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Education Background:
My Bachelor's is in Business and Marketing but I have a Masters in Education (minor in Literacy), a Masters in School Library, a Master in NYS School Administration, and a Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction. Librarians like school!
What was your professional background before your current position?
I worked for many years as a paralegal and office manager for a small law firm. After that I managed the office and finances for a non-profit, then I worked as financial support for GST BOCES before becoming a high school librarian for 10 years and ultimately a School Library System and e-Learning Coordinator for GST BOCES.
What do you like best about your work?
My librarians of course! They are amazing folks who truly are the hearts of their school communities.
What has been your biggest professional challenge?
Covid and funding, both of which actually brought us together as a family of school librarians and made our programming more robust and better than ever!
How are you seeing issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility play a more prominent role in your work environment?
As a library family, we work diligently every day across our region to protect the right to read for all our students, and to ensure they have equitable access to a diverse variety of amazing library materials and instruction that meets every student's personal and academic needs.
What other organizations are you involved with?
Life member of the South Creek Volunteer Fire Department
What advice would you give to someone new to the field?
Don't be overwhelmed by all the 'stuff'. Remember the bottom line is if it's good for kids, it's good for everyone so make sure what you do is good for kids. Be your genuine self, embrace the miss-takes (we don't call them mistakes in library land), and love what you do because if you don't it shows.
Are there any tips you would like to share that help you get things done?
Find an amazing support staff person. Having one takes you from good to great (believe me I know because I have one awesome support person).
Favorite blog or website:
The GST SLS website of course!
What software/web tools do you use regularly?
All of them! Librarians are techie creatures.
What are you most proud of?
That #GSTReads! I think we have an amazing wealth of books that kids can access. Everything from print materials to Sora to class sets. And kids and adults are reading every day. Building the program has been a labor of love for us all, but the results are amazing.
What is one thing you would you like to learn?
How to make my hair not stick up in every Zoom I'm in. My granddaughter affectionately refers to it as "grandma's scare hair".
What are you most looking forward to doing this winter?
Watching the snow fall with my husband and the dogs in the quiet house with a fire and tea while we chat about our camping plans in the ADK for the summer.
Thank you Mary Ann!
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