School Library Journal announced the winners of the first annual School Librarian of the Year Award, which honors school library professionals for outstanding achievement and exemplary use of 21st century tools to engage students. Lamar Middle School Librarian Colleen Graves was recognized as one of the top three finalists.
Graves will receive $500 in scholastic materials of her choice, according to a news release. Graves is currently featured in the September 2014 issue of School Library Journal at SLJ.com.
A panel of school librarians, School Library Journal editors and other
industry professionals from Scholastic and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) selected the award winners. All nominations were judged on several criteria including creativity in programming, exemplary use of technology and integration of library resources with curricula.
Graves established a Makerspace and introduced a series of Maker Monday workshops at her Flower Mound school, where students have the opportunity to design and create during activities such as app-making. An early adapter of new technologies and programs, Graves organized “lunch and learn” sessions where students and staff discover strategies using programs such as GarageBand, Google Sites and more.
To learn more about the School Librarian of the Year Award and its honorees, visit www.slj.com/librarianoftheyear.