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Alcove Trails Middle School

Talking with Tigers – Laurie Bruns

Libraries are full of stories in a variety of formats from picture books to large print, audiobooks to eBooks, and more, but there's so much more to the story. Laurie Bruns, Frenship ISD Instructional Technology Coordinator shares her passion for her job and the special people in it.

 
How long have you been in education, and how long have you been a Frenship Tiger? 

I’ve been in education for 11 years, and I have been a Frenship Tiger for 7 of those! I’ve been a librarian for 5 years – all at FISD! 

What made you want to pursue a career in education? 

I didn’t want to be a teacher – in fact, I fought against it really hard!  But when I started working with students and creating lessons, I found that I really loved it!  Now, I believe that education is the solution to most of our world’s problems.  I believe that knowledge gives us power, and I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else! 

April is National Library Month, what are some of the things our Frenship staff and students have been doing to celebrate literature?  

In the library, we celebrate literature all year long! We constantly have new books being put on shelves, and new reading incentives for students to participate in! Our elementary schools host classes daily where students participate in read alouds and activities around books.   

It is said that readers are leaders, how do you see students developing their leadership skills with the resources in our libraries? 

Readers are leaders!  When you have access to books, you have access to a wide variety of perspectives.  Our students have access to nonfiction resources that teach them new skills and help them develop their knowledge. They have access to fiction resources that teach them skills like interpersonal communication and empathy. 

What makes our Frenship library resources unique? 

Together, Frenship libraries hold over 155,000 print books – averaging 14.5 books per student!  But we also offer hundreds of eBooks and dozens of databases to students and teachers.  The most unique part of our library is the Media Specialist! We have one Media Specialist per campus in Frenship, and these women are walking, talking resources for teachers and students! 

What is one of your favorite things about our Frenship libraries? 

I love that each of our libraries is unique to the campus they serve! Each library provides a different environment depending on what the campus needs. 

What is your favorite book and why? 

My favorite book is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (#3)!  I love that I can immediately be transported to a new world every time I open the book.  It’s a story of fantasy and magic, but also real-world experiences like navigating friends and learning to be a teenager! 

What impact do our media specialists have on our students?  

Our Media Specialists are first and foremost educators! They provide access to print and digital books and other resources, but they also provide spaces that encourage students to explore and create! Our libraries are safe spaces for our students. 

What do you love most about Frenship ISD? 

I love our Media Specialists!  This group of women can find a solution to any problem they face, and they are exceptional at what they do! They provide information and knowledge to students and teachers every single day! 

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