When it comes to libraries, let’s keep the faith
Growing up as an educator’s daughter, I spent afternoons running the halls of my mom’s school with the other teachers’ kids, waiting on our parents to finish grading papers, attend faculty meetings or otherwise close out their duties. My mom was a public school librarian.
At some point they were renamed “media coordinators” because they do a lot more than simply check out books. Today’s media coordinators manage technology, update websites, host guest speakers, coordinate book fairs and a slew of other things.
When I was a student at my mom’s K-2 school, I’d walk from my classroom to the library and spend the next hour or more eating a snack from the vending machine, flipping through books on the shelves, messing around with the projector or laminating machine, or playing hide and seek with the other children. We didn’t have cell phones or tablets to keep us occupied so we had to squelch the boredom with whatever we could conjure up. At the time it seemed like the most mundane part of my day. I dreaded entertaining myself, but when I reflect upon those afternoon shenanigans, I smile at the memories.
As a third-grader, I moved on to Weaverville Elementary which also had an active library. At some point, I stumbled upon “A Little Princess” by Frances Hodgson Burnett and was captivated by Sarah Crewe’s story set in a Victorian boarding school. I was so obsessed with this book, I often moved it to an incorrect shelf so that no one could find it and it would always be available when I wanted to read it again. In retrospect, that feels like a naughty thing to have done.
Purchasing books was complicated when I was growing up, and the only way I remember owning books was through a school book fair or via a Scholastic flyer, and boy did I love a book fair and a Scholastic flyer. Curling up on our couch with a pen and that flimsy flyer was a highlight of my year. I’d circle the books I wanted and then my mom would make me narrow it down to three because with two teachers in the house, we didn’t have a ton of money to spend on books, especially when we could just as easily check them out.
Weaverville Public Library was another special place in my life. During the summers and as a part-time job, my mom often worked in this library which is on the main drag and a walkable destination for families who live and work in and around downtown, which we did.
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When I became a mom, the library was a favorite place to take my two little boys. Before moving to Waynesville, we lived in Candler and would visit the Enka-Candler Library or the North Asheville Library. If we drove to Weaverille to visit my parents, we never missed an opportunity to visit the Weaverville Library, which continues to be a nostalgic place for me.
Fast forward a few years to when my boys were a little older and my mom picked them up from First United Methodist Preschool and Junaluska Elementary School. After pick-up, they’d often venture over to the Waynesville Library to check out a stack of books and participate in activities. When I got home from work, the boys and my mom would inevitably be on the floor with books spread everywhere.
During my years teaching language arts at Waynesville Middle School, Karen Kreitzburg was the media coordinator and her library was the heartbeat of our school. She created a welcoming space for all students, a place of reprieve where they could come to relax and read. During the day, there would be a class on one side of the library checking out books with a different class on the other side at the computer lab section creating multimedia projects. Additionally, she hosted guest authors and writing workshops several times throughout the year. My students’ lives and academic experiences were enriched by having such an incredible media center.
When one of my kids or I need a book, we try to find it at a school or public library before impulsively clicking the “Buy Now” button on Amazon. Librairies, of all types, continue to serve as a place of serenity in a world of continual overstimulation, for me and others.
I say all of this because libraries and media centers have been integral throughout my entire life. My memories are more colorful because of libraries and the people who work in them, and I know I’m not the only person who feels this way. For many, a public library is their safe space, a place away from the noise, and for some, their only access to books and the internet.
In an executive order signed in early March 2025, the Trump administration mandated the reduction of seven agencies, including one that funds libraries around the country: the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). I couldn’t breathe for a second when I read this. Does he do these things for a shock factor or merely to be cruel? Anyone who has ever enjoyed a book or utilized a library knows how special they are. I’m wondering if President Trump has ever read a book. If so, it probably miraculously landed in his lap. It makes me sad for him and anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure of checking out a book.
As with many of his executive orders, this one feels unnecessary and malicious, a way to punish the innocent and those without means to buy books. Or, maybe it’s part of his plan to censor the content we consume. My entire life would’ve had a different trajectory if I hadn’t been exposed to so many libraries and books. I must keep the faith that school and public libraries will continue to thrive in the ways they always have. Faith and fear are both invisible emotions so if I have to choose one, I’ll always choose faith. Cheers to all of the libraries and librarians out there. Keep doing your thing. It’s appreciated more than you know.
(Susanna Shetley is an editor, writer and digital media specialist. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)
