Anna Lapid
While it’s hard to imagine the Aragon library without head librarian Anna Lapid, becoming a librarian wasn’t always part of her plan.
“I’d actually applied to Ara- gon to be an English teacher … I thought I would live and die an English teacher,” Lapid said. “[But] I was told … they didn’t need [one] and that I should be the librarian.”
“I get to teach and not bring home papers to grade”
However, everything worked out in the end, and luckily, Lapid found her place in both the Aragon and Capuchino libraries. “It’s great — I get to teach and not bring home papers to grade,” Lapid said. “I love teaching information literacy [and that] every day is different.”
Many students may feel averse to the librarians because part of their job is enforcing strict rules; however, Lapid also dislikes having to crack down on students.
“[I don’t particularly enjoy] patrolling the library at lunchtime [and] making sure that people aren’t eating inside,” Lapid said.
Along with the diverse student population, Lapid also appreciates the staff that she works alongside.
“I think what’s unique about Aragon is that the staff is very cohesive. They all have their eye on the same prize, which is student achievement,” Lapid said.
“I think that [the library] should be better utilized for collaborative
learning”
After students graduate, Lapid sometimes gets to see past students.
“There have been students who have graduated, and they have brought back books,” Lapid laughs, “[Sometimes] they weren’t even usable.”
Lapid strives to keep the Aragon library an environment that encourages student success and wants to see it evolve into a space where students feel welcome and comfortable.
“I think that [the library] should be better utilized for collaborative learning with comfortable seating and tables where people can congregate,” Lapid said.
Michaela Pisaro
Libraries have always been a huge part of librarian and media technician Michaela Pisaro’s life. She helps keep both the Aragon and Capuchino libraries running.
Pisaro admires the work put into sharing knowledge and helping others.
“I grew up in the Czech Republic, [and] I would always go to the public library,” Pisaro said. “It was a place to check out a book, be quiet, and [I would] keep going back.”
To her, libraries were not only places of comfort, but also information and education.
“I used [the library] for my assignments,” Pisaro said. “I talk[ed] to the reference librarian, and she was so helpful; she pointed me to the resources I should look into.”
From then on, Pisaro has kept her love of libraries alive, eventually transforming her passion into her current job.
“The potential of librar- ies is enormous. They just keep on evolving to serve the community,” Pisaro said. “I really love public libraries, [and when I found the Aragon library], I thought ‘This is the place I want to work,’ because I like working with the youth.”
“We try to foster … an inclusive, respectful and a healthy learning environment”
Pisaro is passionate about helping students and providing them with a variety of resources.
“[I help them] look for relevant resources for their projects or guide them on how to use databases. We share the new arrivals that we get, so we also spread the love of reading,” Pisaro said. “We try to foster … an inclusive, respectful and a healthy learning environment.”
Pisaro’s dedication to helping young people grow into well-rounded individuals extends beyond the library.
“I volunteer in a children’s hospital,” Pisaro said. “I get to go actually see patients who are in isolation. They cannot come to the library, so we bring stories to them. It’s really awesome.”
As much as Pisaro cares for her students, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine — sometimes it’s broken books and library fines.
“[I don’t like] cleaning after students or cleaning books that have been misused. Sometimes I cannot believe that they actually get returned in that state … It makes me sad,” Pisaro said. “[I also dislike] having to announce that they have to pay for their lost materials. In the end, a lot of them find it, but the textbooks are really expensive.”
Both librarians hope to keep developing the Aragon library in order to best fuel student progress. Pisaro shares some of their ideas to enrich the library with new resources and opportunities for students.
“The library is getting new furniture, and I heard we’re getting new computers as well, so that’s going to allow us to create more flexible learning spaces,” said Pisaro. “We’re also thinking about making [the nonfiction area] more relevant by [putting notes] saying ‘Why don’t you look into these databases?’… if you’re not finding [what you need] on the shelf.”
