December is quickly coming to a close. It is the last day of the first semester for many school librarians and the holiday season is upon us. The 2024 year is almost over too!

I am six months into my term as the 24/25 AASL President and I have been reflecting on many moments during my term. My activities have ranged from leading the monthly meetings of the AASL Board of Directors, meeting weekly with the AASL Executive Director, selecting committee appointments, leading virtual monthly AASL Gatherings, participating on virtual panels and traveling to visit AASL Chapters or to attend advocacy workshops. These opportunities have provided me many moments to meet many incredible librarians and understand the work of numerous AASL Chapters from across the country.

Now more than ever, I want to remind school librarians that the work they do everyday is making a difference. Whether it’s matching the right book to a reader, checking in on a frequent library user or writing a letter of recommendation for a senior, it’s a school librarian that participated in that moment. A classroom teacher may have needed guidance on a tech tool or support with a research lesson; it’s a school librarian that helped in that moment. Perhaps a principal is seeking someone to lead some professional learning or coordinate an author program for the campus; it’s a school librarian that helped in that moment.

It’s these many moments and so many others that fill me with pride. These moments remind me of the impact school librarians have each and every day. But the giving nature and service component of school librarians makes us prone to burnout.

So as you move into the holiday season, find moments to take care of yourself by turning off “work mode” and setting an “out of office” email, removing push notifications from email or just completely removing the email app from your phone. Take the time to do the things that recharge your soul like spending time with family, friends, and pets, or doing the things you love like cooking, watching movies, singing or dancing and relishing the special moments when you are outside with nature, seeing the holiday lights or just reflecting on what’s to come in 2025.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, be sure to cherish how you celebrate and remember the many special shared moments with family, friends and loved ones as you celebrate. Allow those moments to fill your heart, build connections and re-energize you as you prepare for the year to come.