The book stands, the posters, the colorful walls, rows upon rows of worlds inside pages. These are all things found in the Fort Worth Country Day Moncrief Library. From Romance to Sci-Fi, there are many choices one can make when it comes to checking out a book. But what happens if someone can’t choose a book they like, or have no motivation for reading at all? Well then, the student body can always count on the trusty librarian Kim Gardner, who has been working in schools for more than 20 years. 

Gardner always dreamt of being a teacher, setting up big chalkboards in the garage and playing school with her sister. 

“In the garage, [my dad] nailed a chalkboard to the wall and [my sister and I would] go in there to play school,” Gardener said. 

Gardner’s goal was always to be in education and was an English teacher before deciding to become a librarian.

“At that point, I had been teaching for eight years and I didn’t know if I wanted to do that for 20 years or more,” Gardener said.  

But when she realized that her sister, a librarian, got to experience all the best parts of being a teacher, Gardner went back to get her masters degree at the University of North Texas  and became what the student body knows and loves her as: a school librarian. 

But what makes being a librarian so much better than being a teacher? For Gardner, it is reading books, which means she gets to do something she loves for a good portion of the day. 

Gardner is an avid reader and has been for most of her life. Her favorite genre is historical fiction, and because of her schedule she ends up reading four books at a time: One for the kids, one from the school’s catalog, one audio book, and one personal book at home. 

Although Gardner’s life is surrounded by books, she recalled that none of those interests went to her children. Her son became an engineer and her daughter recently became a nurse. 

For Gardner, the best part about being a librarian is the joy she feels when students discover their love for books, or when she has the ability to make a student love a book.

“Ms. Gardner has been very helpful in helping me find new books, whenever I’m not sure what to read next I know that Ms. Gardner will give me a personalized recommendation that will often become my new favorite book,” Gigi Schueneman ‘26 said.

Gardner has a love for her job and without a doubt there are many students and faculty that have found a love for the cheery librarian.

“From her friendly greetings when I walk in the door, to her encouraging words throughout the day, I couldn’t ask for a better coworker to spend my day with,” Sarah Blan, Upper School Librarian, said.

Even though when she was younger her dream was to be a teacher, Gardner believes being a librarian is all the best parts of being a teacher in one job and, of course, with less lesson planning.