During her two years as a library page, Jenny Wright learned to file books, tapes and cards. When she reported to work Saturday morning, she filed children away to safety.
Wright, 22, was just reporting to work in the children's books section of the Salt Lake City Library when Clifford Lynn Draper took 18 people hostage at gunpoint and threatened them with a bomb."I arrived at work maybe 10 minutes early," said the former Utah State University student, who is engaged to be married later this year. "I sat talking with Jean Schmid, the deputy agency head of children's section, when we looked out the picture window and saw a man standing on a table. His back was to us and he was waving a gun around," Wright said. "The man couldn't hear us because we were on the other side of the escalators."
Schmid immediately went to call 911 and left Wright alone with eight children and their parents. "I looked around and realized I was the only library employee around," Wright said. "I either had to panic or be cool."
Wright chose the latter.
"I kept calm because there was no reason to upset the children," she said. "I told them we were going to a party in the back room." Wright led the children and parents to the west section of the second floor, filed them into a room and locked the door.
Inside the room, Wright directed the children to some toys stored there. "I also told them not to open the door to anyone because library employees will have a key," she said. "The kids were great. Some of them knew what was going on, but they kept calm and followed every order I gave."
The group remained in the room for about 10 minutes until Draper ordered his hostages into a room and drew the shades. Schmid then returned and led everyone down the escalators and out a back exit of the staff area.
"She did what she should have done," said Wright's mother, Joleen. "She's always had a good rapport with children and I consider her a heroine."