High School Library paraprofessional Gabby McLarren has been working in the Tyrone Area School District for over ten years.  But one thing many students might not know about her is that she is the mastermind behind the incredible showcase displays in the main lobby outside the high school library.

To come up with such elaborate displays, she puts in much time and effort to make her ideas come to life.

When asked how long her displays typically take to make, McLarren said, “depending on whether everything goes according to plan, which it doesn’t always, it can take anywhere from two to four hours or more. And that is just the actual assembling part.”

McLarren finds inspiration for new displays in many places. She is influenced mostly by holidays, seasons, and of course, books. There is a lot of preparation that goes into making displays, involving lots of shopping, designing and printing.

“With the help of my mom, we usually scour stores looking for props. I always make my own letters which involves creating them on Publisher, printing, and then cutting them out. I am very particular, so a lot of times I find something that I want to tweak or change the next time I assemble a display,” said McLarren.

It’s the positive reactions she gets from students and staff that keep her working hard on the displays.

“Many staff and students look forward to ‘what’s next’ when they see me taking down a display. I enjoy seeing their excitement and am glad that I could brighten their day and give them something to look forward to,” said McLarren.

In addition to being very creative, McLarren is an avid reader, which makes her the perfect fit for running the library.

“My favorite thing about working [here] is helping students discover new books or series to read,” said McLarren.