Congratulations to our 2023 Ann Marie Pipkin Technology Award Winner!

Heather Pendley is the librarian at Hatton Elementary School in Leighton, AL. There, she works with Pre-K through 6th grades. She coaches a robotics program at her school, which she started in 2018. Her school is the only one in her area involved in the FIRST LEGO League. Every student in her school is exposed to coding and robotics through her library program. Heather received her STEM certification from the National Institute for STEM Education in 2020 and her school became STEM certified in 2021. Working in a Title I school, Heather strives to make sure her students get opportunities to work with technology that they otherwise wouldn't have. She recently led a session on robitics at the ASLA Annual Conference in February. Thank you so much for your contributions to educational technology, Heather!

Congratulations to our 2023 Distinguished Service to Librarianship Award Winner!

Julia Morrobel is the librarian at New Century Technology High School in Huntsville, AL. There, she has made changes that increased circulation of her collection by 2000% and her students now view the library as a safe haven, where they can hang out, work on school work, or get help. Julia has been active within her local school librarian organization in Huntsville City, where she served as Presidet during the 2021-22 school year. She has served as a mentor to school librarians new to her system and the profession. She has also been very active in ASLA. She has served on the Yellowhammer Book Awards committee for the past three year and is currently the chair of that committee. She has also served on the conference committee and was recently elected to our Board. Thank you so much for all the work you are putting in for school librarians across the state, Julia!

Congratulations to our 2023 Distinguished School Administrator Award Winner!

Dr. Daniel Bray serves as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Tuscaloosa County School System. Dr. Bray was nominated by a librarian in his district who described him as "instrumental in supporting the district's Library Media Specialist's access to professional development." He secures funding for the district's librarians to attend the annual state conference as well as workshops on books and educational technology. He sees value in the collaboration between the school librarians in his district and helps ensure they can attend regular meetings to learn together and work on district initiatives together. Dr. Bray has been an advocate for the librarians in his district and his support has not gone unnoticed by those who work with him. Thank you for your support of school libraries, Dr. Bray!

Congratulations to our 2023 Elementary School Library of the Year Award Winner!

Wendy Post is the librarian at Monte Sano Elementary School in Huntsville, AL. Wendy works hard to make sure the library is an integral part of her students' education. She believes that knowing her students and collaborating with teachers is the key to any school library's success. She ensures that her students have a foundational knowledge in classic folk tales and other classic children's literature to ensure they can recognize how the classics are rooted in contemporary works. She also connects her reading and writing lessons with STEM and the history of her students' local community. She begins teaching her students the research process early to instill a sense of curiosity and lifelong learning in them. She is an advocate for the state's Camellia Student Choice Book Awards, embedding them into read alouds and promoting the programt other librarians in her district. Thank you for everything you do for your students and staff, Wendy!

Congratulations to our 2023 Secondary School Library of the Year Award Winners!

Kimberly Johnson & Elisabeth Watkins are the librarians at Vestavia Hill High School in Vestavia Hills, AL. These librarians enrich the education of their students through various learning activities, teacher collaborations, leadership, and outreach efforts. They host Lunchtime Learning events and a Readers' Advisory group quarterly. They host a reading marathon, challenging their students to read more and track their reading. They meet with teachers to assist with incorporating choice reading into their curriculum. They send out weekly educational emails, including Tech Tips to their teachers. They promote Social Emotional Learning by offering the library as a place to decompress by providing alternative seating, coloring stations, games, and puzzles. The work hard together to make their library fun and exciting for their students while supporting classroom curriculum. Thank you for all that you do for your students and staff, Elisabeth and Kimberly!