Walking into the library, the shelves are filled with fantasy worlds, cultural identity, scientific notations, and famous heroes we look up to today. The books, although different, are all in the same place as one another, striving to entice every student and teacher that walks by. Librarian KatieAnn Prescott brightens the room with her welcoming personality, willing to help every person she can.
Originally from a small city just outside of Houston, Texas called Magnolia, Ms. Prescott came to Austin, Texas after attending Texas State University, where she majored in English and later received her teaching degree.
“I got my teaching degree and then I taught English for 12 years in Leander ISD,” Ms. Prescott said. “I just wanted to focus specifically on the reading aspect of being an English teacher [and] just encouraging kids to find their interests and to see themselves reflected in the stories on the page.”
Wanting to share her love of reading, Ms. Prescott applied to get her master’s degree in library science. Before she took any of her classes, however, she began a job as a librarian at Liberty Hill Middle School. Displaying strength and persistence, she not only attended school regularly but also worked full-time, proving that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
“It was a really good opportunity to practice some of the same things that I was learning in my master’s degree program,” Ms. Prescott said. “I could basically use the school as kind of a guinea pig for what I was doing in school.”
Similar to many students, Ms. Prescott initially had no intention of following in her family’s footsteps. However, she was always drawn to books, holding a special place in her heart for them. Ultimately, Ms. Prescott was led to her calling of being a librarian.
“I never thought that I would be a librarian — that was not in my career plans,” Ms. Prescott said. “My great aunt was a librarian, and I have a cousin who is also a librarian. So, I’m guessing it runs in the family.”
Ms. Prescott’s experience teaching has aided her greatly in the library. For instance Ms. Prescott helped run Poetry Playground to help students better understand poetry. She has noticed how teachers often ask her for certain books they need for classes. Without hesitation, Ms. Prescott aims to be there and lend a helping hand.
“The other part about being a librarian that’s really great is being a jack of all trades,” Ms. Prescott said. “I feel like any time a teacher comes to us and says, ‘I have this crazy idea, here’s what I want to do’ and they have no way to implement it, a librarian can be like, ‘Well, that’s easy! We can make that happen.’ That’s the fantastic part. You get to work with a bunch of other teachers. You get to teach math and science and social studies and really support [students and faculty] on a campus level.“
Outside of the library, Ms. Prescott lives on three and a half acres of land with her dogs, husband, bees that she harvests honey from, and the occasional raccoon.
“This morning, I literally turned on the lights outside and there was a raccoon that was hanging out at the bird feeder,” Ms. Prescott said. “He just stared at me, and he didn’t move. He just was like, ‘I’m hungry, I’m doing my thing over here’.”
As a bibliophile, Ms. Prescott strives to connect with students on a deeper level by researching what students are reading. This helps create bonds and helps create a safe space for students.
“A series that I’ve really loved recently was Sunrise on the Reaping, Haymitch’s story, from [the series] The Hunger Games,” Ms. Prescott said. “Books are a really good way to connect with kids because even though [The] Hunger Games came out many years ago, kids are still reading it. It’s still relevant. I think that’s an easy segue into talking to kids about books.”
Ultimately Ms. Prescott is very excited to be here at Westwood and can’t wait to see how the new environment will challenge her. She is honored to be the school’s librarian.
“I feel like I found a gem, as far as being a part of this community,” Ms. Prescott said.
