This Nov. 21, the high school will say goodbye to a treasured member of its community, Ann Collins, who has worked here for nearly 20 years.
Before working as a librarian, Collins had applied to the Peace Corps and Simmons University at the same time.
“I heard from both of them that I was accepted the same week, and so I decided to come [to the high school] instead of going into the Peace Corps. I figured this was far enough,” Collins said.
After working as a medical librarian at the Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain, Collins came to the high school, where she said she enjoys connecting with students.
“I thought it would be a really good fit. It was just an interest, and it paid off big. I had no idea how much I would love working with this age group,” Collins said. “ I think so many high school students just want to connect with somebody, and why not me? Being in a school, you get to see your users every day and build relationships. At the public library, you might answer a reference question, and you never see them again.”
Collins said one of her favorite parts of working here is the students and the energy they bring to the library.
“There’s just this crazy energy that high school students have, and I find them very open to asking questions and accepting help. Many of them laugh at my jokes, all of my jokes, which is great. I just have a good rapport with students and it’s energizing,” Collins said.
Collins’s work has extended beyond books and the library walls. She has advocated for the teacher’s union, coached Powerpuff and sung goodbye to graduating seniors. In librarian Bridget Knightly’s eyes, Collins is the social face of the school and helped create a significant change in the atmosphere of the library.
“She made the library more of a library commons. It moved away from that austere, quiet place where no talking was allowed, to a combination of both,” Knightly said. “When Ann came on board, it was such a relief.”
Maura McGill, a friend and fellow librarian of Collins, said it is not uncommon for Collins to burst into song, something she already started missing when she moved to the library at 22 Tappan.
“She has a good voice, and she will just start singing,” McGill said. “At the end of the year, she will sing a song to say goodbye to the seniors. If she’s talking about a book and it reminds her of a song, she’ll just start singing it. There’s so much joy in that.”
This energy is something Collins carries with her throughout the whole year and into the holiday season. For McGill, Collins’s Halloween spirit has been a highlight of working together.
“She’s so much fun on Halloween and she’s not afraid to be silly. She’ll usually have gruesome makeup. I’ll miss that,” McGill said.
Collins’s love for students has been apparent to her fellow librarians.
“She’ll spend loads of time with students, helping them find resources, and she’s really good at it,” Knightly said. “I remember when I was talking to her, she could not stop talking about how much she loved working with students, and that was really what made the job for her.”
Knightly said Collins often involves herself in events.
“She’ll go to the graduations for ACE when not many teachers do, and she’ll go to the graduations for Excel and METCO, and she loves doing it. She just loves seeing the students and doing things outside of her workday for them,” Knightly said.
When she leaves, Collins has many plans —some grand, some vague and some small and specific. But whatever they are, they start with a button.
“I have this shirt that’s sitting on my chair in my bedroom that hasn’t had a button for many years. I’m gonna sew that button on,” Collins said. “And then I’m just gonna do whatever I want to do. I want to travel cross country and see the parks. I may do some consulting for Boston Public Schools in their libraries because they’ve hired a lot of new librarians, get more involved in my church and run errands for my friends who are not retired. Go to the gym. And then, I truly believe something will come to me that speaks to me.”
Collins said that she’s thankful for her memories of BHS.
“I’ll hold onto the warm, fuzzy feeling of being in this building and walking through the hallways with kids,” Collins said. “Thanks for the ride. It’s been a wonderful 19 years.”
