Library Technician of the Year
Recipient: Teresa Armstrong, Brooklands and Stevenson School Libraries, St. James School Division
Nominated by: Kim Johnston-Rempel, Reading Recovery & Literacy Support Teacher, Brooklands School
Teresa is an integral part of the culture and life of the school. and contributes greatly to the lives of the students and staff members. In 3 years, she has:
• Helped raise $5000 for the library
• Sat on school-based and divisional literacy committees
• Read hundreds of books and given dozens of book talks to K-5 classrooms
• Designed a new library space by researching, organising, moving, reassembling, painting, ordering, and rebranding our library “The Learning Commons” (LCL)
• Taught origami and knitting story time classes
• Planned yearly “I love to read” activities
• Facilitated a Grandparent Reading Circle
• Coached gymnastics and soccer in the school outside of work hours
• Held a month “Coffee and Collections” breakfast for teachers
• Created stunning bulletin board displays that include students’ work
• Ran a composting program
• Hosted baby showers for new moms in the building
• Started a monthly soup club for staff members
And much more!
Library Support Worker of the Year
Recipient: Bruce Locken, Media/Circulation Clerk, John and Bonnie Buhler Library,
Red River College
Nominated by: Howard R. Engel, Public Services Technician, John and Bonnie Buhler
Library, Red River College
Bruce, who completed 25 years’ service to Red River College last year, is both efficient
and effective, all with a ready smile and great sense of humour. He has a strong
customer-service oriented work ethic that serves patrons first, and a great way of
making work fun.
There are two special times of year that he goes way beyond the extra mile. The first is
the Daffodil Days fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society at the end of March. Each
year Bruce sells up to two hundred bunches of daffodils. He recruits volunteers, orders, picks up and wraps the daffodils in bunches of ten; books and decorates the display
space; distributes posters; decorates the library; and counts and returns proceeds and
leftover daffodils, as he has done each year for over a decade. The second is Christmas
time. He coordinates one or more of the RRC Library Christmas Cheer Board hampers
each year. It’s clear that “support worker” doesn’t adequately describe Bruce!
Rising Star
Recipient: Tara Watt, Marion School and Dr. D.W. Penner School Libraries, Louis Riel
School Division
Nominated by: Christine Lussier, Teacher Librarian; Ross Cathers, Principal of Marion
School; and Ken Bartel, Principal of Dr. D.W. Penner School
After graduating in 2009, Tara joined the Louis Riel School Division as a Library
Technician, dividing her time equally between two small elementary schools. Working in
one small school library would be daunting for any new grad, but Tara manages two, on
a limited budget and with few resources. Tara has shown leadership by rejuvenating the
physical space with imaginative displays and interactive events; introducing students
to new authors, digital storytelling, and fostered the development of new reading
communities within the school; organizing a high needs literacy grant that allowed 134
students in the school to purchase books for their home library; turning the library into
a bookstore for early years students; and coordinated a tour of McNally Robinson for
middle years students. Tara has also contributed data to grant applications from Marion
School to the Love of Reading Foundation over the past three years. She has shown
unwavering commitment and dedication to the students and staff she serves in both
schools.
More information on the award winners will be published in our Summer 2013
newsletter.




