After two years of teaching Spanish, Amanda Gehrke decided that working in the library would be a nice opportunity to take. 

Gehrke chose to change her position last year and she knew it would be perfect for her because of her love for books and reading. Gehrke is still getting used to the deals that come with working as a librarian, but she has had no major issues with the adjustments. While a librarian, a lot of her duties keep her busy throughout the day. 

“Some responsibilities are helping teachers find resources, teaching kids how to use the library, how to cite sources, ordering books, and making sure we have a good collection that represents all students,” Gehrke said. “I miss the day-to-day relationship with kids and seeing them and asking them about their weekend. I still have a little bit of that, but not as much.”

Gehrke has the responsibility to keep the culture of the library well by constantly keeping updated with the books and while doing so, is welcoming to the people coming in and out. The one major thing that Gehrke misses from her previous job is the connection with the students. Gehrke values having that bond as a teacher with her students which is why even as a librarian, Gehrke tries to build that relationship with the students that come into the library. She is also very thankful for the fact that even with her position as a librarian, she still sometimes teaches classes within the library which is good because it leaves the opportunity to still interact with the students even in a different environment. 

“Mrs. Gehrke has great ideas and we’ve been excited about some things we’ve been involved with,” Librarian para Melissa Collins said. “She’s adapted really well, she has jumped right in and is not afraid of the nitty-gritty. She’s made some changes which have been fun changes for the library and she’s been trying new ideas.”

Collins notices the changes Gehrke has brought to the table this year for the library and is proud and overjoyed for it. She is also elated with how she has adjusted to this position. The people around Gehrke have picked up on how she has had an amazing start to her new job this year and we are only a month in. Gehrke has shown that she is willing to learn many new things while also coming up with ideas.

“Yeah, every time I’m in the library and have a question about something, I go to her,” sophomore Miranda Garcia said. “She is very helpful and is good at explaining things easily.” 

Many students enjoy the fact that Gehrke is so welcoming and has a way of making everyone feel comfortable. Not only are her greeting skills good, but she is also very informative when it comes to things around the library. Every day is different for Gehrke because it changes depending on what falls on her plate that day. 

Not only are her greeting skills good, but she is also very informative when it comes to things around the library. She’s good at staying useful to the students that are in need of help and not making them feel uncomfortable with they come up to her. Gehrke provides a safe space for the people around her no matter the environment. 

Gehrke explains that her biggest goal is to just advocate for kids to read and to have access to all sorts of books that they are interested in. She enjoys pushing kids to read books not just for academic reasons, but for personal reasons as well. Gehrke continually tries to improve in her new position and while doing so, brings great changes to the table as well.