So Long, Adieu
So Long, Adieu
Another year has come to an end and this one is a particularly sad one for me because four of our key WGSS Library Advisory Council (LAC) members are graduating. The party started when Emma and Claire joined the LAC as brand new Grade 8s and showed their enthusiasm for supporting all aspects of the Library. They made suggestions at our regular meetings, helped out with Willowbrook Mall Gift Wrapping fundraisers, offered book title suggestions to add to our WGSS Library collection, and were instrumental in encouraging Joanne and Calysta to join the club as well.
As each year passed, I came to rely on the wonderful advice of this amazing quartet of talented girls. They have been instrumental in helping us to select the template for our school library website. They suggested names for the various subheadings on the menus, and offered ideas for what features students would find useful. They were our website Beta testers, ensuring that the layout of the website and the wording of each section was presented in a style that would appeal to our teen audience.
One thing I really appreciated, is that these four students did not mince words when asked their opinion about a library matter. That is the purpose of our LAC – to advise and they took this responsibility very seriously by offering their honest opinion. If something wasn't going to work - they let me know in no uncertain terms. They were invariably right on point, and usually they had a fantastically creative idea to suggest as an alternative. The girls were instrumental in designing the new look of the library. They helped with colour choices, the quotes on the walls, the poem in the Annex, the Doctor Who display of book covers, the naming of Cody's Corner and its choice of funky seating, the bright assortment of chairs, and the comfortable stools all passed their approval. If I needed to make a quick decision on a library issue, I knew I could usually find the girls studying or working in the Library and run an idea past them for their feedback.
Emma, Claire, Joanne, and Calysta also played a role in various social responsibility projects: helping to promote the collection of used eyeglasses for Haiti, the instigation of Intergalactic Towel Day for LAPS, collecting books to fill the Little Free Libraries, and selecting an injured owl species from The Owl Foundation to sponsor each year. (This year they decided on a little saw-whet owl.)
I know that these four amazing young ladies have a world of possibilities ahead of them. They are bright, talented, creative, dynamic, empathic, and engaging individuals and I wish them all the very best as they begin their future beyond graduation. I have so enjoyed working with them and wish them all the best. Our library is what it is, in a big part due to their contributions over the years and their passionate support.
I look forward to new members joining our LAC next September to carry on the girls' work. If you want to make a difference, to offer your opinions, and support our WGSS Library, I look forward to meeting you in the new school year.
