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Distinguished Library Service Award – School Administrators

Recognizes school administrators for their continued support of library services.

Nominate an administrator

To nominate your administrator, review the eligibility and criteria, and complete the online application form by January 31, 2025.

Eligibility

  • State, county or district school superintendents, building principals, and assistant principals currently in administrative office, directly responsible for a school or group of schools at any level, who is not working in a library services department are eligible for nomination.
  • District administrators responsible for broad instructional leadership such as assistant superintendents, directors of curriculum and instruction and directors of elementary and/or secondary education are also eligible provided they are not working in a library services department.
  • Nominations must be made by a personal member of TASL.
  • Previous TASL Distinguished Library Service Award for School Administrators recipients should not be nominated again.

Criteria

Each nominee will be judged on the following 9 criteria with a score of 0-5 assigned to each item.  Please respond to the statements below.  The nominee with the highest overall score will be selected as the award recipient. Nominators will also have the opportunity to provide links to shared documents, files, and/or folders. 

  1. Describe how the nominee has been instrumental in staffing the library proportionate to student population throughout the entire instructional day for professional and clerical staffing needs.
  2. Describe how the nominee has been instrumental in funding the local library budget, promoting bond issues, or seeking special funding to support the library.
  3. Describe how the nominee establishes a campus or district culture that sets high expectations, promotes learning, and creates an understanding of the library as an integral part of the learning process.
  4. Describe how the nominee promotes varied reading projects and reading at both professional and student levels.
  5. Describe the activities of the nominee that facilitated the long range planning for facility improvement of the library and the use and integration of technology, telecommunications, social media, and information systems.
  6. Describe how the nominee supports library policies, innovation in library programming, and/or professional collaboration.
  7. Describe how the nominee supports participation in institutes, workshops, seminars, conferences, in-service training, continuing education, interactive distance learning, video conferencing, and state and national library-related conferences.
  8. Describe how the nominee advocates for the integration of technology, as well as participation in state and national technology initiatives in the library, school, or district.
  9. Describe how the nominee assisted in the development and implementation of a comprehensive program of parent and community relations that relate to the library.

Past Winners

Year Name Title School / District
2024

Emily Hall

Principal  Dr. James “Red” Duke Elementary Alvin ISD
2023 Shawn McKenzie Principal John Folks Middle School/Northside ISD
2022 Isaac Neal Assistant Principal  Jaime Escalante Middle School, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD 
2021 Natalie Griffin Executive Director of Special Programs Mineral Wells ISD
2020 Manuel Brandon Rios Principal Slider MS, Socorro ISD
2019 Dr. Jerry Woods Principal Clark High School, Northside ISD
2018 Ms. Kerri Sands Richland Elementary Richland Elementary, Birdville ISD
2017 Dr. William (Bill) Chapman Superintendent Jarrell ISD
2016 Christopher Nester Principal Wilson Elementary School/ Coppell ISD
2015 Renee Smith-Faulkner Asst. Superintendent of Technology Services Castleberry ISD
2014 Dr. Arturo Cavazos Superintendent Harlingen CISD
2013 John Ringhauser Davis Elementary, Irving ISD
2012 Dr. Neva Kelly Asst. Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Aransas County ISD
2011 Mary Woodard Director of Library Services Mesquite ISD
2010 Melody Paschall Asst. Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Coppell ISD
2009 Gay Patrick Director of Library Services Dallas
2008 Ruben Molinar Principal Borman Elementary, Denton ISD
2007 Nadine Kujawa Superintendent Aldine ISD
2006 Dr. Darlene Blair Asst. Superintendent Tomball ISD
2005 Valerie Vogt Principal Coulson Tough School, Conroe ISD
2004 Wilbert Morgan Principal Wetmore ES, Northeast ISD/San Antonio
2003 Jeff McCanna Principal Parker Intermediate School, Aldine ISD
2002 Jim Hundemer Library Manager Houston ISD
2001 Linda Honaker Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD
2000 Bill Boyd Principal Bradley Middle School, Northeast ISD/San Antonio
1999 Dr. Carolyn Bukhair Superintendent Richardson ISD
1998
1997 Bill Fish Principal R.E. Lee High, Northeast ISD/San Antonio
1996 Carol Moffett Superintendent Woodville ISD
1995 William J. Moore Superintendent Muleshoe ISD
1994 Dr. Anthony Constanzo Superintendent East Central ISD/San Antonio
1993 Dr. Don R. Roberts Superintendent Forth Worth ISD
1992 Dr. Williams E. Ritter Asst. Superintendent Grapevine-Colleyville ISD
1991 Don Rogers Superintendent Eanes ISD
1990 Patrick Deviney Superintendent Bastrop ISD
1989 Danny W. Taylor Superintendent Burkburnett ISD
1988 Nola Bryant Principal Eylau Primary, Texarkana ISD
1987 Dr. Lee R. Williamson Superintendent Witchita Falls ISD
1986 Bill L. Farmer Superintendent Barbers Hill ISD
1985 Ben Brandenburg Superintendent Midlothian ISD
1984 Mary Lankford Library Director Irving ISD
1983 Paul Rode Principal Cambridge ES, Alamo Heights ISD/San Antonio
1982 Kent Pogue Superintendent
1981 Jo Ann Bell Library Director Richardson ISD
1980 J.C. McClesky Superintendent Slaton ISD
1979 Harry S. Brown Principal Andress HS, El Paso ISD
1978
1977 Dr. John F. Townley Superintendent Irving ISD
1976
1975 Marie Pedraza Principal Canyon Hills ES, El Paso ISD

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