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2022 OASL Awards Q&A and
Secondary Teacher-Librarian of the Year
Tricia Snyder, Reynolds Middle School
Honorary Lifetime Member
Susan Stone
Elementary Teacher-Librarian of the Year
Grace Butler, Whitman Elementary School (Portland)
How long have you worked in libraries? This is my 20th year as a Teacher Librarian
Favorite part of the job? My favorite parts of the job are having a space that everyone at my school likes to hang out in, especially the kids, and most especially the kids who really need a space that makes them feel safe and accepted. Those magic moments when you match the right kid to the right book. When they get fired up about something. Weeding and collection development. When the boxes of new books arrive. And I love that there's something that makes me laugh every day.
Hardest part of the job? The hardest part of my job is seeing my trauma-affected students struggle, and staying patient and understanding.
Best advice you ever received? What matters more than anything is growing kids who love reading and libraries.
This month's theme is advocacy. How have you found success in advocating for your library? My success in advocating has come from doing whatever I can to make our library the heart of the school, our family room. A lot of that is how it looks and feels, and how inviting and functional it is for everyone in our school community. All of my schools have been smaller ones, so I wear a lot of different hats and support everyone in whatever way I can. I've been blessed with really supportive administrators. But the biggest piece is building relationships.
Grace Butler Acceptance Speech
Thank you OASL for this honor, and thank you Molly Sloan for the nomination. I’ve chosen to accept as a way to honor some of the amazing friends and colleagues I’ve had the pleasure to work with for the last 19 years.
My first thank you is to Linda Lowell, now retired Beaverton middle school Teacher Librarian, who told me yes, you should be a Teacher Librarian. Volunteering as a parent set me on the right path.
My next thank you is to the irreplaceably smart and talented library staff who graced the Beaverton School District. While I was working on my endorsement, I subbed in a lot of their libraries and saw what was possible. Being able to join them for nine years was a privilege and one of the best things to ever happen to me. We fought so hard to stay together, but we didn’t win. Love to those of you who persevered. Some of you are here in the room, which makes me very happy!
Thank you to my friend Robin Rolfe. In 2012, I walked away from the teaching position I’d been reassigned to and couldn’t make myself take. I came to the fall conference with no school name to put on my badge, and she told me "I have a job for you." Thanks for generously sharing your library for a year while I got back on my feet.
Thank you to my welcoming colleagues from the Archdiocese of Portland, who shared their ideas during my three rewarding years at a private school.
And thank you to my amazing colleagues in Portland Public Schools. Seven years ago, I got to join Team Susan and begin my stay at my wonderful, challenging, kind Whitman school. Thank you to my three PPS principals who have all been so supportive of the library. Susan Stone, you’ll get thanks from me in a few minutes.
Thank you to the OASL board, and to the members who told me I should join them, I should be a conference committee member, I should chair a conference. Thanks to Stuart Levy who told me I should be president, and that I’d be sent to FIVE national conferences! A few weeks later, COVID hit, and I got to be the Zoom president. When I went to my first OASL conference in 2003, we filled a ballroom. I saw the gods and goddesses who were running things and thought, that could never be me. My advice to you is, if someone tells you you’d be good at it, they’re probably right, so say yes.
When I was an awkward, miserable junior high student, the two things that kept me going were sixth period choir and the library. In my experience, libraries were safe places and librarians were kind and had jobs for me to do. And all of those books! This year I have a fifth grader who is carrying a lot of trauma, and is earning points for staying in class. The reward he chose is coming to the library at the end of the day and checking out a book. One of my first graders who struggles with transitions comes in at lunch recess to drum, with a pad and sticks my husband Paul donated. He goes back to class smiling, and is participating in my class now. My blessing, what I am most proud of, is to be able to pay it forward. This is for all of you who are paying it forward too.
If you’re not an OASL member, please join. Consider joining the board. Please keep coming to conferences. Please keep advocating so we can fill up a ballroom again. And please nominate someone for an award next year.
Hooray for all of you and thank you ALL so much!!!
District Librarian of the Year
Carrie Light, Lake Oswego School District
How long have you worked in libraries? 18 years
Favorite part of the job? My favorite part of the job is building relationships with kids and teachers. School librarians are so lucky! We often are some of the only staff members who know all the students in our building.
Hardest part of the job? It seems every year we deal with budget and personnel cuts, but library staffers are working harder than ever.
Best advice you ever received? Take each day as it comes. To quote Dory in Finding Nemo: "Just Keep Swimming!"
This month's theme is advocacy. How have you found success in advocating for your library? I invite principals and other administrators into the library as often as I can, and not just for big planned events. When school leaders see kids browsing for books, collaborating with each other, and using the library space, they see how integral the library is to daily school life.
Classified Staff Person of the Year
Gigi Michaels, Griffin Creek Elementary School (Medford)
How long have you worked in libraries? A total of 7 years but not at the same schools.
Favorite part of the job? Interacting with the students
Hardest part of the job? Getting the district to invest more in the district libraries.
Best advice you ever received? Be resourceful, if you want something for your library don't give up, there is always another way.
This month's theme is advocacy. How have you found success in advocating for your library? Standing my ground, staying up to date, and being prepared to to speak up when the time is right.
Gigi Michaels Acceptance Speech
I would like to thank OASL for this amazing award, it is such an honor to be a member of, and being recognized by this association. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to co present and make many new connections at the Fall 2022 conference.
Thank you to Jennifer McKenzie for nominating me for this award. She gave me the “wings” to fly, to excel in my career, and believed in me from the very start.
In my current position at Griffin Creek Elementary in Medford, OR, I have the most supportive principal and amazing co-workers. I see great things for the future as we are only months away from opening our very first Library Makerspace.
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