Each month, TASL honors school librarians from across the state who deserve recognition for their work. We are excited to share with you more about our April Librarians of the Month. East TN Librarian of the Month Name: Kerri Courter Hometown: LaMarque, TX School: Morristown Hamblen High School East School District: Hamblen County What do you love most about... Continue Reading →
Each month, TASL recognizes three school librarians from across the state for their outstanding service to their schools and communities. We are excited to share more about our December 2021 Librarians of the Month below. East TN Librarian of the Month Name: Traci Magee Hometown: Maryville, TN School: Linden Elementary School School District: Oak Ridge... Continue Reading →
The members of TASL's EDI Committee are dedicated to providing guidance for the development of diverse and inclusive collections for Tennessee school librarians. We are excited to share with you some of the best diverse books we've read in the past few years. Descriptions are from Goodreads. In a novel-in-verse that brims with grief and... Continue Reading →
Left to Right: Brandi Hartsell, Rebecca Smith Brandi Hartsell, librarian, and Rebecca Smith, social studies teacher, from Halls High School in Knox County were awarded the Teacher Collaboration Award for their Juvenile Justice Research Project. This 5-day project guided students to gather background knowledge and express opinions about the juvenile justice system, evaluate and select... Continue Reading →
Left to Right: Dr. Janetta Davenport, Katelyn Jernigan (Awards Chair) Dr. Janetta Davenport is the Assistant Principal at Liberty Elementary School in the Franklin Special School District. She was nominated by her librarian Laura Watts. We asked Dr. Davenport to tell us about her background as an educator. "I have teaching experience in preschool, kindergarten,... Continue Reading →
by Dr. Ashley Stanley Engaging and motivating students in the elementary library can often be a challenge. One way to do this is to implement learning stations in the K-5 library classroom. Library Learning Stations allow students to work collaboratively or independently on various library skills that support student learning. It takes some creative planning... Continue Reading →
by Felicia Warden MLK’s impact on the foundations of our educational system goes beyond desegregation, equity, and equality. His drive to ignite positive change, derived from an American ideal written in the Declaration of Independence which states “all men are created equal,” led him to become a symbol of true change (Archives.gov). At the time... Continue Reading →
Amidst your New Year’s Resolutions, we ask you to make advocacy a priority and join TASL in these upcoming “Advocacy Actions.” We will have one task per month that we will share and together, we will take action. Our main focus with advocacy continues to be the reinstatement of a Coordinator of School Libraries to... Continue Reading →
by Brandi Hartsell Jason Sharp began his first year as a school librarian in 2019. With several years of service as a public librarian under his belt, he was ready for a new challenge. One year later, he and co-librarian Katie Cozzens have transformed the library at Collierville High into a bustling space with a... Continue Reading →
by Renee Ziemann and Cristol Kapp Renee & Cristol What position do you hold? Renee Ziemann is the school librarian for Sale Creek Middle High School. She also teaches Journalism/Yearbook, serves on the Library Leadership Team, and is the HCS 6-12 CDT Librarian. Cristol Kapp is the school librarian for Red Bank Elementary School. She... Continue Reading →
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