THS Media Center/Librarian Receive Model School Library Award

This week the Library of Michigan announced that Troy High School Media Center along with School Librarian, Toni Isaac, has been selected as the Model School Library for 2022/23.

The Troy High School Media Center is a place where the partnership with the public library has expanded opportunities and resources for students and teachers. “Library of Michigan selected Toni’s library for the Model SL 21 honor for her focus on connecting the school community with community resources such as the public library as well as outstanding information literacy support across the curriculum,” said Karren Reish, Michigan Library Grants Coordinator.

“We are so fortunate to have an amazing partnership with Troy Public Library staff,” said Isaac. “They are always responsive to our ideas and suggestions for expanding student access to their resources.” Because of the student THS/TPL eCard initiative students have access to databases that would otherwise be too expensive for (TSD) to provide. The databases support student interests and research all the way from Pre-K to the most advanced AP classes. They also support classroom teachers by being willing to provide bags of books on specific topics for use in the classroom.

The newly-renovated Troy High Media Center is also front and center, an example of how building space can enhance and encourage learning. “The space is so much more inviting now,” said Issac, “It’s easy to reconfigure the space to fit the needs of the students that come to the media center…it has always been a busy space but now it feels like there is room for more students to come in and feel welcome and comfortable exploring our many resources and materials.”

Issac has been Media Specialist in Troy for the past 23 years and feels honored to be recognized by her peers because they “understand just how much goes into building a program like the one we have at Troy High,” concluded Issac. “I am excited to continue to grow our program at THS, and be able to share some of my curriculum, ideas and programs with librarians from across the state.”

The Model School Library program at the Library of Michigan (LM) provides examples and mentors for K-12 school libraries throughout the state as well as highlights great school librarians. Each year, a school library program is selected and highlighted as the Model SL 21 School Library Program of the Year.

For more information on the 21st Century School Libraries benchmark program and the Model School Libraries, you can go to https://www.michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan/libraries/schoolllib/sl21.

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Photos courtesy of Troy School District and TSD Creative Guild.