The GHS Library holds many features. It’s not just for checking books in and out, and there’s so much more that goes into its everyday operations.
Ms. Aimee Parrill only started in her position as the GHS librarian in the fall of 2024, but her impact so far has been strong. Her journey to bring literature to our school is an ongoing task, showing her passion and love for education. She is one of the many people responsible for the recent changes for the library. Several individuals have been involved in this transition and there have been many processes and procedures involved.
According to Ms. Parrill, when she first started in her position, the library was in poor shape. “We had books that were over forty years old,” she claimed. “All the nonfiction books were completely out of date. So I had to go through and remove all those out-of-date books, and include books that did not garner student interest and hadn’t been checked out in ten years.”
On top of all her regular duties, Ms. Parrill has other tasks that require her attention. “I am also in charge of the textbooks, keeping inventory of all the school supplies and providing Chromebook technical support,” she said. “As much as I want to focus on this, I am focusing on all parts, all at the same time.”
Ms. Parril began the process formally known as weeding, in which all the titles in the library are reviewed and either kept or discarded. Her dedication and love of literature inspired her to take on this massive task on her own.
Ms. Parrill believes that “reading is the foundation of learning.” She added, “Learning is knowledge, and knowledge is power.”
But this wedding project is only the beginning. Ms. Parrill has already started to bring fresh, new books to our campus. She will continue to advocate for specific funds to expand the library’s overall collection of new reading material. Many new books will come, including beginner English books for our ELD students, world language books for our bilingual population, and other books about subjects people are interested in, such as chess.
“Prior to 2024, I do not know when the books were last purchased for the library,” she admitted. “With the support of our administrators, we were able to purchase our first big book order in the Fall of 2024.”
“Fortunately, with Dr. [Lynette] Ohanian and Ms. [Hasmik] Simonyan’s support, we were able to get our first big purchase of books, specifically, reading books,” she announced. The support of these two GHS administrators has helped prioritize allocating funds, to ensure that the library has new reading books for students.
The shelves in the library are no longer just sitting there and collecting dust. With every new book added, we will see more kids checking them out and using these wonderful resources as they should be. Ultimately, the library is a tool to learn and have fun in the world of literature.
But if we are getting books, who’s paying for them? Some schools in our District “have admins that don’t support their libraries, and it is sad when other libraries don’t have many books,” according to Ms. Parrill.
Another obstacle that library clerks face is the new process to remove weeded books. One GUSD school has removed approximately 7,000 books from its shelves, but all of these titles need to be board approved and take up space and minutes in the board report. The school has been waiting months for the titles to be included in the board report before they work on the next step of officially removing the books.
This process is long and complex. It is a job for those who are strong-willed and unwilling to give up. So far, Ms. Parrill has successfully gotten rid of approximately 20,000 books, and soon more will come to take their place. But these items are not going into the trash but will be donated. Any GHS student is welcome to ask to see these books and take them home for themselves at no cost.
These older books are waiting to find new homes. Despite the fact that they are fairly outdated, and they are not in the newest or best condition, that doesn’t mean they deserve to go to the landfill.
Students are also free to donate books of their own, as well as recommend and request books for Ms. Parrill to purchase. Her wish list is constantly growing, and she is doing her very best so that these books can come to our library shelves.
When we come together, we can achieve our goals more efficiently. Ms. Parrill is only one person, but all her hard work and dedication have paid off. Changes are on the way, and the more people take part, the faster these changes will come.
We need books. They are essential in our school, as they foster and encourage the exploration of different cultures, different languages and beyond.
