Celebrating school librarians

School Librarian Appreciation Day is on April 9, and Dallas ISD is celebrating the highly trained professionals who cultivate a schoolwide culture of literacy, inquiry, and innovation that empowers students to become lifelong learners. 

To commemorate the day, Dallas ISD’s Library Media Services Department is highlighting some of the great work librarians are doing in supporting learning in their schools. 

Vernetta Lockridge, librarian at John W. Runyon Elementary School

Vernetta Lockridge is known for her collaborative approach to literacy instruction. When a second grade-teacher sought a lesson on Greek mythology, Lockridge accepted the challenge with a smile. Her can-do spirit and dedication have earned her the trust of her teachers, leading to invitations for hour-long “library on the go” lessons in their classroom. From exploring character traits to reinforcing the parts of a story, delving into math graphs, and discovering Greek mythology,  Lockridge seamlessly integrates literacy into engaging lessons that support her teachers’ Amplify curriculum.

Nicole Williams, librarian at T. G. Terry Elementary School

Nicole Williams creates an environment that is conducive to active and participatory learning. To support real-world experiences and science content,  Williams has a small aquarium with tadpoles which teachers and students visit regularly. The students use the district-purchased online resources to take their learning about amphibians a step further. Williams also provides engaging opportunities for students to use technology in the learning process. She leads the students in producing the virtual announcements for her school once a week.

Carrie Bruce, librarian at E.B. Comstock Middle School

At E.B. Comstock Middle School, students are combining literacy with innovative tech tools for more engaged learning. Carrie Bruce organized a lesson centered around fairy tales and used Strawbees—a STEAM technique that uses connectors and building straws that are placed together to build unique creations– to build representation of the stories. This approach enhances the students’ literacy skills, creativity, critical thinking, and the practice of using technological tools for learning. Puss in Boots built a chair and footstool for the King, Little Red Riding Hood built a closet for the wolf to hide in, and Cinderella built a pumpkin, her pink dress, and a magic wand. Kudos for innovative teaching taking place in the Comstock library.

LaShonda Roberson, librarian at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center

To support her Marvin E. Robinson School of Business and Management at Townview students, LaShonda Roberson participates in the student run entrepreneur space. The “library booth” is an opportunity for the library to circulate books, Social Emotional Learning activities, has a creative writing station, promotes the Dallas Public Library, and helps students build their personal home library with free books. The library booth is updated monthly.

For information about school libraries and happenings in the Library & Media Services Department, follow Dallas ISD Library and Media Services on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @DISD_Libraries or visit their website at https://www.dallasisd.org/librarymediaservices.