Look for the Helpers (part 1)

Many have heard of the Mr. Rogers quote about looking for the helpers. It is an interesting way to view the world. And right now, our world, for all intents and purposes, is the library at the Jane Adeny Memorial School.

We arrived here several days ago ready to not only to fulfill Dr. Teresa Wasonga’s vision for the library at Jane Adeny Memorial School, but to do it from a position of service. We saw ourselves, in one sense, as helpers. What we didn’t anticipate were the helpers that would show up to be of service to us.

Looking back, we should have seen this coming. We are all school librarians. We all have those students who find the library a comforting space. And many of those same students eagerly lend a helping hand when we need it.

There are universals, and apparently library helpers are one of those universals. It didn’t take long for students to show up in the library. At first, they wanted to chat and ask questions and get to know us better. We shared a bit about our lives. They did the same. We got to know each other. We connected.

And we were thrilled with those connections. It gave us the chance to talk with students about their lives and specifically their reading lives. It allowed us to understand their needs around the library better, to hopefully serve their needs.

But they decided to also help us.

As we carried discarded books to a storage room, they asked to help. So many students carried books at times that we just positioned ourselves in the storage room to receive them. As bookshelves emptied as we sorted the collection, several ran off and returned with soapy water and rags to wipe down every inch of the shelving.

They showed up, and without us asking, they have become our helpers time after time.

I think part of the reason Mr. Rogers talked about looking for the helpers was a call for all of us and try to emulate them, to try to do right by those that were selfless. That is certainly what we want to do for the amazing young girls at this school.