Before Diana Haneski, the library media specialist at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, began her presentation at the Library Leaders Summit at the 2025 Future of Education Conference, she led the large breakout room through a breathing meditation.
Accompanied by her therapy dog, River, Haneski spoke about the power of audio-guided meditation services districts can use to help students reduce their stress.
“I wanted to show how easy it is and how quickly you can feel better with a breath, but not every teacher is ready to stand in front of everyone and do that sort of thing,” she said at FETC. “The technology can really help.”
Some might find a foray into holistic wellness peculiar, but Haneski has witnessed the restorative power of self-care techniques firsthand in the aftermath of the infamous Parkland shooting. The librarian shielded 50 students and teachers in an equipment room while a former student opened fire, taking the lives of 14 people.
To this day, Haneski has committed the library as a space for rest and wellness since it was first flooded by counselors and pastors to help students in the wake of the tragedy. She encourages students (and even teachers) to take advantage of various mindfulness apps and the library’s five smartboards to decompress and, in her words, “chill.”
“You don’t have to have survived something so awful to feel trauma,” she said. “There is stress and anxiety in all our lives, ups and downs.”
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