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Do you need a place to study while accompanied by the cracking noises of a Christmas fire? Want to participate in holiday games? Desire to learn how to wrap a present while listening to classic Christmas tunes? If you answered “Yes!” to any of these questions, come to St. Pius X’s Flannery O’Connor Library this holiday season!

The library is the perfect atmosphere to escape from stressful exams. Walking in, students are met with an array of decorations from Christmas trees made of green-wrapped books and Advent-themed activities. Close to the librarian’s hearts are the paper Christmas light strands that hang from all corners of the library. The decorations were made by senior Sully Wooton during his freshman year as part of a work study project. 

“How many decorations do we have around here that are [so] good that you could use them year after year?” librarian Mrs. Megan Wilkauskas said about Wooten’s creation. 

Since the students often do not check out Christmas-themed books, the library keeps few holiday reads. Instead, Mrs. Wilcauskas and librarian Mrs. LeyAnna Messick set up a shelf of books categorized by genre. For example, a category called “Wishing You a Killer Christmas” Features books like “The Final Girl Support Group” by Grady Hendrix and Killer of Enemies” by Joseph Bruchac, as well as “Wishing You a Mysterious Christmas,” which includes Caleb Roehrig’s book “Death Prefers Blondes.”

“Many of the fictional Christmas books are romantics, or something you would see on the Hallmark channel,” said Mrs. Messick jokingly. 

As Mrs. Wilcauskas explained, “We were trying to come up with [with an idea] by genre that had a Christmas theme.” 

To celebrate Advent, each year the staff sets up a display at the front of the library including educational aspects of the Christmas season.  

“This year our focus was on the history of the Nativity scene, how it got started and what are different traditions in different countries [for the holiday],” explained Mrs. Messick.

Mrs. Messick also asked the St. Pius teachers for their special holiday traditions in their households. Students can observe the unique Christmas traditions from Executive Assistant to the Principal Ms. Marsha Free, English teacher Mr. Spencer Brown, and Mrs. Messick. 

Students can also participate in holiday activities that give them practical skills for the Christmas season, such as how to wrap a present and ornament decorating, while decompressing in a relaxing atmosphere. The librarians are dedicated to making this Christmas a joyful time for both students and teachers. Their effort is apparent in the carefully placed decorations, soothing Christmas music, and timeless holiday movie showings. Noel is a time of great delight, but this year, also give thanks to the library staff who make this holiday so great!