By Barbara Lichtman, School Librarian at Melrose High School

Here is a true story of how one school librarian, new to her library, successfully “renovated”…without funds! 

Once upon a time, there was a school librarian. who had to start a new job. The funny thing was that this librarian did not see or get to tour her library space during her job interview.  In fact, she did not see her library space until she started her new job. The first day she walked into her multi-room, open multi-level space, with six doors going into several different hallways, she felt like Jonah having been swallowed by the whale. How do you get comfortable in a new work environment that does not seem like home? How do you make the space your own? The little librarian thought of her favorite children’s book, The Little Engine That Could, and so she started chugging uphill with the thoughts, “I think I can...I think I can...I think I can make this open space more cozy and comfy!”  While thinking and chugging uphill, she devised a plan and began to implement it.

The Plan: Furniture/Plants/Artwork/Accessories
The first thing the little librarian did was contact all the local furniture stores and take pictures of the space she wanted to furnish. Her idea was to get some cozy chairs to create a comfy sitting area for pleasure reading. The only chairs in the library were oak, and not exactly the most comfortable. She took pictures of the areas she had in mind, marked off with masking tape to show the business owner. She then visited a local business owner who told her to check back in after the Columbus Day weekend sale. Sure enough, there were two chairs left of a special order that was canceled and never paid for. They were put in the Town and Country wagon, and away they went to the Library, happy to be off a loading dock and into a new home!

It was wonderful seeing how magnetic two cozy reading chairs immediately became! The little librarian then did a “Donations Wanted” flyer to pass out at the October Parent’s Night for grades 9-12. One family responded with a loveseat -- another tax deductible donation, and now two new “cozy” areas.

The word soon spread to local business owners and the next thing we knew, we had a donation of silk fichus trees and some potted artificial mums. This donation made the loveseat cozier and created another magazine reading area.  Teachers liked what they saw and began bringing in their plants from home! A teacher donated an aquarium and we made a terrarium. We were slowly but surely becoming a “learning space” instead of just a place.  Another teacher donated her paintings.  The little librarian quickly realized that, with more promotion, the space could be even better.

Be the Media! Be a Shameless Self-Promoter!
The little librarian talked to the PTO. The PTO contacted a local paper, and the next thing this little librarian knew, there was an interview and some pictures going to every home in Melrose.  Soon, a donation of a lovely couch and lamp appeared, and someone called to donate an oversized leather reading chair.  Now we have four cozy reading areas and the student traffic has increased in the library. Students are beginning to bring me donations of their own books to feel like they are contributing to the effort.  Students are interested in buy-in and investment.

The moral of this little librarian tale: think positive, share your vision with others, and believe in the generosity of people who wish to help your cause (a Librarian Parable that’s incomparable). And if you can’t afford to renovate, you can always REDECORATE.