April Member Spotlight: Creating Community and Belonging in the Barnesville Exempted Village School District Library 

This month we are inspired by Lisa Gallagher, teacher librarian at Barnesville Exempted Village School District. By connecting with students, Lisa has created a vibrant and inclusive community in her library via a variety of engaging clubs. The club activities not only provide enrichment, they also cultivate community and belonging, letting all students know that the library is a place for everyone. In the interview that follows, you can sense the excitement and welcoming nature Lisa brings to her work.  

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your library? 

A: My name is Lisa Gallagher, and I have been the Barnesville Exempted Village School District teacher librarian for the past 36 years. Through the years, I have taught at all grade levels, and I am currently assigned to Barnesville High School, where I oversee the library and teach a 21st Century Literacies class focusing on information, media, and digital literacies. 

Barnesville is located in western Belmont County, near St. Clairsville, Ohio. The district serves approximately 1,400 students in preschool through 12th grade. Students are encouraged to excel academically and athletically, believing the two together make a more successful, well-rounded person in the future with better leadership qualities. To enhance their experience, students may join various clubs that allow them to learn outside the classroom and serve their community. 

Q: Can you tell us about the clubs and how you create community and belonging in your library?  

A: In my library space, everyone is welcome. I tell my students, “Be kind, be inclusive, be respectful—this space is for everyone.” They know that the library is a place where they can feel safe, heard, and respected. To build a sense of community with my students, I develop relationships centered on their interests.  

As a result, I have created various clubs for students to participate in during Barnesville High School’s green period. This daily period is when students can make up work, receive academic help, and attend club meetings. First, I looked at my own interests and skill set and created the Silent Read Club and the Itch to Stitch Club. Then, I turned to my conversations and interactions with students and started the Chess Club and Dungeons & Dragons group. Through observations of students enjoying the jigsaw puzzles in the library, I started the Jigsaw Puzzle Club. Each club meets weekly in the library during green period, growing a sense of community among the club participants and in the library.

Q: That’s a wonderful variety of interests! Can you share details about each of the clubs? What are some positive outcomes you’ve noticed as the students engage with the clubs?

A: On Mondays, the Chess Club meets to play chess. Knowing how to play chess is not a requirement to participate in this club. Watching students become teachers of the game is a significant outcome from this group. Also, the willingness to interact with each other over a chessboard has forged friendships and a love for the game. Some students are even borrowing the chess games to play against teachers and at lunchtime. 

The Silent Read Club is on Tuesdays. This club is for students who want a quiet place to read and discuss their books with other reading enthusiasts. As a club, the students decided to read a book of their choice in silence for 15-20 minutes. After the reading time, the club members are encouraged to share and recommend books. Many of them have traded books or have chosen to read the same book together. The students read a variety of genres: comic books, classics, nonfiction, and fantasy. 

A: Wednesdays are reserved for the Itch to Stitch group. To start, I reached out to students by offering to teach them to knit, a hobby of mine. Since then, it has expanded to include anything that involves yarn or thread. Again, this is an opportunity for students to share and teach others new skills. This year, we are expanding into sewing and embroidery. 

The Jigsaw Puzzle Club meets on Thursdays. This club was to focus on speed puzzling when I began it. However, the students have turned it into a fun and social activity. When students sit around a table working on a puzzle, they interact with each other, sharing their ideas, feelings, and experiences. Jigsaw puzzles are also a way to reduce anxiety and stress for the students. Many come to the library during free time to continue working on a puzzle. 

Finally, Dungeons & Dragons started solely because students wanted to learn how to play or to expand their playing time. I do not know how to play the game, so the students were thrilled to share their knowledge with an adult. After meeting to develop characters and campaigns, the students meet on their own time to play. Students have stepped up and become dungeon masters, developing leadership skills. 

Q: Do you have any tips for folks who would like to try the same strategies in their library? 

A: My first tip is not to be afraid to start! I tend to be an over-thinker and a perfectionist with no budget. If I waited for the funds, I might still be waiting. So I depended on the generosity of others and the willingness of other librarians and educators to share their ideas at conferences and on listserv groups. You do not have to be an expert to start. Let the students lead and teach you. I have been a role model for flexibility and willingness to admit mistakes and learn from them. 

My second tip is to ask colleagues, students, and the community to donate equipment and supplies. My advice is to be specific about what you need and why. It is amazing what people have sitting in their homes and classrooms, looking for a place to get rid of the clutter or items. It really is a win-win situation. It is also good for our repurposing of unwanted supplies and materials. 

My last tip is to write a grant, connecting your project to school or library goals and initiatives. I wrote and received a grant from the Barnesville Area Education Foundation. The grant allowed me to create a makerspace for my library. I tied my project to students learning to think critically, to collaborate with others, and other life skills. I was able to add a Cricut Maker, a press, and a second sewing machine. Also, the grant included equipment to create multimedia projects and podcasts.  

Q: Are there any other points of pride or exciting happenings in your library? 

A: Always! Libraries and librarians are always evolving to fit the needs of their patrons. I wrote and received a second grant from the Barnesville Area Education Foundation to develop an Esports program at the high school. The students and I are anticipating the arrival of the gaming machines. This spring, I will be surveying the students about their interest in joining the team. My principal, Mr. Ron Clark, and I are collaboratively developing our Esports program and are hoping to begin competition as a member of Esports of Ohio next year.