By Patricia J. Murphy
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With the ongoing stress and anxiety due to the pandemic, the impact of remote learning, plus cyberbullying, lockdown drills, and standardized testing in schools, now more than ever kids need welcoming spaces to feel emotionally secure and to engage with others in order to learn. In light of these social emotional needs, we spoke with four librarians about how they create safe spaces for their students, and why it matters so much to them.
As a first-generation American whose parents emigrated from Colombia, Rosie Camargo remembers when she was a child holding her mother’s hand as she climbed the stairs to her local library. It was where Camargo first learned English and received homework help, too.
Today, Camargo is the Spanish-language specialist and Spanish program coordinator at the Niles-Maine District Library in Niles,…