Many people have heard of the elf who wanted to be a dentist in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, but have they heard of the elf who wanted to be a librarian? At Champion’s library, a special visitor stopped by over the holiday season to help out the librarians and cause a little mischief—Sammy the elf.
“[The idea] was partially just to keep Mrs. Clark and I entertained, but partially too to just let people know what services we offer,” said Kim Taylor, one of Champion’s librarians alongside Katy Clark. “He has shopped in the store, read some books, he had a mishap with the laminator…all the things we have in here he’s gonna try and turn around. Mrs. Clark and I come up with it.”
Before Sammy’s name was chosen, a Google form was sent out to Champion students, allowing them to choose a name for the elf. While there were a few unique and cute names, one name stuck out.
“We call him Sammy for Samuel V. Champion,” Taylor said. “When we saw Sammy, [we knew] that was the one.”
Sammy the elf got some positive feedback upon his arrival.
“We’ve had a few emails saying [the library elf] is cute,” Taylor said. “[And] a couple of students came in asking if they could look for him.”
Champion’s library elf didn’t only entertain the people who come into the library, he was also there to let students and teachers know what the library offers.
“It’s a good reminder for [people],” Clark said.
These services include computer use, laminating, reserving space for meetings and clubs, borrowing and returning books, and green screen use. All of these services are offered to both students and teachers, and it’s Sammy’s job to help the library promote them.
“I think he’s fun and brings attention to some things that people forget about that we do in the library because we’re trying to show him doing different things that help teachers and things that help students,” Clark said.
Sammy’s adventures can be seen over on the library’s Instagram, @Champion_hs_library.
