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A love of reading was fostered through Ruth Howes’ early experiences of being read to as a child and also receiving a book in every Santa sack.
It was the early spark that fuelled the Thames High School librarians’ passion to see students connect with books. It’s what makes it all the more meaningful as the librarian prepares to finish her time in the role at the end of October, after 10 years of dedication.
The librarian told The Profile she loved when she could see “the light being turned on” as students discovered books that grabbed their attention.
Ruth started out her career, not as a librarian, but as a head kindergarten teacher at Tairua Kindergarten. “I then had seven years teaching English to [ages] three to seventeen-year-olds in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.”
When Ruth and her husband, Wayne Howes, shifted back to New Zealand at the end of 2013, Wayne scored a teaching position at Moanataiari Primary School, she said.
Ruth decided to upgrade her diploma of early childhood to a Bachelor of Teaching, majoring in Professional Education, she said, and while she worked on the upgrade – she said she was asked to relieve the librarian at Thames High School who was on sick leave.
“Unfortunately, she passed away and I successfully applied for the role as librarian at THS.”
When Ruth joined Thames High in 2014, she recognised students she taught back in kindergarten, she said.
“[I] felt very privileged to see them at the beginning of their school and to see them reach their potential and leave secondary school.”
The library was a space where she helped to facilitate the school’s chess club, and also where she led the librarian club.
“Some students needed a space to feel safe. These few became student librarians and it [the club] soon grew,” she said.
“Student librarians are incredible and each has their own little niche within the library. Having these students reach their goals and succeed in all they do was fantastic.”
It was hard for Ruth to pick just one proud moment from her time at Thames High. “I don’t have one proud moment – there are many,” she said.
One moment was when she helped a student from a homeschool background settle in at school, who later became dux, she said. Another was when she took a group of students to a chess tournament and said she came home “feeling very appreciated”.
“Being a shy person it was hard to put myself out there, but I think this also helped those types of students to realise they can do anything,” Ruth said.
“I was never sure about working with teenagers but quickly realised that they were like four year olds [who] just had a bigger attitude and bigger feet.”
The next thing Ruth looked forward to was a bit of “me time”, private tutoring and hooking up the caravan to the ute and travelling, she said. But the legacy she hoped to leave behind at Thames High was that everyone felt welcome in the library.
“Libraries don’t have to be a quiet space. They should be a space where everybody and anybody feels welcome.”
By DAVIDDA HIKTANGATA
