Our AGHS school library is a vital part of our campus. It’s a home that’s open at all times of the day. With the help of our school librarian Rachel Lodge and students of Arroyo Grande, the library becomes a special space to many.
Before School
Arroyo Grande High School student, Riley Helming (‘27), gets dropped off at the school around 8 am every day. He enters campus and looks to kill time before the first period starts. Most mornings are chilly and standing in the open is the last thing one wants to do. He seeks shelter in the one place that is always open: the library.
Lodge finds herself walking into school earlier and earlier everyday to try and open up before students arrive. Rarely does she arrive and see no students waiting at the door.
“There are always students waiting outside… I open up really quick so I can get them inside,” Lodge said.
Community
The library holds many things. It carries materialistic things: books, textbooks, and Chromebooks; but it’s more than that. It carries heavy things: support for mental health, games to enjoy, laughter to share, and friends to enjoy those moments with.
Lodge is the keeper of these things. She is in charge of managing the students, books, and vibes. Students think of the library as a community and a place of comfort from judgmental teachers or a rough home life.
“There’s regular students who show up every day, depending on when they dropped off, and I like that. Some students hang out with their friends, and others do homework,” Lodge said.
The library is more of a home than people think, it’s not just a place to check books in and out.
During School
Students come into the library at all times of the day. Many use the library as a space because of the lack of distractions and low volume. Some go into the library and do homework, clear their heads, and even make up tests. Lodge does a great job managing and keeping track of students that come in and out of the library.
Lunch
Lunch is the busiest time of the day for the library. Students come in and do homework, eat lunch, and mingle with friends. It’s become a safe space for many kids who attend the library at any point in their day. The atmosphere and vibes make the library welcoming to anyone.
“I went into the library because I got my privileges taken away and the amount of people there was insane. So many groups, people there for different reasons, and just so many books,” Bella Strickland (‘26) said.
Services
The library offers many services. Lodge checks out around 800 library books at any given time, and circulates around 3,000 books over the course of the year. A big part of the job is also tracking down missing supplies that students don’t give back to the school.
“If a student disenrolls, we try to make sure we get their Chromebook [and] any textbooks that they have or forgot to return. It’s a very time consuming process and it’s hard making sure we get everything back,” Lodge said.”
Rachel Lodge
Lodge originally worked at the same school her daughters attended, Ocean View Elementary. She always loved to read and work with kids so when her daughter told her about her school needing a librarian she jumped at the opportunity.
“My older daughter was in the second grade, and she came home one day and said, ‘mom the librarian is leaving, you should be the new librarian’ and just after that conversation I interviewed and ended up getting the job,” Lodge said.
Lodge works hard to manage the library into a safe community for students. Those who wouldn’t usually interact with each other are given the chance to bond over books, homework, and chess.
