Meet the Preps: For our school librarian, Tara Berge, helping students become readers starts with knowing the child in front of her and finding the book that makes them want to come back for another.
Hi! For those I haven't met yet, I'm your school librarian, and this year marks my ninth at Bountiful Elementary and my 15th overall in libraries.
Before books were my full-time job, I spent time teaching 3rd and 4th grade after earning degrees in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. Those classroom years turned out to be great training for the library — they taught me a ton about where kids are at each age, what lights them up, and what they need a little extra help with.
I still lean on that experience constantly.
Finding the Right Book
If you ask me what my favorite part of the job is, it's not a hard question.
It is matching a kid with a just-right book.
Kids don't usually walk up and say, "I need a book about feeling like I don't fit in," or "I need something that'll make me laugh so hard I forget I had a rough morning."
They just say, "I don't know what to read."
Figuring out the rest is where the fun is.
Honestly, watching a kid's face light up when a book finally clicks for them still gets me every time.
I love building a collection kids actually want to dig into. Matching a kid with the right book only works if that book is actually on the shelf.
I spend a lot of time thinking about our collection — making sure it has something for every reader who walks through our doors.
Kids who want dragons and kids who want true stories.
Kids just starting to sound out words and kids who are tearing through chapter books two grades ahead.
Kids who want to see a character who looks like them, and kids who need a window into somebody else's life.
A good, diverse collection isn't just nice to have. It's often the difference between a reluctant reader and a reader, full stop.
Some kids show up already loving books. Others need a little convincing.
Both are welcome here — and honestly, both are why I love this job.
Library Is More Than Checking Out Books
Depending on their grade, kids will be working on things like:
Picking "just-right" books that match their interests and reading level
Finding their way around the library on their own — call numbers, sections, all of it
Building research skills: how to find, evaluate, and actually use information from books and trusted online sources
Falling in love with different genres, from graphic novels and nonfiction to poetry and folktales
Getting comfortable with our online catalog and other digital tools
Learning to talk about books, recommend them to friends, and think a little more critically about what they are reading
Making It Matter in the Library
This year's school theme, Make It Matter, shows up in the library constantly, in small ways you might not even notice.
It matters when a kid who struggles with reading finishes their first book and immediately asks for another one.
It matters when a shy student finally raises their hand during story time.
It matters when a kid who swears they "hate reading" realizes they just need a little extra help — or maybe they never had the right book in their hands.
Every single checkout is a little act of trust — a kid deciding this book, out of thousands, might be worth their time.
I do not take that lightly.
A Little About Me
Outside of school, you will usually find me outdoors or with my hands busy on something.
I am married and have three amazing sons, and I love traveling together whenever I get the chance. I am always up for a hike or time in the mountains.
At home, I'm probably in the garden, reading of course, working on a knitting project, or playing a round of mahjong.
I love learning new things, and that sometimes takes trial and error.
Likewise, not every kid finds their favorite book on the first try, and that's okay. Some of the best reading journeys take a few attempts to get going.
The Right Book at the Right Time
After this many years as a librarian, I still believe what I believed on day one:
Put the right book in the right hands at the right time, and it can genuinely change how a kid sees themselves.
That's what makes it matter to me.