Everyone’s Librarian
By Jessica Rae Patton, Associate Editor

The pin that librarian Sandy Meagher wore affixed to her plum-colored blouse on the day of our visit said it all. "READ" was jauntily spelled out in wooden Scrabble® tiles, a word that is both a symbol of Sandy's vocation and an invitation to everyone who walks through the door of her library at Lakeside Elementary School in Honesdale, PA. It seemed to be a badge of identity as relevant as a nametag: After 22 years in the profession (prior to which she was a high school English teacher), Sandy is her library and the library is Sandy. One only needs read the column she pens for Teaching K-8, "Teaching With Your Librarian," to know she is not only thoroughly passionate about children's literature but is also passionately committed to all aspects of school librarianship. Shelving books is just the beginning: Sandy collaborates with teachers and administrators, stays abreast of the latest technology and regularly consults with other librarians in the Wayne Highlands School District (for which she serves as library chairperson), at the Honesdale Public Library and throughout the state.

Sandy Meagher (left) gives Teaching K-8 staff members (left to right Christine Weglinski, Jessica Rae Patton and Pat Broderick) a tour of her library, beginning with the 20-computer media center.

A day in Mrs. Meagher's library. Sandy delights, above all, in leading her library classes – 23 40-minute classes per week, in which she meets with a total of over 500 children grades 3-5. These sessions may involve read-aloud time ("I end many classes with either reading literature or introducing new literature."), assisting children to select research materials for a class project or guiding Internet explorations in the media center.

On the day of our visit, we observed a typical schedule in "Mrs. Meagher's" library: From 9:25-10:05 a.m., a class scouted for research materials on a state history project being embarked upon by the entire fourth grade. In what we quickly observed to be a typically generous and collaboration-oriented offer, Sandy proposed to coordinate a project "where I can do a lot of the work for the teachers with the children in the library." This turned into a cross-curricular project, also involving art and technology teachers, that would culminate with the creation of Pennsylvania-themed quilts to be displayed in the school's halls and in the community.

From 10:10-10:50 a.m., a class of fifth graders used handout guidelines to look up online the seven principles of Kwanzaa while Sandy offered suggestions and motivation. From 10:55-11:35 a.m. she helped locate research materials for students, then read aloud a Chinese folktale to a rapt fourth-grade audience.

"To me, if you're in a library and you close the doors and you isolate the library - that just doesn't work."

Sandy would have two more classes after lunch, followed by the afternoon book exchange (students may take out one book a day, either in the morning or at 2:00 p.m.), then do bus exit duty, this being Wednesday. Throughout the day she would also work with her assistant Gloria Haun to earmark books for those teachers who had put in requests, and write the "Library Notes" monthly newsletter, which features highlights of new additions to the library's circulation.

A teacher's best resource. Until two years ago, Sandy was instructing back-to-back sessions all day, every day – 31 of the 35 weekly instruction periods – in two different school libraries. She was increasingly frustrated by the schedule as it just wasn't conducive to her being a readily available resource to teachers.

Good-natured, persistent lobbying paid off and her administration found ways to reduce her class numbers and bring her exclusively to Lakeside. "I actually get to work with the teachers now!" she exclaimed, and illustrated this with an example from that very morning: "When I came in today, there was a note on my desk from a fifth grade reading teacher. She and a classroom teacher are doing a project on seals, so that's how I started my day; I found everything I could on seals. Then the reading teacher came in, we looked at the schedule and I slotted her in for a time when we could do this together, where I could show the students the books and websites on seals and how to get other information. So, we'll all work together to accomplish this project. This is the way I've wanted to work with teachers forever. They weren't usually coming to me before because I just wasn't available."

Teachers we spoke to testified to some of the lengths to which Sandy goes to insure they get as much out of the library as possible. "She'll have us come in after school and show us what's new and what new websites to go to. It's very exciting," said Shirley Lathrop, a fourth grade teacher. "And when new books arrive…oh my gosh, she'll have everything spread all over the tables, then we post notes on things that we want to reserve -- new software, new videos, anything like that."

For 10 years Sandy taught a state-credited summer course in the library called "Teaching with Books Through Your Curriculum." "I loved doing it, because I learned from the teachers what they're looking for [in the library]." The teachers read new books and learned ways to implement them in the classroom. As their practical project, they made web pages for their classroom to go back to school with in September. The most exciting part for Sandy was being able to introduce her whole collection and the ways the books could be used.

Sandy shares her gift for storytelling with a rapt audience.

The library's pal. Lakeside Elementary School Principal Samuel Tallo and Sandy Meagher are clearly fond of each another, as people and colleagues. Out of earshot of one another each sung the other's praises; Sandy repeatedly referred to Principal Tallo as her "best advocate." She credited him with endless moral support and with always managing to find the funds for something she feels is pertinent for the library. "Plus he really likes kids books!" She said, and fondly told of a time he brought some teachers and her to breakfast, then shopping at a nearby Scholastic book warehouse. Samuel Tallo is no less generous in his perspective on Sandy: "She does it all!" He exclaimed. "She's an integral part of the curriculum. Sandy consults with our grade level teachers all the time. Her circulation is something like 30,000 titles per year, It's phenomenal. She gets the appropriate books; she just does so much to stir the kids up and get them excited about reading."

Technologically speaking. Sandy's embrace of technology in librarianship was evident as she discussed the topic. Hers was one of the first libraries in the area for which the catalog was computerized, 17 years ago. "I have to be open to new ideas, learn all the technology possible," Sandy said. "My assistant is excellent, too. She's at the computer all day, so she's very good. I don't love to fix things –" she laughed that she's cultivated a good friendship with the "technology man" in her building – "but I love to use it; I love to have kids be able to know how to find all those resources."

She does, however, think it's paramount to balance books and technology, especially at the elementary level. She works hard to introduce children to the best literature, stating that the technology is never going to go away and has enhanced the way children learn, "but I would never want it to take the place of the wonderful books that are out there."

Shelves full of joy. At the conclusion of a long, full day, Sandy summed up her passion for her vocation: "Reading has always inspired me, helped me solve problems, learn new crafts, think lofty ideas, travel to far places; it's made me laugh, cry, be consoled and so much more. With each child I meet I work very hard to pass this joy along."

May, 2006, Vol.36, No.8