By Darshini Dayanidhi
Almost everyone at Williamsville East knows Mrs. Weber. She is a familiar presence in the library, whether she is helping a student track down a book, answering a research question, setting up an activity or simply making the library feel like a welcoming place to spend part of the school day.
As Mrs. Weber prepares to retire, she is ending her time at East with an award that recognizes the work she has spent years doing. She recently received the Excellence in Library Service Award from the Western New York Regional Information Center (WNYRIC), an honor that recognizes her contributions to school libraries and the students and educators she has served.
The award came as a genuine surprise. During summer school, Mrs. Weber found a letter from WNYRIC in her school mailbox. Thinking it was junk mail, she pulled it out and used the back to jot down notes while working with Ms. Scheffler’s class. She did not realize what the letter was until later that day.
“Thank goodness I didn’t throw it out!” she said.
For Mrs. Weber, the award is especially meaningful because it came from people who understand the profession firsthand. She was nominated by fellow librarians, who recognized not only her work at Williamsville East and Maple East, but also her efforts to support and mentor others entering the field.
Librarians can sometimes work independently within their schools, and Mrs. Weber has made building connections within the profession a priority. Over the course of her career, she has worked to create the kind of support system she believes librarians need, particularly those who may be the only librarian in their building or district.
Her dedication to libraries began long before her career. Mrs. Weber has loved reading since first grade and remembers her elementary school library as her favorite special. Her own elementary librarian, Mrs. Marriott, made enough of an impression that Mrs. Weber wrote about her in her graduate school application.
That early connection to libraries has continued to impact the way Mrs. Weber approaches her work. After arriving at Williamsville East, one of her first projects was reorganizing the library’s fiction collection by genre, making it easier for students to find books based on the types of stories they enjoy. She also brought the library’s previously dormant MakerSpace back to life and worked to make the space feel less like a room students simply pass through and more like a place they can spend time.
The changes extend beyond books. The library now offers puzzles, coloring books, crafts and zen spaces dedicated for students looking for a break during a busy school day. Mrs. Weber has also made sure students can find practical supplies they might need, from index cards and markers to rulers, folders and even Band-Aids.
She has expanded the library’s role as an academic resource as well. Mrs. Weber created a website that puts the library’s resources in one place and has taught students how to use tools such as NoodleTools and the library catalog for research. She regularly works with teachers on projects and incorporates activities such as the Breakout Boxes to make learning more interactive.
Her work also reaches beyond the library itself. Through collaborations with the Wellness Committee, she has helped organize events such as Halloween Fun and Winter Fun in the Commons, bringing the library into the wider East community.
However, perhaps the clearest measure of Mrs. Weber’s impact is the relationships she has built with students. Having previously worked at Maple East, she has watched some students grow from kindergarteners into high school seniors. At East, she has continued to see the library become a place where students can ask questions, work independently, take a break or simply talk and interact freely with peers.
“I love being a safe person in a safe space for so many people who need that,” she says.
For Mrs. Weber, those everyday interactions are what make the job worthwhile. She describes learning something new every day and receiving everything from handwritten notes to smiles and thank-yous from students.
After 30 years of building library programs, supporting students and mentoring other librarians, Mrs. Weber’s Excellence in Library Service Award is a fitting recognition as she approaches retirement. For a librarian who has spent her career making libraries feel useful, comfortable and welcoming, she will leave behind a whole generation of students who will deeply miss her.