Opinion: Clovis High library busy place

While one might not ordinarily think of a library as a hub of activity, keeping up with the activities at the Clovis High School Library and Media Center can be a challenge.

Head Librarian Jenny Jeffery keeps things hopping.

Several years, ago Jeffery received a CMS Education Foundation grant award and built the “Library Learning Commons” featuring comfy, contemporary modular furniture of varying heights and a long, high-seated “bar” with lots of electrical outlets for charging devices. The Commons also contains a large-screen TV that screens book trailers to introduce a variety of reading matter to students.

The Commons is a popular location to gather; for reading, socializing, informal meetings, book talks, and the Thursday morning Book Club before school.

Recently, a special Book Talk was hosted at the CHS Library Learning Commons, complete with a yummy spread of different kinds of cookies and spiced tea. Guest author Casey Hays came during both lunch periods and presented to students and faculty alike. A popular author of young adult fiction, Hays has been officially writing since 2008; published, since 2012.

Chatting with Hays, a Clovis native, after her book talk, she admitted she’d actually been writing since third grade. She’d adored her third-grade teacher, Marla Gadry, who had students write stories in their “Squiggle” books. The teacher drew a squiggly line, and students would continue the line to make a picture, after which they wrote a story about their drawing.

Prior to launching full-fledged into writing, Hays actually spent 11 years teaching English at Clovis High School.

“I love teenagers and loved teaching English and wanted to instill in my students a love of reading,” Hays said.

One of Hays’ motivations for writing novels, in fact, was looking around and seeing the need for more young-adult fiction. After leaving the classroom, Hays delved into her writing career in earnest and has since published eight books; this, while working full time, now in the legal field, in addition to being a wife and mother of two.

During the Book Talk, Hays not only read passages from select books, but answered questions from students wanting to know more about the writing process. It was gratifying to watch absorbed faces taking it all in as Hays explained exactly how she went about creating a story, characters, and pulling it all together to publish, to the great interest of the students.

Cindy Kleyn-Kennedy is the instructional technology coordinator for the Clovis Municipal Schools. She can be reached at: [email protected]