Six years since the day everything changed, the library at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School brims with resources to promote mental health. There’s a “Zen den” for resting and decompressing, a therapy dog named River, yoga equipment, a button-making station and smartboards that display videos of crochet lessons.
Librarian Diana Haneski, River’s owner, puts a lot of thought into what to include in – and exclude from – the library’s collections. She opted to remove a Civil War-themed book with a rifle on its cover, for example, and to avoid other materials with imagery that could be upsetting. And she has made sure to include a range of literature that offers students an escape from daily life, including sci-fi novels and youth-oriented magazines.
Haneski, 63, a winner of this year’s national “I Love My Librarian” award for her public service, sees such escapism and mental support as essential for herself and her students.
“People need a place to chill and relax and reduce their anxiety,” she said. It’s a conscious act on her part to help make that happen. “This is how we’re feeling better.”