Tuesday Slice: Happy School Librarians' Day!

 

"Good morning!  Bienvenidos!  Welcome back!  Happy April!  Happy School Library Month!" I said to students from my duty station in the hallway yesterday morning.  "Can you imagine our school without a library?"

"NO!" was the emphatic answer, on their way to class.

This is the month when I pause and celebrate.  I look around the library, and see the positive changes in the physical space and the collection--and see how far we need to go, because maintaining a relevant collection is a never-ending process.  I think about the books we've shared, lessons I've taught, research I've supported.  I say a prayer of gratitude for my assistant, who is a master at shelf-keeping and reminding me to breathe, drink water, and go to the bathroom before she leaves for lunch duty.

I think of the students who smile when they say "We've got library tomorrow!" and the teachers who stop by for chocolate on their way to pick up kids from the cafeteria--or to use the office or closet for a much-needed moment of private recomposure.  There have been baby showers held in this space, club meetings, professional development.  Twice-yearly book fairs transform the library into bookstores for a week at a time.  Interventionists and counselors pop in with a student or two in between class visits, taking advantage of quiet corners and comfy seating.  And then there's the twenty-seven classes of preK through fifth grade students who visit every week for read-alouds, lessons, and checkout.

Yep, I'm with you, kids.  I can't imagine our school without a library, either.