About Me
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EDUCATION
BA in English, Eastern Illinois University, 1989
(Talented Student Award Recipient)
MA in English, Eastern Illinois University, 1990
(Full Academic Scholarship, Graduate Assistant)
MS in Educational Administration, Northern Illinois University, 1996
Endorsements: Library Media, English 6-12 Chicago State University
AWARDS
AISLE Illinois School Librarian of the Year 2019
Back to Books Grant Recipient, Illinois State Library
ILEAD U GRANT RECIPIENT: Illinois Librarians Explore, Apply and Discover, the 21st Century Technology Tool Institute for Illinois Library Staff. This opportunity is directly attributed to the Institute for Museum and Library Services, Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. This was through the Illinois State Library; it was a three year grant.
We Excel Award: Leyden High Schools District # 212
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRESENTATIONS
Presented at IASL (International Association of School Librarianship) Conference: Rome, Italy, 7/2023
Presented at LASL (Louisiana Association of School Librarians) Conference: Baton Rouge, LA, 7/2023
Presented at MASL (Missouri Association of School Librarians) Conference: Lake of the Ozarks, MO, 5/2023
Presented at FAME (Florida Association of Media Educators) Conference: Daytona Beach, FL, 12/2022
Presented at NYLA (New York Library Association) Conference: Verona, NY, 5/2022
Presented at SHARP (Society for the History Of Authorship Reading and Publishing) Conference: Amsterdam, Netherlands, 7/2022
Presented at IFLA (International Federation of Library Congress) Conference: Dublin, Ireland, 7/2022
Presented at California Association of School Librarians (CASL): 2/2021- Los Angeles, CA (Virtual)
Presented at Association of Illinois School Library Educators (AISLE): 4/2021-Springfield, IL (Virtual)
Presented at Young Adult Library School Association Symposium (YALSA): 11/2020 -Reno, Nevada (Virtual)
Presenting at Educational Collaborative of International Schools (ECIS): 5/2021-The Hague, Netherlands (Virtual)
Presented at the AISLE Love Your Library Series (Virtual) 4/2021, 5/2021
Presented at the RAILS Advocacy Panel 5/2021 (Virtual)
Presented at AASL (American Association of School Librarians,) Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah: 10/2021
Spoke at the Bennett Day School, Chicago, IL, 4/2019
Presented at Kane County /DuPage County Institute Day, St. Charles, IL, 3/2019
Presented at International Association of School Librarians Conference, Croatia (IASL): 10/2019
Presented at YALSA: St. Louis, Missouri, IREAD Program, 11/2014
Presented at the University of Illinois, 3/2024
Presented at the University of Missouri, 6/2023
Presented at Chicago State University, 4/2023
Podcast:
Guest Speaker: School Libraries United Podcast: 4/2021 , Episode # 123, Innovative School Library Programming
ISBE Task Force:
Served on the ISBE Reentry to Schools Task Force, advocating strongly for school libraries to remain open and librarians to do the work they do at the state level in the midst of the pandemic.
SORA Spotlight: