty wears off, I expect many kids will get bored at the library. That's fine: Send them back to regular classes. But many other kids - especially nerdy kids - will seize the day.

I can see his point; I was certainly the sort of nerdy kid who would have spent a whole lot of time at the library. And of course there would have been teachers saying that I ought to be in music, art, P.E. and shop, because I would get so much out of them if I was forced to go, but it so happens that I was forced to go and I didn't get anything out of them. (I know, this will bother my sister if she reads it, but it happens to be true.) At any rate, it's an interesting proposal.