Appreciating Libraries

Happy Library Lovers Month! I’m sure that most of the students at Kenmore West have seen our library before, but how often do you visit? How many books do you check out? Our library is an excellent resource and a calm environment that's good for quiet work time and quick access to everything you need. 

I got the opportunity to interview Mrs. Aszkler and ask her not only about our school library but also about herself and her job as one of our school librarians.

Mrs. Aszkler has been a librarian for 18 years, starting from her first job as a librarian in 2007. Originally she was going for a degree in anthropology, but after a recommendation from a close friend of her professor, she switched to a library science degree and got her Master's, which is necessary to be a librarian. When asked what she does in her day-to-day life, she said, “I teach classes on how to research with sources and credibility, the importance of citation, stuff like that. I teach students about AI and how to understand and stay safe with them and I order books with established criteria and add them to the library. We just completed our inventory, so we’re looking through the section to do some weeding. I also get a lot of random emails from day to day and every day is different for me. Some days are more library management and some are more teaching. It’s a flexible job.” 

If you’re not quite sure where to start when finding a book at the library, Mrs. Aszkler would recommend the Historical Fiction or Nonfiction sections to browse through. If you’re looking for a specific book, she listed Tell The Machine Goodnight, a science fiction novel, as a great piece of literature to read. She also recommended the works of Jane Jacobs.

Even if you aren’t interested in visiting our school library specifically, it’s still good to visit one every once in a while. Mrs. Aszkler made another great point, reminding us why public libraries are important: “They’re one of the cornerstones of democracy. They allow citizens to have free access to information, anywhere from how to pay their taxes to learning a new hobby. Studies show that having a library with a certified librarian in a school increases test scores. If we don’t have access to credible information, we are no longer free. Either way, I feel like it’s important to interact with texts, like the written word. Whether it's books, magazines, or articles, it's important to boost your critical thinking. I’m so worried because kids as a whole are getting dumber, and reading is the medicine for that.”

Libraries are more important than you might think, so if you ever have time, stop by. Look around. See if you can find something you like. And if you see any of the librarians around, tell them you appreciate them.