Over the past 15 years, Jessica Mead has ensured the Fallen Timbers Middle School Media Center is an inviting space where students can explore new ideas, develop research skills and gain a lifelong love of reading. From managing the media centers across the District to supporting students and teachers, her role extends far beyond just checking out books.
Though not originally from the area, Jessica and her family moved to northwest Ohio to be closer to home after living in Florida and Tennessee. She has worked in various library settings, including public and university libraries, but finds the most fulfillment in her role as a school librarian. “I really did enjoy working in the public libraries, but I like working with students at school the best,” she said. “There’s something special about being part of a student’s reading journey at this age.”
When it came to choosing a career, Jessica admits that library science was not her first choice. “I wasn’t one of those students who knew what they wanted to do as a career,” she explained. “I initially thought I wanted to be a child psychologist, but later considered that working as a children’s librarian was another way to work with kids. And I grew up in the library—so I chose what I knew.”
So with an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a Master’s in Library Science, Jessica followed in the footsteps of her mother, herself an award-winning library director.
A Day in the Life of the FTMS Librarian
A typical day in the media center is anything but “quiet.” It’s a bustling space, where Jessica hosts four classes per day, alternating weeks between the 5th and 6th graders. Lessons focus on library and research skills, followed by time for students to browse and check out books. She also maintains an open door policy, so students can visit on their schedule.
“The library is open all the time. Even when I’m teaching, students know they are welcome to stop in to pick out a book,” she explains. “We recently started a self-checkout process, so if I’m busy, they can check out their own book without disrupting class.”
Jessica also hosts a reading room during recess. Students who choose not to go outside can instead head to the library to do homework, hang out and read. She said the choice to spend time in a calmer environment is appealing to some students.
Beyond working with students, Jessica is responsible for ordering, cataloging and preparing books for all district libraries. “I am the only certified librarian in the district,” she explained. “The other media centers are staffed by aides, so with their help I oversee book selection and cataloging for all of our libraries.”
Whether she’s helping teachers with accessing materials, teaching research skills or answering questions for an aide, Jessica’s focus remains on flexibility and customer service. “While I have a set rotation of classroom visits, a lot of the work is just day-to-day. I’m here for the kids, aides and teachers. Whatever they need.”
Keeping Students Engaged
Despite the rise of digital technology, Jessica is pleased to see students are still eager to check out books. “I do see a bit of a drop-off between 5th and 6th grade, but they really do still read,” she said. “My library circulates about 1,500 books per month.” In order to keep interest in reading high, Jessica selects books and plans activities designed to connect students with materials that match their interests.
One of her most recent activities was a book tasting. The media center was transformed into a literary café to encourage students to ‘sample’ books by reading short excerpts. The exercise helps to encourage students to try books that they may not first be interested in.
She also uses a reading personality quiz to help students find books they’ll enjoy. “Then I label books on the displays with their ‘book personality type,’” she says. “If a student says, ‘I’m an innovator,’ I can help direct them to books, characters, or authors that align with their interests.”
Jessica said sometimes the activities spark an interest in a new author or series. “Students tend to gravitate toward books they know, so this encourages them to branch out and explore new genres,” she said. “I tell them if they don’t like something, they can always return to what they do like - but it’s important to try new things.”
Pop culture also plays a major role in students’ reading choices, so she is always watching for trends and selecting books that she knows students will want. “Movies drive book checkouts, and The Wild Robot is massively popular right now,” she said. “The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is always a hit and The Babysitters Club books are back.”
Jessica believes that books serve as both “windows” into new experiences and “mirrors” reflecting students’ own lives. “Books give students an opportunity to see themselves in a story and also open doors to new perspectives,” she explained. “Take The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, for example—it’s a nonfiction book about a boy who brought wind power to his African village. Our students may never know what his life is like, but they can relate to being the same age and having big ideas.”
Supporting Teachers & Research Skills
In addition to helping students, Jessica works closely with teachers to find materials that align with classroom projects. “If they need resources, I help track them down—even if it means going to the public library,” she said. “They usually need biographies, and recently students were researching mythical creatures like the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot, so I helped find books for their projects.”
Technology has shifted how students conduct research, and she plays a key role in helping them navigate digital resources. She will often visit classrooms to coach students as they look for information online.
“Students have started doing less book research and more online research, so I see my role as helping them become savvy Internet researchers,” she explains. “I help them learn to use databases and talk a lot about finding reliable sources and knowing the difference between an academic website and a regular one.”
An Advocate for Literacy and Collaboration
While she knows that learning research skills is important to their learning and prepares them for advancing to junior high, Jessica is most passionate about seeing students connect with books.
“When they find something they’re really excited to read and they want to stop by to tell me about it – that’s the part that is most rewarding,” she said.
While Jessica plays a major role in the success of our school library media centers and fostering a love of reading in our students, she emphasizes that she can’t do it alone, and the media center aides deserve more recognition.
She said Jody Nagle at Whitehouse, Rhonda Kistner at Waterville, Sharon Mueller at Monclova, Janel Eichenlaub at the junior high, and Becky Kiefer at the high school—are the key to keeping the libraries running.
“I would love more praise and attention for my aides,” she said. “The elementary libraries are the reason kids love to read by the time they get to FTMS, and the junior high and high school assist with student research. They love their libraries because of these fantastic aides.”
On School Librarian Day, we celebrate Jessica and her team’s invaluable contributions to our students and staff. Thank you all for making reading an adventure and for inspiring young minds every day!