Librarians of Aotearoa: Some Dusty Shelves, A Lot of Books, and The Unexpected Passion

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When Jess Starr walked into the role of librarian at Ruakākā School in Northland, the library had been out of action for years while it served as a classroom. Jess tells us about the journey of relaunching the library, and the importance of carving out a dedicated library space for tamariki.

After several years of our school library masquerading as a classroom, it was nearly time to move the desks and relaunch the library space. That’s when I walked into the role. While I had no library or school experience, I did have many years of records and project management experience under my belt. I felt confident that these skills would transfer well and be a great start to figuratively and literally unpacking the space to ensure it was what our tamariki needed. There were many tasks I wanted to take on, but without being able to get into the space, my options were limited, so I focused on what I could accomplish. 

I familiarized myself with the AccessIt database and began networking with the library community. Then I came across National Library Services to Schools. I found this to be one of the most amazing resources for school librarians. I was particularly excited about the ability to borrow books. Our tamariki hadn’t had the opportunity to browse for books in a very long time. I ordered a new trolley, 100 reading engagement titles from Services to Schools, and I became a Mobile Librarian in the Wild! These visits were a huge hit. It was a really special opportunity to make connections with the tamariki.

I am a firm believer that a library’s collection should be both a door and a mirror – a door to step into another world and a mirror where you see yourself

I am a firm believer that a library’s collection should be both a door and a mirror – a door to step into another world and a mirror where you see yourself. While familiarizing myself with our collection, I noted that there were not many te reo Māori titles on the shelves. Our kura has a full immersion rumaki unit and these students make up about one third of our school. It is important that all of our tamariki see themselves reflected in our library collection. I worked closely with the rumaki team and added a large amount of te reo Māori titles to our collection, as well as ensuring I had a good selection of te reo Māori titles from my good friends at Services to Schools for the rumaki classes to browse and borrow.

A few building delays resulted in a few more trips with the blue trolley, but one magic day it happened…the library was ready to be relaunched! The principal and I knew that we needed to add something really special to the space to commemorate our relaunch. We came across a beautiful centrepiece that we agreed needed to be added to our library. I turned to a local charity to request funding, and we received it!  

Knowing that the Learning Tree, the new focal point of our library, was on its way, I turned my attention to the rest of the space. When finally standing in the library space, I was quite overwhelmed. So much to do! Where do I even start!?!  I had a visit from our Services to Schools Facilitator. It was fantastic to have a knowledgeable person to bounce ideas off and she certainly sent me in the right direction. One of my favorite bits leading up to our relaunch was what has become known in local folklore as the Great Book Culling of 2022. Like most of us, I love books – I get emotionally tied to books, see each one as taonga, and find it difficult to part with them.  The first strategy I learned was called “the ick test.”  If it looks icky, out it goes! The second strategy is to be ruthless. The library isn’t a museum, and we must make space to be able to bring in new amazing titles!

After a lot of culling, sorting, organizing, reorganizing, wiping and dusting, the Learning Tree was up. We were ready for our relaunch. We dedicated our Learning Tree to one of our teacher aides who had recently passed away. It was a beautiful way to connect this new piece with our kura and our community. So the ribbon was cut, and we were officially open for business!  

The kids were so excited to finally be able to visit the library. For many of our tamariki, this was the first time they had ever visited a library. In addition to our classroom visits, I made it a point to be open for morning tea and lunchtime. I have found that there are so many who make a beeline to visit the library during these breaks. We have colouring, Lego, games, puzzles, books, and iPads connected to a digital/audiobook app.  It has truly become the hub of our kura. 

Here I am now, almost two years since the doors reopened, reflecting on how far the space has come, and how far I have come.  I did not realize what a passion this role would become. Since starting at Ruakākā School, I have had the opportunity to broaden my horizons in so many ways. I am fortunate to be in a kura that understands the importance of not just a library space, but also the importance of a passionate and engaged librarian. I am also fortunate to have the support and trust of my principal and staff to develop the library space, develop library programmes, and develop the role of the librarian in our school.

I am fortunate to be in a kura that understands the importance of not just a library space, but also the importance of a passionate and engaged librarian

Becoming a librarian changed my trajectory. I have worked with the AnyQuestions team curating resources for a Te Tai Tokerau entry for ManyAnswers. We also collaborated on a pilot project around librarians supporting student learning. I have enrolled in a Level 2 Certificate in te reo Māori so I can better communicate with our tamariki in the rumaki unit. I applied for and received a grant to fund my Bachelor of Library and Information Studies to build my skills and abilities to support our kura from my role. I am taking advantage of all of these opportunities in order to make myself a better librarian. It’s a passion I never knew I had.

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