Books, books, and more books. That’s what comes to mind when people think about the library. They don’t necessarily think about the amount of time it takes to structure and arrange those books. Of course, the librarians play the main role in organization of the shelves, but the library helpers are the ones who do some of the everyday “heavy lifting” jobs.
A lot of students don’t even know that library helpers exist, so they end up being overlooked.
“There’s library helpers here at school?” said junior Sabel Nickelberry.
Of course, it’s not like there’s a lot of them, so that plays into one of the reasons why people have no idea who they are. However, library helpers are one of the main reasons why the Library Learning Commons (LLC) is so organized.
“I see Library Helpers helping to put books away and misplaced books back where they belong,” said junior Nico Martino.
Library helpers keep the library neat and organized. That includes putting books where they belong after being used, since a lot of students don’t know how the library is categorized.
“We depend on our library volunteers to keep the library in perfect order,” said librarian Mrs. Kristi Patton. “Our volunteers handle shelving books with care to ensure they can be found with ease. Our volunteers help with special projects, like crafting, creating displays, creating signage and being our ‘test students’ when trying out a new lesson, technology, process or breakout.¨
They are also the reason activities are able run smoothly when students from other classes come into the library. It gives book lovers more time to spend in their favorite space.
“I just really like the library and I think it’s a cool way to spend your time. It’s fun for me,” said junior Destiny Cochran.
Having library helpers take care of various tasks frees up time for librarians’ other responsibilities.
“I think the librarians would be overworked if there were no library helpers, and they wouldn’t be able to focus on doing class demonstrations and stuff like that because they’re media specialists,” said Martino. “I don’t think the library would be as organized.”
Being a library helper also provides volunteer hours for those who want a scholarship. Of course, being a volunteer at the LLC also gives students more experience if they want to do something similar as a job in the future.
“You are earning valuable workplace experiences. Several of our previous library volunteers now have careers in the public library system!” said Patton.
The library helpers’ hard work shows when we grab an easy-to-reach book or see laminations that are perfectly cut out. So the next time you set foot in the library and see a helper, thank them for their hard work.
