District, Two Schools Nab NSLMPY Awards
RSSBy Rocco Staino -- School Library Journal, 05/25/2009
A district in western New York and schools in the suburbs of Kansas City and Chicago are this year’s winners of the National School Library Media Program of the Year (NSLMPY) award, which recognizes library programs that are fully integrated into the curriculum and ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas and information.
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From left: Livonia media specialists Jody Duggan-Lay,Marie D’Onofrio, Deb Donohue, and Anne-MarieGordon. |
"We are fortunate to have the support of an administration and a community that has continued to advance the library program through funding, staffing, educational opportunities, and collaborative experiences," say the Livonia media specialists in a joint statement (photo left). "Furthermore, our district has promoted a shared vision of libraries as essential for students to obtain the skills they need to succeed as lifelong learners and citizens in the global community."Scott Bischoping, superintendent of schools, says the program focuses on skills that cater to “student and teacher needs” and creates a culture of trust and support.
The Blue Valley North High School library media program in Overland Park, KS, was singled out in the secondary school category. The library in this Blue Ribbon School serves 1,495 students and is directed by Abby Neiburger and Terri Snethen, two media specialists who have worked to create a climate of comfort and acceptance where students are constantly studying, reading, hanging out with friends, or meeting to complete group projects. The library’s Web site offers students the opportunity to contact a librarian through its “Ask a Librarian” feature.
“As the only faculty members responsible for teaching every student every year, we collaborate to design, implement and evaluate lessons that teach our students to be effective, efficient, and ethical users of information,” Neiburger and Snethen said in a joint statement. “We are leaders in regards to technology, helping students and staff incorporate 21st-century skills for all learners.”
The elementary category went to Robert E. Clow Elementary School, a 453-student school located in Naperville, IL, 28 miles west of Chicago. The flexibly scheduled program allows students to take advantage of the many offerings provided by Beverly Frett, director of the library media center, who says she tries to push technology use at the elementary school level.
Her programs include book clubs, storytelling, and a Webographer program where students visually document learning and teaching at the school.
Recipients will be presented with an obelisk and a check for $10,000 donated by Follett Library Resources at a luncheon during the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago in July.
