Meet The Committee

Beth Andersen is the library Information Integrator in South Portland. She holds a B. A. in History/Education from Smith College and an M.Ed in Library and Information Science from Mansfield University. Beth started her career as a high school social studies teacher and then moved to middle school. Beth moved back to high school to be a school librarian, and she is now a school librarian in a PK-4 school. She has taught in Maine and New Jersey. She does not have a favorite grade level, but she does have a favorite state!

Brandon Dyer is a Children's Librarian at Auburn Public Library. He received his degree in Library Science from Rutgers University in Brunswick, New Jersey. He loves reading picture books to youth and connecting with families. 

Teresa Holyoke once taught in a tiny two-room schoolhouse, and now works at one of the larger elementary schools in the state. She has taught at every grade level K-8 except grade two. She was a classroom teacher for 23 years before earning her MLIS from Florida State University, and becoming the district librarian for the Brewer School Department serving K-12.

Claire Malina (she/her) is the Youth Services Librarian at the Blue Hill Public Library. She received her degree in French Literature from the University of Vermont.  She loves working with children and helping them have access to books and information!

Gigi McAllister is the K-5 Library-Media Specialist at Village Elementary in Gorham. She has served as a special education teacher, a classroom teacher, literacy specialist, and literacy coach. She holds a BS in special education, and MEd and CAS in literacy instruction, and a MLIS. Gigi blogs about books and teaching at The Late Bloomer's Book Blog.

Debbie Meservey received her MLIS from the University of South Carolina in 1997 and her CAS in Literacy from USM in 2011. She was the first librarian of the Liberty (Maine) Public Library. She retired in 2024 from the K-4 library at Camden-Rockport Elementary School, where she worked for 30 years, and now does Family Story Time at The Appleton Library.

Michelle Reesman ​is a K-5 librarian at Old Town Elementary school after having taught Kindergarten for 11 years and 3rd grade for a year. She holds a BS in Elementary Education and a MS in Literacy, both from the University of Maine. She is currently working on her Masters of Library and Information Science from the University of North Texas.

Abigail Thompson is the PreK through Grade 12 School Librarian at the Rangeley Lakes Regional School in beautiful Rangeley, Maine. Previous to arriving in Rangeley, Abigail worked in academic special collections in Boston, MA. She holds a BA in English Literature from Muhlenberg College and her MLIS from Simmons College.  

Lynn Young is a retired librarian for SAD 51, Cumberland/North Yarmouth, having worked in libraries K-12. She has a B.S. in Child Development, having taught elementary grades in Maine and Vermont and a MLIS from Clarion University. She previously worked as a Training Specialist for L.L. Bean before being called back to public school work. She now works closely with Pam Leo and her reading initiative No Child With No Books and the Book Fairy Pantry Poject, a grassroots literacy movement. ,  Cumberlani