During sixth period, the library is filled with students studying before their extracurricular activities. They whisper, not wanting to disturb the librarian or any other quiet workers. There are about ten to fifteen students in the library, the fullest the library gets all day. The new librarian, Rachel Lodge, hopes to change this.
“It’s really important to me that this be a safe space for everybody who wants to use it, and I want to make it engaging for the people who want to use it,” Lodge said.
Lodge became AGHS’s new librarian at the start of October. Starting her career at Ocean View 11 years ago, Lodge combined her passion for reading with her love of sharing books with kids.
“I’ve always loved to read and I’ve loved books. When the opportunity came up to work at the elementary school, it was the opportunity to kind of combine my love of books [and] sharing that with kids,” Lodge said.
At Ocean View, Lodge read books to students while they sat on the floor. However, high school students don’t want to have a story read to them.
“The hardest part for me so far has been figuring out how to interact with the high school students,” Lodge said.
However, students already seem to be warming up to her. A student and her held a long conversation regarding the student’s Chromebook, both cracking jokes. Lodge smiled at the boy’s humor.
She has also noticed an environmental difference. The elementary school is small and everybody knows each other, contrasting with the big campus of AGHS. However, Lodge notes how the people she has met have been.
“[Faculty members] have been really friendly and welcoming,” Lodge said.
AGHS Principal Brad Grumbles previously worked at Ocean View with Lodge and is a familiar face on campus.
However, he isn’t the only one. Working at the elementary school, prior to working at AGHS, led Lodge to create connections with a lot of the kids that went to Ocean View and now attend AGHS. She notes that these familiar faces offer comfort in the new environment.
“A lot of the kids are surprised that I remember them and it is cool to see them all grown up,” Lodge said. “[I] have [followed] them all the way through. That’s really neat. That’s been something I didn’t expect would be as special as it has [been].”
Lodge expressed her excitement to be a part of the AGHS community and is ready to make the library a warm and welcoming place for students.
