By Jolie Jackson
National School Librarian Day is celebrated around the world April 4 to memorize a very important part of the education system. Here at Friendswood High School, a beloved librarian impacts many students’ lives.
Mrs. Lewis started her librarian career at the elementary school level after teaching first grade at Bales Elementary.
“I was piloting a lot of new programs in my classroom the year I switched, and I really wanted to see what kind of opportunities there were for the elementary campus beyond my classroom,” Lewis said.
Lewis soon switched to the high school level but wanted to start slowly.
“The first year, I wanted to watch and learn how the high school operates and the needs of what a high school library needs,” Lewis said. “I didn’t want to come in and change things without having taken time to really observe.”
Since her time at the high school, Mrs. Lewis has written grants to upgrade the library. The library has added 3-D and poster printers, musical equipment, and other items to enhance its overall calming aesthetic.
“There’s this big misconception that the library is just a place to house books, but it is not just a storage room,” English teacher Mrs. Sundstrom said. “Mrs. Lewis plays such a big hand in making sure that our library is much more than just a place to go read.”
Library aids assist the library’s day-to-day operations.
“Our main job is to go down to the book rooms and get class sets for whatever the classes are reading,” library aid Annalise Hogue said. “We maintain the library and an environment where anyone can come find the things that they need.”
One of many things Mrs. Lewis does for the English department is holding onto class book sets. She helps both students and teachers with the printers, research databases, and other resources for classrooms to run successfully.
“Mrs. Lewis is very knowledgeable on what types of books and things that we might need for our students to be successful,” Mrs. Sundstrom said. “Without her, our jobs would be incredibly more challenging to impossible.”
According to Mrs. Lewis, her biggest goal is to make her library a place to start new relationships.
“I would love for students to stay and make connections with other students throughout the day instead of the get in and get out mindset,” she said. “The library is a common area for students who may not ordinarily cross paths to get a chance to visit with each other, and maybe they have some common interests that they never realized.”
