In addition to getting help with writing, finding a book for a class or getting tutored, libraries are a vital part of a school’s ecosystem and community at large.

“Libraires are really a refuge for people, for students,” said Tonya Foster, librarian at Topeka High School, Topeka USD 501. “So many people don’t know the true value of libraries. Yes, they are a place where you can get resources and you can get books and you can get music. But it’s also such an incredibly safe place to go and find what you need. There are people there that can help you.”

Foster received the 2024 Kansas Association of School Librarians' President's Distinguished Library Media Specialist Award this past fall. The recognition is given to "an individual working in a school district of the library media profession who has developed an outstanding library media program for his/her district and has made an outstanding contribution to school librarianship and school library media development in Kansas," according to the Kansas Association of School Librarians (KASL).

Jewelia Oswald, a library media specialist at Topeka High, nominated Foster for the recognition. Working together for the past 15 years, she said the two of them became literacy coaches at the same time and then later librarians.

“She brings out a lot of good stuff out of educators, not just librarians,” Oswald said. “As a literacy coach, you’re guiding other teachers. She was very good at that.”

Over the years, Oswald said she’s watched how Foster not only envisions new initiatives or projects, but also follows through.

“She inspires a lot of other librarians to try things,” Oswald said. “She really lights the fire under other people to get them going. She comes up with an idea and then gets other people to do those things, too.”

In Topeka High’s historic library, often compared to Harry Potter’s Hogwarts castle, Foster creates an environment conducive to learning and acceptance.

Yamila Deraz, a junior at Topeka High, said Foster provides a calm, quiet place for her to study or work on other school projects.

“I feel like she makes it a safe and a comfortable spot to be in,” Derez said. “Last year, I had a class that was really loud, and I couldn’t focus. I could come here and do my work, and it would really help me.”

“You can ask her questions and she’s always willing to help,” added Elizabeth Barreno, also a junior at Topeka High, about Foster. “It’s also very festive in here during the holidays.”

In addition to learning how to self-regulate their emotions, Foster said many of the high school students she serves will “get off their phones” and interact with each other while they’re in the library. She said they also tend to behave and learn better when they go back to the classroom.

“It’s always fun to watch them come in and see them excel at something you don’t always get to see,” Foster said.

Foster received her library media certification from Fort Hays State University and got her master’s degree as a reading specialist at Washburn University. She is certified to teach reading and is a librarian for Pre-K-12.

For more about the Kansas Association of School Librarians, go to www.kaslks.org.