Tag: On-Demand Webinar

Jamie M. Gregory, MLIS, is the Upper School librarian and journalism/newspaper teacher at Christ Church Episcopal School in Greenville, SC. She earned Bachelor’s degrees in English and French from Wofford College and went on to earn a master’s in teaching from Converse College and the master’s in library and information science from the University of South Carolina. She has written for publications such as Teacher Librarian and School Library Journal, blogged for ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom for almost 4 years, and presented webinars on intellectual freedom and information, media, and news literacy topics through Infobase. She is the 2022 South Carolina School Librarian of the Year, the 2022 recipient of the Intellectual Freedom Round Table’s Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award, a 2022 Library Journal Mover & Shaker, a 2023 ALA I Love My Librarian Award recipient, and the 2023 South Carolina Association of School Librarians’ Intellectual Freedom Award recipient. Follow her on Twitter @gregorjm.

Kelly Mayfield, MA, works in Collection Services at Columbus Metropolitan Library in Columbus, OH. She earned her master’s in theology from St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in St. Meinrad, IN. Following her three years of working as a paraprofessional school librarian at a private elementary school, she began to pursue an MLIS from the University of Kentucky and anticipates completing this degree in 2024. She is the author of Mine in China, a guidebook to adoption from China.

Kristin Pekoll, MLIS, is a former YA librarian from Wisconsin. For eight years she provided professional and emotional support to library workers experiencing bans and challenges as the assistant director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. She is the author of Beyond Banned Books: Defending Intellectual Freedom throughout Your Library published by ALA Editions in 2019. Currently she works with the Illinois Library Association team as their Conference and Continuing Education Manager.

Shannon M. Oltmann is associate professor in the School of Information Science at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY. She earned her doctorate from Indiana University. Oltmann is author of Libraries Unlimited’s Practicing Intellectual Freedom in Libraries and has been published in numerous academic journals. Her research interests include information ethics, censorship, intellectual freedom, information policy, public libraries, privacy, and qualitative research methods. Oltmann is the past editor of the Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy and associate editor of Library Quarterly. Her work has been funded by the American Library Association and the Institute of Museum & Library Studies.

Alicia Abdul is a high school librarian in Albany, NY, and advises for their Anime Club. She’s served on or chaired several YALSA book committees, presents at local, state, and national conferences on books, programs, and graphic novels, and recently became an adjunct for two graduate programs on young adult literature. She also reviews books for SLJ and SLC. If it’s not books, she’s baking or buying dresses.

Sara Alfageeh is a Jordanian American illustrator and creative director in San Francisco. She’s passionate about history, nuances in visual storytelling, and the spaces where art and identity intersect. She’s known for her work for Marvel Comics, Star Wars, and children’s publishing. While that’s cool and all, she really just wants to draw girls with swords. Visit her online at www.sara-alfa.com.

Nadia Shammas is an Arab-American writer born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She is best known for being the writer and co-creator of SQUIRE, a YA Middle Eastern fantasy graphic novel (HarperCollins 2022), with Sara Alfageeh. She’s also the creator and curator of CORPUS: A Comic Anthology of Bodily Ailments.

Dr. Gwen Athene Tarbox is a professor in the Department of English at Western Michigan University, where she teaches comics studies, children’s and YA literature, and American popular culture. Her monograph, Children’s and YA Comics, was released by Blooomsbury Academic in 2020, and she has co-edited, with Dr. Michelle Ann Abate, Graphic Novels for Children and Young Adults: A Collection of Critical Essays (University of Mississippi Press, 2017). Currently, Dr. Tarbox is writing a monograph on contemporary middle grade comics.

Jennifer Sturge is the teacher specialist for school libraries and instructional technology for Calvert County (MD) Public Schools. She is the co-author of Chapter 5, “Relationships” in Core Values. Jennifer is a 2017-18 Lilead Fellow and has worked in Calvert County Public Schools her entire career. Jennifer is a speaker and author and loves nothing more than to collaborate with her writing and presentations. She is the past-president of the Maryland Association of School Librarians and past chair of the Supervisor Section of the American Association of School Librarians. Jennifer also serves as an adjunct professor of school libraries at the University of Maryland. You can reach her on Twitter @sturgej.

Suzanne Sannwald, co-author of Core Values Chapter 4, “Intellectual Freedom,” is a teacher librarian at West Hills High School in Santee, CA. Suzanne completed the teacher librarian credential program and earned her master of library and information science from San José State University’s School of Information, where she has also served as a course instructor. As a Spectrum Scholar and AASL Induction Program alumnus, she mashes up her previous professional experiences as a classroom teacher, classified employee, and technology administrator at the middle, high school, and higher education levels within both public and corporate settings. Connect with her on Twitter: @suzannesannwald.

Peter Langella (he/him), co-author of Core Values Chapter 3, “Inclusion,” is a librarian at Champlain Valley Union High School in Vermont, where he co-advises the Racial Alliance Committee and Gender Sexuality Alliance. Peter also works as a school librarianship instructor at the University of Vermont and an English instructor at Northern Vermont University. He was a 2017 Fellow at The Rowland Foundation, a member of the first Induction Leadership Cohort with the American Association of School Librarians, and the co-recipient of the Vermont School Library Association’s 2020 Outstanding School Librarian Award. Peter is also the co-founder and co-organizer of Teen Lit Mob Vermont, the state’s only teen literary festival.

Kelly Gustafson, MEd, serves as the Wexford Elementary School principal in the Pine-Richland School District in Pennsylvania. With more than twenty years of experience as an administrator, Kelly credits professional, collaborative relationships formed with school librarians and teachers as motivators to advocate for all children having access to books. Kelly’s passion for school library partnerships fueled her active role in AASL’s School Leader Collaborative. She champions the value of librarians as a member of AASL and Pennsylvania School Librarians Association. Kelly participated in ALA National Legislative Days, testified before the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Education Committee, and contributed to the Guidelines for Pennsylvania School Library Programs (2019). Experience as a special educator, adjunct professor, and practicing principal drives her advocacy action steps to lead workshops, author publications, and share her voice to build a community of readers. Connect with her on Twitter @GustafsonkKelly.

Moderated by: Judi Moreillon

Judi Moreillon, PhD, is an author, editor, literacies and libraries consultant, and retired librarian educator. Her research and publications focus on school librarian leadership and classroom teacher-school librarian instructional partnerships. A former classroom teacher, literacy coach, and classroom teacher educator, Judi served as a collaborating school librarian at all three instructional levels. She is the editor of Core Values in SchoolLibrarianship: Responding with Commitment and Courage (Libraries Unlimited 2021). Previously, she authored four professional books for school librarians and has four published books for children and families. Judi earned the 2019 Scholastic Publishing Award.

Paula Willey is a children’s librarian in Baltimore, MD. She has written about children’s literature and family engagement for publications such as School Library Journal, the Baltimore Sun, Booklist, VOYA, and Baltimore’s Child and speaks on topics ranging from book illustration and trends in children’s literature to what it means when a kid is totally into truly creepy books. A member of the 2019 Michael S. Printz Committee, she is a vocal advocate for families with justice system involvement.

Andria L. Amaral has spent more than 20 years planning and developing public library programs and collections and services for students in grades 6–12, including after-school activities, summer reading contests, and innovative outreach programs targeting at-risk and incarcerated teens. She has provided professional development workshops at local and national library and education conferences, has guest lectured for MLIS students at the University of South Carolina and YA Literature students at the College of Charleston, and serves on the board of the YALLFest young adult literature festival.

Gabbi Pace is a media specialist at Sedgefield Middle School in Goose Creek, South Carolina. She graduated from Columbia College with a bachelor’s degree in secondary English education and from USC with a master’s in library science. While earning her master’s she worked as a library generalist at Charleston County Public Library’s main branch, where she assisted in the implementation of passive programming in the Teen Lounge. Now, passive programming ideals are baked into her mindset as a media specialist, and she loves finding ways to engage students when they come into Sedgefield’s library, no matter how brief their visit.

Meg Boisseau Allison, MEd, is a 7–12 teacher-librarian at U-32 Middle and High School in East Montpelier, VT. She is a former Global Teacher Fellow, traveling to France and Italy to research fairy tales. She was recognized by the University of Vermont as an Outstanding Teacher, was co-Outstanding School Librarian of Vermont in 2020, and currently is the President of the Vermont School Library Association. She loves to run and coaches the U-32 Girls Varsity Cross-Country team.

Erika Long, MSIS, is a certified school librarian, currently serving as a consultant and library advocate. Long is secretary/treasurer of AASL, past-president of Tennessee Library Association, and serves in ALA governance. She has guest blogged and co-authored the “Equity” chapter in Core Values in School Librarianship: Responding with Commitment and Courage. Connect with her on Twitter @erikaslong and Instagram @notyomamaslibrarian.

Julie Stivers, MSLS (she/her/hers), is the librarian at Mount Vernon Middle, an alternative public school in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her work has been published in Knowledge Quest, School Library Journal, and YALS. As a 2018 ALA Emerging Leader, she helped develop AASL’s Defending Intellectual Freedom: LGBTQ+ Materials in School Libraries. She is the recipient of AASL’s 2017 Frances Henne Award and was named a 2019 Library Journal Mover and Shaker. She served as the chair for the YALSA Presidential Taskforce: Youth Activism through Community Engagement and is a facilitator in her district’s Office of Equity Affairs Summer Writing Institute for high school students. Her research and practical interests include culturally sustaining pedagogy, building inclusive library spaces, and exploring the power of graphic novels, manga, and anime with her students. She earned her MLIS from SILS at UNC–Chapel Hill and connects on Twitter at @BespokeLib.

Kristy Hill is a school librarian in Fort Worth, Texas. She has 20 years of education experience in the classroom, in school libraries, and as a social emotional learning coach. She is the author of professional books for educators including Teaching Elementary Students Real Life Inquiry Skills and Guided by Meaning in Primary Literacy. She is the recipient of the 2018 Sue German Award for excellence in literacy advocacy. She is currently a doctoral student in educational psychology at the University of North Texas. Her current research includes compassion organizing, belonging, and identity development.

Abbie Harriman is a doctoral candidate in educational psychology at Tech University. She served in public education for 14 years as a teacher, school counselor, and coordinator of social-emotional learning. As a school counselor, Abbie received the Lone Star State School Counseling Association honors of Bronze, Silver, and Gold and received the Crest Award through the Texas School Counselor Association. In 2019, Abbie was named as one of the Top Five Counselors in the State of Texas by the Lone Star State School Counseling Association. Her current research surrounds self-regulation and its impact on student outcomes.

Dr. Amy Grosso completed her PhD in counseling and counselor education at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She started her career as a mental health counselor with Wake Forest Baptist Health. She now is the director of behavioral health services at Round Rock ISD, where she oversees a team of social workers and campus-based mental health centers. In addition, Dr. Grosso is part of the formation of a new district police department aimed at reforming school policing by focusing on safety and security, behavioral health, equity, and student advocacy. Dr. Grosso is also on the Chapter Leadership Council for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Kristina A. Holzweiss, MA, MLS, is an ed tech librarian at Syosset High School, as well as a presenter, author, and professional developer. She earned her master’s degree in English from CUNY Queens College, her master’s degree in library science from LIU Post, and her advanced certificate in educational technology from SUNY Stony Brook. Kristina was named the School Library Journal Librarian of the Year in 2015, a National School Board 2016-2017 “20 to Watch” emerging education technology leader, and a 2018 Library Journal Mover & Shaker. She is also the winner of the 2015 NYSCATE Lee Bryant Outstanding Teacher Award and 2015 Long Island Technology Summit Fred Podolski Leadership and Innovation Award. In 2015 she founded SLIME, Students of Long Island Maker Expo (slimemakerexpo.com), where schools, libraries, museums, nonprofit organizations, civic associations, and educational companies can celebrate creativity and innovation. Kristina is the co-author of Hacking School Libraries: 10 Ways to Incorporate Library Media Centers into Your Learning Community with Stony Evans, as well as the author of Scholastic makerspace books. She is the Long Island Director for NYSCATE, an ISTE affiliate, and shares regularly on social media (@lieberrian) and her website (bunheadwithducttape.com).

Nancy Jo Lambert, MLS, is a Google for Education Certified Trainer and public high school teacher librarian. She is a speaker advocating for libraries by telling the story of the learning happening in her library. She has been published in professional journals and won numerous awards and grants and was named TCEA Library Media Specialist of the Year by the American Association of School Librarians Social Media Superstar Curriculum Champion in 2019. She is co-founder of EduPrideAlliance.org #TeachPride and a #FReadom organizer. She is known for sharing her professional work on Twitter @NancyJoLambert and her website nancyjolambert.com.

Becky Calzada, MLIS, is the district library coordinator in Leander ISD, which is located just northwest of Austin, Texas. She has been published in professional journals including School Library Connection, Knowledge Quest, and the TLA Journal. She is a director-at-large for AASL, an advisory member for The Center for the Future of Libraries Advisory Group, on the Legislative Committee for TxLA, past chair for the TxASL, and a #FReadom Fighters organizer. Becky can be followed on Twitter @becalzada.

Kristin Fraga Sierra, MEd, is the teacher librarian at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Washington. She is advisor of Project Lit Abes Book Club, a chapter of grassroots literacy movement the Project Lit Community. Kristin co-wrote a chapter in the book Core Values in School Librarianship: Responding with Commitment and Courage (Libraries Unlimited, 2021). As a Cuban-American, she is a proud member of the Latinx community. Connect on Instagram and Twitter @lincolnabesread or school library blog: lincolnabesread.wordpress.com

Tyler Sainato is a former high school teacher who loved books and advocacy so much that she decided to become a school librarian. By day she works with amazing young people in her building, and by night she goes home to her family and new baby in Nashville, TN. Winner of the Innovative Librarian Award from the Tennessee Association of School Librarians, she works to bring creative and inventive ideas to her library. She loves to create escape games and other immersive experiences for her school community. She has worked closely with the Project LIT community over the last five years and has seen her own chapter evolve as the world has changed. Her current chapter has not only made an impact on their local community, but they have also been recognized nationally.

Jarred Amato, EdD, is an award-winning English teacher from Nashville, TN, and the co-founder of Project LIT Community, a national grassroots literacy movement. Jarred is an avid reader and writer who enjoys collaborating with fellow educators to improve literacy access, attitudes, and outcomes in our schools and communities. Dr. Amato received his BA in English and History from Vanderbilt University, his MAT from Belmont University, and his EdD from Lipscomb University. You can follow Jarred at @jarredamato and @projectlitcomm on Twitter!

School librarians are well-positioned to create learning environments that support and empower students with dyslexia and other specific learning needs. So what are the techniques and approaches that will help these students thrive? Join educators Tina Berumen and Mary Kennington as they uncover common misconceptions about dyslexia and share tips and strategies to best support your students, and their families, with digital resources and literature.

Tina Berumen, MLS, serves as the coordinator of library services for Coppell ISD in Coppell, TX. Prior to this library administration role, she served as a school librarian for fifteen years at the elementary and secondary level. She earned her bachelor’s in education from the University of Texas at Arlington and her master’s of library science from Texas Woman’s University. She is a Texas certified teacher in early childhood through fourth grade, English as a second language early childhood through twelfth grade, and a certified school librarian. Tina is an active member of the Texas Library Association, Texas Association of School Library Administrators, and the Texas Computer Education Association. She has served these state organizations on various committees over the years and led professional development sessions in the areas of school librarianship, library programming, and instructional partnerships. She is passionate about ensuring equity of access to library resources for all and supporting school librarians to develop professionally. You can follow her on Twitter @tinaberumen.

Mary Kennington, MEd, LDT, CALT, serves as a middle school assistant principal in Coppell, TX. Prior to this administrative role, she served as a dyslexia diagnostician and dyslexia therapist. She earned her bachelor’s in history from the University of Arkansas, her master’s of education in special education specializing in dyslexia therapy from Midwestern State University, and her principal certification from Lamar University. She is a Texas certified teacher in early childhood through sixth grade, special education early childhood through twelfth grade, English as a second language early childhood through twelfth grade, and a certified educational diagnostician. She is also a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) and a Licensed Dyslexia Therapist (LDT). Mary has a heart for helping learners reach their full potential. She believes that the brightest children can sometimes have the hardest time learning, and that we must meet their needs in unique ways. You can follow her on Twitter @mekennington.