I’m a junior in the Class of 2027 at Franklin County Technical School. Earlier this year, I found out the school was cutting various positions including the librarian due to rising healthcare costs. I decided to respond. What I learned from that experience is what I want to talk about.

When I first read the newspaper in March, I was shocked. But an idea popped into my head. What if I tried to do something about this? But then I thought, what good would it do? I wasn’t a very publicly facing person. I don’t even consider myself so now, but when I first had the idea, I had a great amount of doubt. What is an unknown person like me going to do? I was practically a nobody. But I just couldn’t stop thinking. I was a nobody, who couldn’t do nothing.

I began thinking strategically. I quickly got an assessment of the situation. I didn’t have much time. I only had a single week before the School Committee meeting and I figured by the end of that meeting, it was pretty much a done deal whatever was going to happen.

I quickly Googled things like “Libraries near me” or “Library advocate associations” or “school library associations.” Many organizations popped up in the results, and I contacted almost every single one. By the time I was done I had contacted over a dozen people, libraries, and relevant associations. I learned something unfortunate.

Franklin County Tech was not alone in these librarian cuts. Many schools across the state and country have been cutting them, including reducing funding to public libraries. It was at this moment I began to doubt myself again.

What would forming a movement against this at my school do to stop this from happening somewhere else? I considered the facts for a few hours, not days, I didn’t have days to contemplate. And then I thought, how many other students or community members are considering acting on this or a similar issue? If I make a move, it doesn’t mean that people will follow in my footsteps, but it does mean that it would make one less person standing on the sidelines.

By about day three, I was on a Zoom call with Carolyn Foote, a retired school librarian from Texas who had been recognized by President Barack Obama in 2013 for innovation in education. She was contacting me on behalf of EveryLibrary, a library advocacy organization, and wanted to help me.

Carolyn along with other members of EveryLibrary and other organizations were shocked that this was happening in Massachusetts, the education state. EveryLibrary made a petition for FCTS, and by the time it was all said and done, it had over 250 signatures. 250 people from all over the community and country, in just about 72 hours.

Around the same time, Massachusetts School Library Association and Massachusetts Library Association had gotten back to my email, and were both sending a representative to the School Committee meeting.

By day 1, I read an article. By day 7 I had 250 advocates, experts, retired librarians, and community members from all walks of life behind me. It felt like a lot of weight on my shoulders. But the seven days of exercise had prepared me.

I gave a speech alongside the two representatives about why this couldn’t happen, and what kinds of effects it would bring.

While the position was cut, I think it sent a message. To myself, and to the community that had been listening. To me, it sent a message that someone that is shy and not sure what to do, can lead an alliance against something.

Somewhere in these pages is something worth acting on. I hope you find it.

The position was cut. But 250 people showed up in 72 hours because a shy kid from Franklin County Tech decided to do one thing.

Just send that email.

Aidan Pasic lives in Greenfield.