About Me

My Stuff or Where I Try to Stay Organized

About Me

My bio...

I am a graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Education where I received my elementary certification for teaching K-8 grades. My affiliation with my present school, Trident Academy, began as a mother of a first grade student in 1993. Since I was an avid reader, I found volunteering in the library a pleasant diversion in between the hours waiting and driving the 50 miles to and fro from school each day. After several years of volunteering, I was asked to come aboard as a part time librarian. I enjoyed the work so much, I decided to return to pst graduate education to earn a masters degree. I attended the University of South Carolina College of Library and Information Science. (I have to give USC its due praise. The college is presently ranked first in the nation for its school library program. I met some wonderful professors and fellow students during my training). I graduated in 2004 with a Master of Library and Information Science degree. A colleague asked me to take a Lesley University technology class with her in 2006, and I completed a second master degree; this time a Master of Education in Technology. I am on my tenth year at Trident Academy as a member of the faculty.

I served two and a half years as a member of the South Carolina Association of School Librarians' Young Adult Book Awards committee. This committee, after its members read from a list of approximately sixty to one hundred titles, nominates a list of twenty excellent books that they recommend to high school students. These are the books that the committee considers the best Young Adult books published during the last two year period. Books are read from the list by public and private school students, teachers and librarians throughout South Carolina. Participating librarians and students, after reading a minimum of three of the nominated titles, may vote for their favorite title. The recipient of the award may appear at the annual SCASL conference to accept the award. Serving on this committee has been a very rewarding experience and has helped me stay attuned to what our teenagers are reading.

I am presently serving on the SCASL Executive Board representing the Independent/Special Schools.

My Traveling Companion

Flat Stanley

I love to travel!

I was fortunate to be able to take a trip to Eastern Europe and Russia. It was one of my favorite trips and I came home with many memories and of course, photos.

Puppets and Reading, a great mix!

Favorites

Here's a list of some of my favorite books:

All of Jane Austen's titles, but Pride and Prejudice is at the top of the list, with Persuasion coming in a close second.

Young Adult titles:

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer - who would have thought I would like vampire stories?

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld - great thought-provoking, futuristic series.

Godless by Pete Hautman - did not make "the list".

Middle School titles:

The Emperor's Eyes by Graham Salisbury - Excellent boy's read.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan - Okay, Rick just because you came to visit and got all my kids excited about reading about Percy Jackson, you made my list.

The Liberation of Gabriel King by Kelly L. Going

Lower School titles:

Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Camillo - Definitely a tear-jerker.

The Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen - Because Michelle Knudsen is a sweetheart author and editor.

Stephanie's Ponytail by Robert Munsch - Favorite tell it to them story.

Too many books and not enough time!

Traveling is my favorite pasttime. Here's a list of some of my favorite places I have visited:

Venice, Italy, Assisi, Italy, St. Petersburg, Russia, Ring of Kerry, Ireland, Cotswald, England, Paris, France, Vilnius, Lithuania, Rome, Italy, and Bath, England

Here are the professional organizations to which I belong:

American Library Association (ALA)

AASL (American Association of School Librarians)

YALSA (Young Adult Library Service Association)

SCASL (South Carolina Association of School Librarians)

SCASL Executive Board Independent/Special Schools

International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE)

Mary M. Silgals, MLIS, M.Ed. in Technology