Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Case Study No. 0651: Carol Levers

Librarian's Story Puts Her On Front Page
3:19
From South Africa to Kansas City, Kansas, to a page in the New York Times, a local woman's journey could fill up several papers.
Tags: KMBC Kansas City librarian
Added: 3 years ago
From: kmbctv
Views: 73

[scene opens with two news reporters speaking directly to the camera]
KRIS KETZ: Right now, from South Africa to Kansas City, Kansas ... to a page in the New York Times.
DIANE CHO: A local woman's journey could fill up several papers. KNBC's Donna Pitman introduces us to her.
[camera zooms out to show another female reporter sitting next to them]
DONNA PITMAN: It could, indeed. Carol Levers' story is one of bravery, overcoming odds, and - despite all she has achieved - humility.
[cut to a female librarian ("Kansas City, KS, West Wyandotte Library") speaking to someone on the phone]
CAROL LEVERS: Was it in the adults section, or was it the childrens section?
[cut to footage of the library's stacks]
DONNA PITMAN: [in voice over] Look at Carol Levers, you'd never know her story gives the books on these shelves at West Wyandotte Library a run for their money.
[cut to Carol looking for a book in the stacks]
DONNA PITMAN: [in voice over] Carol, her husband, and two young children came to Kansas in 1989 for political asylum.
[cut to Carol sitting in a chair in the library, being interviewed by Donna]
CAROL LEVERS: My husband and I had to leave South Africa. He was pursued by the government because of his views against the government. Prior to that, he was jailed for having on his person a copy of the Bill of Rights ... I mean, it's a bill of rights, similar to the Bill of Rights.
[cut to another shot of Carol]
CAROL LEVERS: They had death squads, and they had names, people that they knew to eliminate. And apparently, somebody tipped him off and told him, "Y'know, your name is on that list too." So, we needed to get out of the country.
[cut to more footage from inside the library]
DONNA PITMAN: [in voice over] They had two suitcases and loads of uncertainty.
CAROL LEVERS: [in voice over] We were confined to the apartment, and I wanted to get out. So we took a walk and found the library.
[cut to Donna in the childrens section of the library]
DONNA PITMAN: Carol discovered the library because it was convenient, it was within walking distance of the apartment that she lived in. But that isn't the reason she came, she says every time she came there, every time she opened a book, it was an escape for her. Not only her, also for her kids.
[cut back to Carol being interviewed]
CAROL LEVERS: And kids could play ... Not play as play, but with puzzles and stuff, and just be kids. And this is a library, I couldn't fathom.
[cut to Carol taking some books off the shelf]
DONNA PITMAN: [in voice over] And something else ...
CAROL LEVERS: [in voice over] I could read all the books that were banned in South Africa, because any book that had a person of color as the main character was banned in South Africa.
[cut back to Carol being interviewed]
CAROL LEVERS: So, y'know, you never saw a person of color as a pilot of a doctor or a lawyer, et cetera ... because that's their way of keeping everybody in place! And I'm like, "Wow, look at this!"
[cut to Carol pulling Alex Haley's "Roots" off the shelf]
CAROL LEVERS: Here. This is one of the first books, national best seller, that I had to grab and read.
DONNA PITMAN: [in voice over] Carol began working here.
[cut to an elderly female librarian helping a patron in the library]
DONNA PITMAN: [in voice over] Nearly twenty years after they met, friend and mentor Pat Gaunce came across something in the New York Times, a call for the best librarians.
[cut to the librarian ("Pat Gaunce, Retired Librarian") sitting in a chair in the library, being interviewed by Donna]
PAT GAUNCE: It's a no-brainer ... It's Carol Levers! Y'know, her life is like a made-for-TV documentary.
[cut to a newspaper clipping announcing the winners of the 2008 "I Love My Librarian!" contest]
DONNA PITMAN: [in voice over] Of the thirty two hundred entries, look whose face graced a December issue of the Times ... Carol.
[cut to a closeup of the Times, with Carol's portrait ("Carol W. Levers. Community Services Librarian, Kansas City, Kansas Public Library. Weekend Supervisor, Plaza Branch Library, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City Mo.")]
CAROL LEVERS: [in voice over] It blew my mind!
[cut back to Carol being interviewed]
CAROL LEVERS: I said, "I cannot believe this! I cannot believe this!"
[cut to more footage of Carol walking around inside the library]
DONNA PITMAN: [in voice over] One of ten chosen for the "I Love My Librarian" 2008 contest.
CAROL LEVERS: [in voice over] At first, when they called me, I thought someone was playing a joke on me. I'm like, "Why would they give me an award for something that I love doing?" I just love doing it!
[cut back to Donna in studio]
DONNA PITMAN: Carol works seven days a week. Her youngest son is still in college at KU, and as part of her job, she encourages people of all ages to go to college and she shows them how they can apply for grants and the money they need to do so.
[camera zooms out to show all three reporters]
DONNA PITMAN: And I have to tell you guys, of all the people that I've been able to interview, Carol's one that just will stay in my mind. She's so inspirational.

---

From lisnews.org:

One of ten chosen for the New York Times "I Love My Librarian" contest, West Wyandotte (KS) Librarian Carol Levers has a fascinating story.

Local Kansas City TV station KMBC reports:

Levers, her husband and two young children came to Kansas in 1989 to seek political asylum.

"My husband and I had to leave South Africa," Levers said. "He was pursued by the government for his views against the government. Prior to that, he was jailed for having on his person something similar to the Bill of Rights."

Levers continued, "They had death squads. They had names of people they wanted to eliminate. Someone tipped him off and told him, 'Your name is on that list.' So, we had to get out of the country."

They had two suitcases and no certain hope for the future. After spending time confined to their small apartment, Levers and her husband went out and found the library.

Levers first went to the library because it was within walking distance of her apartment. But the reason she returned was that every time she came there, every time she opened a book, it was an escape for her. Not only for her, but for her children. They could be safe, play with puzzles and just be children.

No comments:

Post a Comment