By Emily Webb
Editor-in-Chief, ’17, English
Mrs. Lisa Farrow, a librarian at LaGrange College, has been friends with Senior Nicole Cato since Nicole was a freshman. “She’s very helpful,” Nicole says. “She’s like my mom here at school.”
This relationship made Nicole want to establish a connection with the other librarians. She says, “I am grateful for the relationship I have with Mrs. Farrow and the other librarians. Without their role in the library, I would never have gotten to know them. I wanted to express my gratitude for their help.”
With this idea in mind, Nicole learned about National Library Workers Day. The idea was proposed in 2003 by the American Library Association and has been celebrated since 2004. Since the day is not a national holiday—it’s just a day of observance—different groups and organizations can celebrate it when they please.
In other communities, National Library Workers Day is celebrated by giving rewards to the librarians, holding luncheons for the librarians, or donating money to the library. At LaGrange College, National Library Week has been observed before, but this particular day has never been celebrated.
Coincidentally, one of the assignments for Professor Alvin Lingenfelter’s Transformational Leadership class is an advocacy project, designed to inspire a student to advocate a cause she’s passionate about.
Now, Nicole wants everyone at LaGrange College to know about National Library Workers Day.
Professor Lingenfelter asks the students to establish goals with each of their projects, and Nicole set some of her own: “to inspire students to reach out, to connect people and foster relationships, to inspire gratitude, to bring smiles to faces and happiness through socializing, and to return care to hard-working people.”
Nicole wants to create an event that allows her to “express [her] gratitude for their help and have an outlet for other people to, as well.” Therefore, next Tuesday April 21, during contact hour, librarians will be available for the campaign, “Hugs and Thank You.” Refreshments and lemonade will be served outside the library. This way, the students will be able to mingle with the librarians while enjoying a light lunch.
Nicole is also hoping to “start a positive social media campaign in correlation, using the hashtags LCnlwd2015 or hugsandthankyou.” The event will be open to anyone who wants to participate.
“Perhaps in the future,” she hopes, “this day will be celebrated each school year.”
