One of the surprises was the fact that there is actually research that shows that classroom libraries help develop literacy. Although this may seem obvious, and was certainly the intuition behind my decision to have a classroom library, it was encouraging to read the statistics that show the real impact that a classroom library can have on students. http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/paperbacks/downloads/library.pdf
It was also encouraging to read about the experiences of other high school teachers who have classroom libraries and believe that they make a difference in their classroom. For example, one English teacher said "it made an immediate and substantial difference in my classroom." http://www.jenbrookswriter.com/2012/06/25/books-for-high-school-kids-building-a-classroom-library/
Likewise (and very poetically), a middle school teacher asserted that "I believe that a classroom library is the heartbeat of a teacher's environment. It is the window into an educator's own personality, and it reflects the importance of literacy in the classroom. I believe that every teacher -- no matter what subject he or she teaches -- should have one." http://www.edutopia.org/blog/classroom-library-importance-heather-wolpert-gawron