The Northwest media center may seem like just a quiet hangout spot, but it’s actually an express ticket to thriving in school. The library is chock full of information that can help you impress your teachers and get good grades — and it has a team that excels at helping students use it efficiently and responsibly. 

The head media specialist, Ms. Autumn Myers, is dedicated to making the media center accessible, comfortable, and inviting. During an interview with the JagWire in early February, she explained why she’s passionate about helping people connect with the library and all its resources. 

“We try [to be] a place where if you need something in the building, you can get it,” Myers said.

Myers also thinks it’s essential for students to know how to properly conduct research and use the information they collect in their schoolwork. 

“I think I have a responsibility to share and engage in conversation about the ethics of how people complete work, and how they cite sources, and how they do things,” she said.

Myers acts as a tour guide to the many online research tools, books, and other resources the library offers. These tools include an advanced version of ProQuest, a database filled with scholarly journal articles, as well as links to a variety of college and government libraries.

Myers manages a budget of about $15,000, which is directly allocated to buying subscriptions to databases meant to supplement what students are learning in class. The money goes toward resources that focus on a variety of subjects, including biology, chemistry, and news about science and history, she said.

“The county provides us a list, and then we supplement it,” Myers added. Myers visits classrooms to show students how to conduct research and use advanced features of databases. In addition, she creates Jag Paws lessons on digital citizenship and online safety.

Myers believes that it is her moral responsibility to provide students with a range of literature choices. She also wants to prevent people from seeking to restrict the reading options by requesting that certain books be removed from the shelves.

“I feel like it is perfectly healthy to inquire about the offerings for instructional purposes or even free-choice reading,” she said. “I don’t think it is your right to take away from someone else’s cup of tea, or to bully or harass people [about] their selection of reading.”