by Jenna Bloom ’21

The library is one of the most resourceful spaces at Sherwood, constantly hustling and bustling with students doing research or checking out books. Since the coronavirus pandemic, Sherwood’s media center staff have seen a major change in the work they do, but have continued to carry out their roles, benefitting both students and staff.

Media Specialist Stephanie Flaherty works to curate resources to support the learning happening at school, assist with any personal research/investigation students and staff may want to pursue, and provide “pleasure” reading (a variety of fiction and magazines) for everyone. 

This year, Flaherty has worked to create a diverse collection of e-books so students can see the world through wider perspectives, and find books that they can both relate to and learn from. She has also spent time reviewing online resources that are fit for virtual instruction. 

For the month of February, Flaherty constructed an online calendar, sharing resources for Black History Month. Each day has a different piece of literature centered around Black culture, so students can immerse themselves in different perspectives. “Being a librarian is a unique role,” said Flaherty about the importance of keeping people educated on Black History Month. “Our jobs require us to be the keepers of the past and also the information leaders for the future.” Flaherty explains that Black History Month provides an opportunity to both remind and educate the community on the significance of our local area in the struggle of African American rights and freedoms. “I don’t want the history to be lost,” Flaherty added.

With the building returning to a hybrid model of school soon, Flaherty says that students should look forward to the library “putting in place a method to reserve books to check-out, and contactless pickup and collection starting to happen.”