Books, books, and more books!
As students explore the corners and clubs of Edison High, they can catch the big red doors of the EHS library as they pass the halls or proceed outside the school. However, some students do not get the time or chance to glimpse the library’s resources installed for students. Behind the red doors, multiple paper signs intended to to assist and instruct students show the dedication of Ms. Doreen Stocker and her love for books and information.
Stocker’s passion for being a librarian helps her show up every day to help students find their preferred recreational novels and academic books, all while maintaining the library space. Her hours of work always vary, as she usually works all day throughout the school year. As the library is mostly busy, it becomes hard for her to sometimes leave the library. She gets here early, typically earlier than her colleagues, and starts her day working with students, teachers, and other EHS staff outside of the library.
Stocker got her undergraduate degree at Rutgers University. As a requirement to hold a master’s degree to become a librarian, she also got her master’s degree in teaching and later on advanced her knowledge by earning another master’s in library and media science at Clarion University. Before her role as a librarian, she taught world history at EHS for twenty years, which makes her among the best candidates to serve as EHS librarian and to serve the school community at large.
“As a librarian, I am able to create readers out of those who don’t enjoy reading,” said Stocker.
Currently, as a professional librarian and organizer, the books that Stocker takes care of are organized by genre through labels that guide students and teachers to which sections are for what categories. As of January 2025, she is in the process of renovating the library and hopes that by the end of the year, all new spine labels will be on the books. At the moment, fiction and graphic/manga have been updated and expanded for students who like reading novels and books with unique illustrations. She mainly buys top-selling books and choice awards books that are trending.
For instance, EHS students highly recommended many Colleen Hoover books, as they were all across “BookTok,” a community on TikTok where users share their love of books through videos.
“I decide what is purchased, but I also purchase what students ask for. Whenever students ask for specific books, I tell them to put it on our ‘to-be purchase list,’” said Stocker.
Every day many students take new books and give in old books they have finished reading, but many also come back to the library to renew books that have not been returned for three weeks. This could be done in person in the library or by email to make it much easier for students who don’t have time to come in.
Three days a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, students can come to the library after school to study, do projects, and meet their study groups. On Wednesdays, NHS provides tutoring in the Media Center for all grade levels and subjects from 2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. An appointment is not necessary for one to get the help that they need.
Besides reading and returning books, there are many other ways to get involved in the Edison High Library. The best way to do so is by joining the Library Council to help shelf books or by competing in the annual Battle of the Books competition which requires participating students to read nine books and then prepare to battle their knowledge of these selections. Stocker herself reads all of the books each year and prepares a wide variety of questions for those participating in the competition to test the amount of information they retain through reading. She likes to throw in challenging questions to ensure her participants are well-prepared and honest for the competition.
Although some may think of the media center as a quiet place with thousands of books, its existence is one of the fundamental blocks of the school that makes Edison High a welcoming place.
