HUNTERDON CENTRAL REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT

Mary is also incredibly efficient in helping us process our orders. One minute there is a stack and the next it is
done and ready to go out. She also takes special care to make sure that books students want most have priority.
She does not simply check out books to students; she keeps on top of trends, asks students about their
selections, and provides the IMC staff with purchase information. Recently, she worked with Matt Arno, a
student with Asperger’s syndrome, to make sure that his opinions were counted in our recent manga purchase.
This gesture has completely changed Matt’s dynamic with us.
Mary reaches out to our students and our staff this way every day. Her caring goes beyond work ethic; it is
special, and it is this dedication that enables us to maintain such a large program and still stay involved in the
school on a curricular level. Furthermore, she also lends her time once-a-month to the Senior Luncheon put on
by our Equips classes. Lastly, Mary is exceedingly patient with the obligations list and all of the changes to it
this year. She has helped others tremendously through the transition to a new model and assisted Heather in
adapting to her role in the obligations process as the Head Librarian.
Overall, Mary is more than our circulation clerk. Throughout the day, but particularly during unit lunch and
after school, she goes above and beyond her job requirements. She is often the “face” of our library, smiling,
caring, and always ready to help our community, and the students talk about her in kind, often asking where she
is when absent and consistently commenting on how truly wonderful she is.
Pat Piretti
Pat Pirretti’s main roles were supervision and shelving books, both of which she still does and in increasing
amounts. She does a terrific job of keeping track of our study hall and independent study students, as well as
being a partner for Mary at the desk. Their tireless work frees up the librarians to work closely with students
and teachers to attend curricular meetings. We would not have these opportunities were it not for Pat and Mary.
As far as shelving and locating materials, there is no one better in the IMC to help us track down a misplaced
book. Her attention to detail is terrific, which is important when keeping track of students in a place as large as
ours. Even more significant has been Pat’s expanded role as a cataloger. Because Marci is so involved in
inquiry projects and instruction, Pat has been willing to pick up the original cataloging, which takes a very long
time. Again, her attention to detail is key, as is her ability to focus on a task that really requires concentration
while sitting in the middle of a busy library helping students and staff, taking calls, clearing obligations, and
supervising study hall students. She, along with Mary, supervises the IMC during unit lunch and after school,
often times with little assistance.
Pat’s knowledge of our collection cannot be overstated. There are many blocks when we have five classes in
the IMC, and Marci, Emily and Heather are each with one of them. Pat’s knowledge of our materials, as well as
the projects that use them, is essential to a library as large as ours.
Lastly, budget cuts resulted in an earlier closing time for the IMC, thus eliminating our “after hours” staff. Pat
adjusted her work schedule for the 2010-2011 school year to accommodate these changes and has stayed late
every day. This has added the additional responsibilities of closing up the library and remaining until all
students have left the building. Pat put the needs of the school community above her own and offered to make
this adjustment, and she has displayed this flexibility throughout this often difficult transition year. On an
instructional, supervisory, and operational level, Pat is vital to our busy program.
Jackie Sullivan
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