On Sept. 30, principal Vincent Hawkins shared some news over the announcements: Dana Kellner, the new librarian, had officially been hired.
Earlier in September, longtime librarian Holly Hensley announced her retirement. Now, Kellner, who was recently a librarian at Giddens Elementary School, has officially assumed her place as the head of the Raider Library. Before her position at Giddens, Kellner worked as an English teacher at Vista Ridge High School before moving into a Media Specialist position within the school library.
“The library program is what you make it, and there are lots of opportunities to have a bigger impact than just on the few who come into the library,” Kellner said. “I’m really looking forward to taking the thing that really mattered to me when I was in the classroom, and bringing that into the library, and making the library a place for everybody, not just kids who like to read.”
Kellner wasn’t initially searching for a new position and first found out about the opening through her colleagues.
“A bunch of my friends nudged me, and they were like, ‘You have to apply for this.’” Kellner said. “I cried about it at first, because I don’t like to leave jobs in the middle. I’m leaving my kids and my school to come to Rouse and that made me really sad. But I really reflected on it, and I talked about it with some mentors, and I realized it was the right decision for me.”
Kellner has three children, two of whom attend Giddens Elementary and one who attends Henry Middle School. Though the family is very involved at the district level, she is still very new to the school.
“I had never been inside Rouse before,” Kellner said. “I had never met anybody – I knew a couple of teachers, just a couple of people, but not enough. But when I came in, everything felt so right. I was like, ‘Oh, this is the universe right here, telling me this is where I need to be.’ It just felt perfect.”
Kellner briefly worked in elementary school education, but quickly realized she wanted to return to teaching high schoolers.
“I love high schoolers,” Kellner said. “I like their little sassy attitudes. I like how cool they think they are. I like the amazing things they can accomplish. It feels right. It’s what I’m good at. It’s my jam.”
Kellner is passionate about using this opportunity to connect with students, regardless of their prior attitudes about books, and encourage them to expand their horizons. She recognizes that not everybody enjoys reading novels, but argues that even audiobooks, graphic novels and newspapers can also enrich students’ lives.
“A lot of people have this idea that because they weren’t a reader when they were younger, they are never going to be a reader,” Kellner said. “Most people graduate from high school and never read another book again in their entire lives. My big goal, even as a teacher, was just to change that identity marker in people. Just because you feel like you don’t have fun reading doesn’t mean you can’t find a way that’s fun for you.”
As part of her librarian responsibilities, Kellner is excited to serve as the new sponsor for the Rouse Reads Book Club. She believes that the club is an invaluable resource for students.
“It builds empathy,” Kellner said. “That’s how you connect. That’s how you learn about different people’s experiences and cultures. Everybody can read the same thing and pull out a completely different important [lesson]. And then when you sit around and you talk about that, it totally enriches not just your reading experience, but your lived experience.”
Kellner hopes to add onto the school’s growing reputation during her first year as the head librarian.
“I’m really excited to be a part of all the changes that have been happening at Rouse,” Kellner said. “I know that Mr. Hawkins brings a lot of really great positive energy to Rouse, and I just look forward to building on that and making Rouse the premier school in Leander ISD. Every other school is going to be compared to us, and I cannot wait for that. That’s going to be the best ever.”