By Laila Riedell ’21 and Caroline Linton ’21
Ms. Jane Whitley, Regis Jesuit High School librarian, has been a March Madness Basketball fan ever since she was a young girl. She grew up in Illinois, where the March Madness terms originated from. College basketball was part of her daily life. Ms. Whitley says, “Growing up, I thought everyone watched it.”
After becoming a Regis Jesuit librarian, Ms. Whitley discovered a library version March Madness on Pinterest, and she decided to implement it into our libraries. This year is about the sixth year Ms. Whitley has organized this tournament, and participation is higher than ever.
Every year, Ms. Whitley finds the top 16 books checked out in Regis Jesuit’s library. This year, those titles include Cassandra Clare’s City of Bones, Sarah Maas’ Throne of Glass and Court of Thorns and Roses, and Victoria Aveyeard’s Red Queen in the top four seeds. From there, Regis Jesuit students vote either online or in the library for which books should continue towards the final round.
This year’s finalists are The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and The Help by Kathryn Stockett.
Whoever picks the correct winner for every match receives a $25 gift card to a place of their choice. The library has never had a winner, but “we’re going to have a winner this year,” Ms. Whitley hints.
Ms. Whitley says this tournament is something she loves, as it gives students a good idea for what to read over Spring Break and is a “fun way to get students involved in books.”