My name is Haley Moody Bryant and I am a librarian-in-training taking on my last semester of my masters program. I have just recently moved to East Tennessee after getting married, so I have been working hard to build relationships with schools around town with the hopes that they will allow me to intern with them this semester. After many months of searching and researching for a placement school, I have finally located two school librarians who are willing to take me on as an intern!
Today was my first day meeting with the librarian, Mrs. Nicole Morris, at Greeneville Middle School. We spoke briefly about my expectations and what was required of her, and she was able to show me around her library. This library is stunning because it is literally the center of the school. I always love telling people that the library should be the heart of the town or of the school, and Greeneville Middle Schools library is exactly that. The sides that directly attach to hallways have no walls, so it is open and inviting for students and teachers. While an open library is beautiful, Mrs. Morris discussed some of the downfalls of having no walls, stating that it can be incredibly loud when grades are changing classes while she is instructing a class. She also briefly showed me her collection, which features books for low-level readers, Spanish speakers, and much more. Her collection is mostly hardback books, but she does have a bookshelf dedicated to paperback books that have been donated. Her fiction section is organized by authors last name, but also has the series number on the spine, which has been an incredible help in her library. Finally, she showed me her non-fiction section, which was just as large as the fiction section. Unfortunately, the non-fiction section and reference section are rarely touched.
Mrs. Morris is typically at the school from 7 a.m. to just after 3 p.m., and offers games, homework help, tutoring, and activities for students who arrive at school early. She is one of the first teachers in the school every morning even though she has a 45 minute commute every single day. Her incredible work has definitely been noticed, earning her Teacher of the Year during the 2016-2017 school year.
I am excited to get started on this internship and learn the motions of a middle school librarian!
Best,
Haley
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