Three Media Specialists Win the 'I Love My Librarian Award'
RSSBy Rocco Staino
Tech geek Michelle Luhtala, collaborator extraordinaire Jennifer La Garde, and student-centered Betsy Long are three school librarian winners of the I Love My Librarian Award, which gives the public an opportunity to nominate a librarian who has made a difference in the lives of the people they serve. The award, an initiative of the American Library Association that's sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the New York Times, went to 10 librarians from around the country who were selected from more than 2,000 nominations. Close to 200 library supporters gathered at the New York Times Center in Manhattan Wednesday night for the awards ceremony, where they heard Caroline Kennedy, daughter of President John Kennedy, speak. "Why are libraries under attack?" asked Kennedy, a longtime advocate of libraries, who explained that there's a general feeling of apathy toward libraries, coupled with an overall lack of funds. She went on to say that "school librarians make a difference" and specifically singled out the work of Barbara Stripling, the outgoing director of library services for New York City Department of Education, who has worked to create great media centers throughout the city's five boroughs and understands that a "great school library becomes the heart of the school." Luhtala describes her job as paradise. "I work in a free-range bring your own device school" that she says enables students to learn in the real world that prepares them for success in the 21st Century. Betsy Long (right), a media specialist at Doby's Mill Elementary School in Logoff, SC, was nominated by her principal, Ginger Catoe. "She makes learning to read contagious," said Catoe, who praised Long's "enthusiasm, energy and advocacy" and success in doubling the library's collection to 12,000 volumes since arriving in 2002. While working at the Title I school, Long provides literacy opportunities for all of her 600 students, their parents, and for the teachers. "She is a leader in the field-always innovative, creative, and forward-thinking as she works diligently to link and skillfully target her media services to their classroom curriculum," Catoe wrote. "Using a wide variety of technology, such as iTouches, iPods, Kindles, Interactive Whiteboards and accessories, Facebook, websites, vodcasts, podcasts, blogs, VoiceThreads, and even Smartphones, and Wii gaming systems, Mrs. Long links academic subject content with technology skills to promote inquiry, research, and reading." She also includes QR codes inside the covers of some of the library books; "Jennifer has completely changed my view of school librarians and their role as an instructional partners and school leaders," wrote Tayloe about why she nominated LaGarde. "Jennifer demonstrates daily her commitment to students and teachers through her desire to serve both populations as a resource, a collaborator, an instructor, a coach and a team teacher. While her ideas are always innovative and admired by those with whom she works, Jennifer is never satisfied. Her passion for meeting the diverse learning needs of our student population and serving as a leader among our teachers keeps her constantly seeking opportunities to improve our library, our school, our district and her contributions to each. What's more, Jennifer's energy, enthusiasm and skill as an educator have reshaped my thinking about the role of the school librarian and have turned this skeptic into a true believer." For LaGarde a teacher-librarian, who is also the department chair for the district's 36 librarians, the award is an "affirmation that what we do is worth fighting for." Carnegie Corporation President Vartan Gregorian also announced that in honor of the 100th anniversary of his organization, a $5 million grant will be given to the New York City public libraries. Each honoree receives a $5,000 cash award, a plaque, and a $500 travel stipend to attend the awards reception in New York City. Each nominee must be a librarian with a master's degree from a program accredited by the ALA in library and information studies or a master's degree with a specialty in school library media from an educational unit accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education
Michael De Mattia, a senior at New Canaan High School, who nominated Luhtala (left), the library department chair of New Canaan High School Library in New Canaan, CT, described her as a "true innovator, impressive teacher, talented organizer and proactive researcher" who, along with her library staff, spearheaded an effort to expand the district's digital resources. "Facebook, once the taboo figurehead of social media, had become a tool that, thanks to the promotion by the media staff, was being embraced by students and staff alike," De Mattia wrote in his nomination. "On top of that, the time that students were spending on social media sites was slowly but surely shifting to more productive uses and the response from classes was truly remarkable!"
Meanwhile, LaGarde (left) altered "the reading lives of the students' for the better at Myrtle Grove Middle School in Wilmington, NC, and greatly improved the instructional life of Kate Tayloe, a teacher at the school who nominated her for the award.
