School librarians across the country are doing some pretty incredible things to inspire their peers, engage their students and connect with the community. The School Library Journal School Librarian of the Year Award celebrates these heroes of the library by shining a well-deserved spotlight on the tech-based creative projects, initiative and ideas that K–12 school librarians (teacher librarians!) are implementing—from makerspaces to parent workshops and even helping students create stop-motion animation films.
Today we are extremely excited to announce the winners of the 2015 School Librarian of the Year Award:
- Kristina Holzweiss, Bay Shore Middle School, Bay Shore, NY – 2015 School Librarian of the Year
- Lakisha Brinson, Amqui Elementary School, Nashville, TN – Finalist
- Sally Smollar, Plumosa School of the Arts, Delray Beach, FL – Finalist
All three school librarians are currently featured in the September 2015 issue of School Library Journal, available now in print with winner Kristina Holzweiss as the cover story. To read more about each librarian, check out their feature articles online at: http://slj.com/librarianoftheyear.
“I hope to inspire other school librarians and educators to create new programs for their students and communities. For many students, the school library is an oasis, a safe haven where they can learn about the world around them without leaving their own seats,” said Kristina Holzweiss. As 2015 School Librarian of the Year, Kristina will receive a $2,500 cash award, $2,500 worth of print and digital materials from Scholastic Library Publishing and an invitation to the SLJ Leadership Summit in Seattle. Each finalist will receive $500 in materials of their choice from Scholastic Library Publishing.
All School Librarian of the Year nominations were evaluated by a qualified panel of industry professionals, including 2014 School Librarian of the Year Michelle Colte, based on several criteria including exemplary service to fulfill the needs of students and the school community; creativity in programming and use of content; collaboration with teacher peers, staff, and administrators; demonstrated student engagement; and exemplary use of technology tools.
Congratulations Kristina, Lakisha and Sally and thank you for inspiring us and everyone around you!
To join in the School Librarian of the Year celebration online, be sure to use #SchoolLibOTY on Twitter.
