Carolyn Wheeler, Media Specialist at Conant Elementary School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, is a recipient of the national 2009 I Love My Librarian Award, sponsored by the New York Times and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  Congratulations, Carolyn!

Her nomination praised her stellar work with students, as follows:

“This wonderful teacher and leader not only makes the school a better place by her establishment and maintenance of a warm, comfortable, communal area in which all are equally welcome, but she strives to make the world a better place by consistently role modeling for colleagues and generations of students, the virtues of non-judgmental behavior, tolerance, and responsibility. There are several classes of deaf and hard of hearing students at Conant, from pre-school through fourth grade. Carolyn makes certain that they have equal access to all her services and has made some changes to the library collections to accommodate them, and to encourage hearing students to learn to communicate with them, just as she has always done for those children who are limited English speaking.

“Carolyn has a very strong commitment to community service. She teaches evening classes for women at local community centers (at no charge) and coordinates other classes as well. She works with a local homeless shelter. Whenever appropriate, she offers the opportunities to participate in service to others to students, their families, and school staff. At major holiday times, they are reminded of those less fortunate, and they are aware of their responsibility to accept and help others.

“Early this year, Carolyn led a group of volunteers in organizing, planning, funding, and preparing a hot meal and ensuring a place to sleep for the night for many homeless families.  First graders designed napkins and place cards, second graders designed the place mats, and in one way or another, all classes contributed. Not only did they provide a full dinner at the church that agreed to house the families, but they also had enough food to package lunches for them for the following day. This was a relevant, first-hand learning experience for the adults and the children who contributed, reinforced by reading the summary of grateful and moving remarks on the evaluation sheets shared with the group by the sheltering organization. This was far more effective teaching than any story that could be read to kids! ”

It is wonderful to see one of our own Michigan librarians honored by this prestigious award.  Previous winners from Michigan include Gigi Lincoln and Margaret Wolfe.