Rebecca Newman is the librarian for Northwestern Elementary School and ZELC, splitting her time between both schools to teach hundreds of little "friends" every week. After hearing about her lessons from a very enthusiastic kindergartener (who happens to be my son) and his grandmother (my mother in law, who volunteers at the school), I went back to kindergarten for a morning to see if I could learn a thing or two. 

Ms. Newman is nothing like the librarians of the 1980s and 1990s, though it's not their fault the Dewey Decimal System and the dusty card catalog were the best new tech of the time. School libraries have come a long way since the days of "shh!" signs and dusty shelves. They’re now collaborative, multifunctional learning spaces, balancing old-school reading with modern digital literacy. 

And as the technology has changed, so has the role of librarians. They’re way more than keepers of books. They’re tech guides, media mentors, and champions of curiosity, making sure every kid can handle the digital world as well as the printed one. Librarians like Ms. Newman have taken on a teaching role, guiding students in the basics of spelling and literacy skills to help them develop a love of reading. 

She chooses books that are high-interest, relatable, and interactive, making every lesson engaging and memorable. To bring stories to life, she extends the 30-minute class with videos, songs, and activities. The NES library itself is set up to inspire exploration, with forward-facing book bins for easy browsing, a special collection just for kindergarteners, and clear spine labels to help students find their way. There’s the big rug where they sit crisscross applesauce for story time, and small tables and chairs ready for hands-on activities that follow.

I joined Ms. Newman for her first class of the day at NES, right before Halloween, when she read A Dark, Dark Tale, a not-so-scary story about a black cat discovering a mouse in a box. As she read, she engaged the kids by asking what settings they thought would be spooky for a story, sprinkling in little lessons as she went. “A tale means story, not like a cat’s tail,” she explained. “She’s the author and illustrator, so she—” “Draws the pictures!” one little friend excitedly finished. After the story, Ms. Newman pulled out a big Rubbermaid box, explaining they’d now listen to a spooky song with a twist ending. Could anyone guess what was in the box? The kids listened, fully absorbed, eyes glued to the box, and shrieked with laughter as Ms. Newman finally tossed out plastic spider rings at the song’s end.

Finally, the students moved to the tables, where they each were given a picture of a box like the one in the story. “If you were the author of the book, what would you put in the box?” she asked, and all students drew a picture and spelled out their choice. As they wrote, Ms. Newman moved around the room, gently guiding them as they sounded out words. “R-a-t...what letter makes the ‘a’ sound?” she prompted, helping them connect sounds to letters, one word at a time. 

Watching Ms. Newman teach, it was clear she wasn’t just sharing stories; she was sparking imaginations, helping build confidence, and creating readers. In her classroom, learning feels like a story in itself—one that her “little friends” can’t wait to return to.