Students flock to classrooms all across campus. But unlike every other school day, they are not stressing about their looming deadlines full of assignments and tests. Instead, a new type of chatter fills the air, ranging from discussions about the popular book character Percy Jackson to queries about humankind’s origins. 

The cornerstone of these conversations goes back to one key figure at Harker: Library Director Lauri Vaughan. As she channels her passion for literature and persistence for change, her efforts blossom into ReCreate Reading, a masterpiece shared by the entire community. 

“There is a ton of ‘this is good for you kind of reading’ on the list, and I think that’s because teachers have a very hard time taking their teacher hat off and not wanting to say ‘let’s read this goofy book,’” Vaughan said. “But I always think there should be more fun. I’ve always been a proponent for more brain candy, get as much brain candy as you can.” 

With the support of former Head of Upper School Butch Keller, Vaughan launched an initiative to reform summer reading, remaining grounded in her values of uniting the community through meaningful relationships. She passed out pamphlets to members of staff to spread the word, hoping to keep teachers, coaches and administrators actively involved in launching the program. 

“[Keller] deliberately wanted somebody who solved the problem,” Vaughan said. “He had the presence to know that most summer reading programs are kind of a disaster, like ‘why does summer reading have to be a headache?’ — it should be joyful.”

Vaughan relied on staff involvement to engage as many people as possible. Vaughan utilized already avid readers to foster multidisciplinary interactions, gathering more members inside the Harker community “into the fold.” 

“The people who you’re teaching at all levels on all campuses are the best of the best,” Vaughan said. “It’s part of the reason why there’s such a beautiful dynamic between students and teachers at Harker. In other schools, it’s a little antagonistic. Here, I don’t see any of that. I knew I could rely on teachers who are readers to help leverage getting more people reading.”

Through her extensive experience and passion for library science, she emphasized the importance of incorporating Harker’s library program inside classrooms, paving the way for new types of engagement between teachers and students. 

“I say, ‘I don’t get to teach my curriculum unless I’m in your classroom, and you connect it to your coral reef ecology project or your Their Eyes Were Watching God project or whatever it happens to be,’” Vaughan said. “If it’s not connected to something that students are learning about, it goes in one ear and out the other.”

A former English teacher, Vaughan treasures the impact of teachers inside and outside the classroom, citing it as “real magic going on.” She values them as the community’s foundation, facilitating student learning and growth. 

“When I think about Harker, the three things that I think about are: this is an amazing group of students, this is an amazing group of adults that have collected around them and I feel anytime you talk to teachers, it’s the best thing,” Vaughan said. “Everybody knows that we have dedicated students who want to learn, but it goes the other way too. You’ve got some of the most gifted people in their disciplines — they’re remarkable teachers.”

Designating herself as “the little pitbull for pleasure reading,” Vaughan’s influence extended throughout the entire community, as she actively encouraged inclusion and equal opportunity in the spread of knowledge.

“I’ve always been a good reader, but I think of myself as an information evangelist. I’ve always been somebody who says ‘let’s just include these people in the conversation or let’s just make sure that we spread this information around.’ Information should be free and should be given to as many people. People should understand the value of information and the power it has.”

Vaughan developed a new culture towards reading. She led the community in moving away from the normalized chore-like attitude and cultivated an environment where information and knowledge drive intellectual curiosity.

“Even our students who have let reading go a little bit because of the academic pressure, I think they still know and appreciate the value of reading and will probably find a time in their life when they can pick it back up again,” Vaughan said. “Maybe we’re planting a seed that needs to bloom and some of them just keep blooming.”