On August 13, library managers had the privilege of helping teachers from Plaza Towers Elementary teachers set up their classrooms. We arrived at 10 a.m. at their temporary location in Moore, not knowing what to expect. What we found was controlled chaos: boxes of donated supplies lining the hallway, maintenance crews with drills and hammers, and volunteers from around the community eager to lend a hand.

I found myself helping out 4th grade teacher Nikki McCurtain, along with four other managers: Katrina and Priscilla were busy organizing shelves of donated books by author and title; Chris and Barbara were decorating a bulletin board and building a cubby; I unloaded textbooks and backpacks, and set up a filing system (a perfect job for a former cataloger!)

 Another teacher popped into the room and Nikki beamed at her. “You won’t believe this! I have FIVE librarians helping me with my classroom!” She had tears in her eyes as the two colleagues hugged each other.

With this volunteer opportunity, we got to see one of the goals of our strategic plan in action: we were tangibly connecting our community to expert library staff with up-to-date knowledge, skills and abilities to deliver library services. What a great feeling! I know the other managers had equally poignant moments.