Compassionate Support: Helping Grieving Students in the School Library

Grade Level: Not grade specific

Session Strand: Other

Presenter
Gina Seymour

Gina Seymour is the Library Media Specialist at Islip High School (NY) and a strong advocate for compassionate librarianship. She’s all about empowering students, promoting equity, and using library spaces to build community. She is passionate about making libraries places of purpose, empathy, and action.

Named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker and proud Social Justice Defender finalist (AASL), Gina’s also a national speaker and author of Makers with a Cause: Creative Service Projects for Library Youth and Youth Social Action in the Library: Cultivating Change Makers,

She shares ideas, reflections, and creative service projects at GinaSeymour.com


Description: This session equips school librarians with practical guidance, actionable strategies, and compassionate approaches to support students dealing with grief. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of navigating grief and bereavement within their libraries.

The session begins with an introduction, followed by a segment on understanding grief in students, helping librarians recognize common signs and behaviors and discussing the emotional and academic impacts of grief. Practical support strategies include creating a safe and comforting library environment, employing compassionate communication techniques, and curating relevant resources to help students cope with grief. The session also covers organizing peer support groups, encouraging creative outlets, and facilitating connections with counselors and support services.

By the end of the session, participants will be able to recognize the role of school libraries in grief support, identify grieving students' needs, implement supportive strategies, create a compassionate environment, use sensitive communication, provide relevant resources, and promote community connections.