Heroes Between the Stacks

By Debra Young Hatch

WHO ARE YOUR CHILDHOOD HEROES? YOUR LIST MAY BE LONG, SHORT OR SOMEWHERE IN-BETWEEN. Regardless of the size of your list, more than likely in the white spaces between each name sit a few unsung heroes whose names you might not remember -- but who on a particular day gave you an all-important nudge in the right direction.

Those heroes sometimes remain in the recesses of your mind until a thought, a sound, a smell or even a place bring them and that childhood experience to the fore. And then suddenly there it is – that moment, that person, that image of someone who gave you what you needed at just the right moment.

For me, one of those heroes happens to be an elementary school librarian. As a young child, reading was a challenge for me and as a result books were often set aside in lieu of toys, games, puzzles or pets. Setting reading aside or avoiding reading altogether worked just fine in the short-term – as memorization came easily – until the day it didn’t. It was the final day for our third-grade class to select a book from the library. The assignment was to read the book, write a book report and then present it to the class; quite a daunting task for a child struggling to read.

On the final day to choose a library book, I sat quietly in the furthest corner of the library – hiding between the stacks – not knowing what to do. Then seemingly out-of-nowhere, the librarian appeared. She quietly came over and sat down on the floor right next to me, wiped away the tears and listened as I shared my fears and inability to read well. As we sat there chatting, she gently helped me pick a book, then assured me we would read it together. We did, and I successfully wrote my first book report. Although reading remained a challenge until much later in life, it was that librarian who will always sit in one of the white spaces on my hero list.

The truth is librarians are among the greatest unsung heroes who go about their jobs – or perhaps more accurately

their mission – noiselessly impacting the lives of thousands of children every day between the stacks. Certainly, the list of their duties has shifted and expanded dramatically over the years, but the underpinnings of their mission remain constant: to inspire, educate, enlighten and encourage children on their journeys of learning and loving to read. No doubt each librarian has their own plan for accomplishing their mission; however, always present are five integral elements:

• Creating a culture of literacy –schoolwide

• Developing curiosity – a love of reading

• Inspiring social and emotional growth

• Encouraging creativity and imagination

• Educating and teaching technology skills

And within their overarching plans, school librarians are perpetually on the path of innovating and adapting to the times and making the most of the dollars they are given – all for kids’ sake. A prime example of adaptability, creativity and expertise in uncharted territory would be during the COVID-19 pandemic when libraries and librarians became shining beacons of education as they helped teachers, kids and parents navigate distance reading and learning in every way imaginable.

So cheers to all of the librarians –childhood heroes – who share their knowledge, expertise and kindness with kids between the stacks! We celebrate you and all you do for the kids who walk through your doors every day. With that in mind, today consider pausing and taking a moment out of the “busyness” of life and thank a librarian for what they do for all of our children. They are giving an extraordinary gift for kids and for our communities as whole – not just for today or tomorrow; it’s a gift for life.

Debra Young Hatch is a children’s author of “Giraffes in My Closet”; you can learn more about her here: https://forkidssakepublishing.com/our-story/

Debra Young Hatch