By Harpinder Kaur, Meagan Kinney and Teandra Pierre Lewis
Ever wonder about our school librarian? In
our recent interview, we sat down with our school librarian. Ms. Stern, the librarian of West Hempstead High School, discussed how she became a librarian, and she revealed her passion for what she does. Ms.Stern has been educated in Library Science and has a degree from LIU. We also learned that there is much more to do as a librarian than just sorting books.
We had the opportunity to catch Ms.Stern during her 5th-period lunch break. Our first few questions were related to the general topic on how she came to be in the library field. Ms.Stern told us how much she loves being a librarian, especially in a public school. She also mentioned how she likes to teach library methods for students to carry out into the real world, “I like working with kids. I try to teach how to properly research various topics using many methods.”
Ms.Stern, surprisingly never saw herself working in a library in her early years. One day in college she was given a brochure about becoming a librarian, which she immediately ripped apart. At one point she was working in an office, but she didn’t enjoy it. After a while, her husband told her about an opening as a librarian at Rutgers University. Skeptical at first, Ms.Stern ended up loving the library and then finished college at LIU with a degree in library sciences.
When it comes to working in a library with students and staff, she says, “It’s what you make of it.”
Over time, many changes have been made in education, including the increase of technology. This topic has directly affected the library. Ms.Stern likes the use of technology and thinks it is good for students to be exposed to different types of researching, “It’s a nice thing to go paperless. Going digital is a good way to catch up. If it makes your life easier, I like it”.
Another thing Ms.Stern is realizing is the change in types of books they have. Since technology has risen, most of the research is done on online databases which offer a whole range of different types of information. This directly has an effect on the books offered in the library, especially in the non-fiction genre. Most encyclopedias have remained untouched and now it's time that the library clears out the non-fiction area. After trying to preserve the area for as long as she possibly can, Ms.Stern accepts the change in technology for the convenience it offers to the students and herself.
Many people don’t know the truth about the work and life of a librarian. Being a librarian isn’t as easy as you may think. Ms. Stern has to be caught up with all different kinds of media and make sure the books in the library are carrying out its purposes. Visit the library for research in Science or English or come select the newest bestseller. Mrs. Stern and her assistant Mrs. D’Angelo are there to help everyone.
This is Mr. DeTommaso’s first year here as principal and he is motivated to bring great visions for the future of West Hempstead to action.
