How One Middle School Librarian Changed a Life

THIS is the kind of story I always look for but seldom find, one about the positive difference a good, caring teacher (in this case a retiring librarian) can make in a young life by introducing a student to the countless joys of reading.  Anyone who bothers to read a book blog (like you guys) already knows this, but for a child there can be nothing more exciting than opening up a whole new world they never suspected even existed.

From the News Star comes the story of one librarian and the 13-year-old boy whose life she so dramatically impacted:

If you fret that books are doomed, maybe Ian Golsby’s seventh-grade perspective on the joy of reading will inspire you.

And if you forget what a difference educators make, perhaps Debby Macy, retiring middle-school librarian at Herndon Magnet in Belcher, will remind you.

“She encouraged him to expand his reading horizons,” mom Julie Golsby says, “and has had such an impact.”

Ian agrees.

“I only knew one kid there, so one of the first things I did was go to the library. She helped me find some good books,” he said.

Now finishing seventh grade and with a long list of favorite books and a host of friends (”They all love reading, which is good.”), Ian gives “Miss Macy” the credit.

“Without her, I don’t know if I’d be where I am,” he says on a busy week, between a track meet and going to a movie with friends. “She’s kind of the reason I’ve been able to fit in so well. She always listens.”

And, yes, her retirement after 41 years is hard on him.

To learn more about this remarkable Louisiana librarian and the legacy she leaves behind in the heart of one little boy, please read the whole article.  

Click here to read the article from News Star.