TLA Presents Lifetime Achievement Award and More at TLA 2022

Please congratulate the winners of the following TLA 2022 Awards. These awards were presented April 26at the TLA Annual Conference in Fort Worth, during General Session I at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Mary Jo Humphreys, retired elementary librarian from Round Rock ISD.

Mary Jo enjoyed a long and distinguished career as first a teacher, then for many years an elementary school librarian, and eventually served as Director of Instructional Technology at Round Rock Independent School District.

Mary Jo has been an exemplary volunteer for TLA for decades. Her TLA positions have included: Texas Bluebonnet Award Coordinator, Texas Bluebonnet Award Luncheon Coordinator, Reading List Committee Coordination co-chair, TLA Annual Conference Program Committee co-chair and Texas Association for School Librarians chair, among many others.

Librarian of the Year Award: Karina Quilantán-Garza, Library Media Specialist at Jaime Escalante Middle School in Pharr-San Juan- Alamo ISD.

During the early months of the pandemic, Karina – a longtime digital expert whose buoyant creativity is matched by her strong technical skills – launched into action to help her middle school students.

She used digital technologies to personalize curated resources for students and teachers and utilizes Instagram to post book recommendations, student work and community information.

Distinguished Service Award: Marty Rossi, Project Manager, Digital Resources and Library Services, ESC Region 20.

For many years, Marty has provided excellent library services and supported and encouraged other librarians. She has been a devoted mentor to many.

Marty’s dedication to the library profession, her strong leadership and her positive demeanor are recognized by many members who have worked with her.

Wayne Williams Project of the Year Award: Bee Cave Public Library.

Bee Cave Public library was honored for their innovative Candyland program, a community-wide, life-size version of the Candyland game that children and families could play at four locations throughout the city of Bee Cave from January 23 to February 14, 2021, during the height of the pandemic.