A March 9 story in The School Library Journal about how to build a library make includes a segment on librarian Debbye Warrell's work at Challenger K-8 School of Science and Mathematics in Spring Hill.
Here is the excerpt:
Debbye Warrell is the founding librarian of the Challenger K8 School of Science and Mathematics in Hernando County, FL, a space and technology-focused magnet school that serves approximately 1,600 students and hosts a gifted program. Her start-up budget was $275,000 for books and audiovisual materials, and she received furniture and equipment through other school funding sources. The original plans showed a two-story open space with a high ceiling. As a seasoned librarian (in her 28th year), Warrell knew that excited young voices would echo, so she asked the architects to lower the ceiling to 20 feet. They agreed.
That was the easy part. For Warrell, the most challenging aspect was the tight time frame between the delivery of books and opening day. She received the first 18 crates of books (of 25) on a Friday and wanted to get everything shelved by Monday morning, a task she accomplished with teams of parent volunteers. “Having enough time” was Warrell’s refrain when describing further challenges—“and materials not arriving on time.”
She ensured that materials were shelf-ready and that her new library ran smoothly by rising at three a.m. every morning and starting work at 6:30 (a schedule she still follows most days). One Saturday, she and her husband shelved books until midnight so she could be ready for Monday’s classes and do other things she enjoyed—like playing Mrs. Claus in her school’s holiday pageant and dressing as Disney characters to help young students connect to her.
The story includes photos of Warrell and her media center.