Melissa Jacobs Israel – Recipient Of The 2014 Distinguished Service Award
The Distinguished Service Award is presented to a School Library System Director whose work exemplifies six areas of consideration: professional leadership, professional service, information sharing, collaboration, quality programs and creative service.
Melissa Jacobs Israel, SLS Coordinator of South Brooklyn, was selected as the recipient of the 2014 SLSA Distinguished Service Award. Melissa was recognized and received her award at the annual NYLA-SSL Conference in April in Syracuse.
Speech from the Evening:
Good evening. Each year the School Library Systems Association (SLSA) acknowledges a School Library System Director who has made an outstanding contribution to school librarianship and to SLSA with the Distinguished Service Award. This award is based on six criteria: professional leadership, professional service, information sharing, collaboration, quality programs, and creative service.
This year’s recipient, Melissa Jacobs, Coordinator of Library Services for the New York City Department of Education is the embodiment of the six criteria.
As a member of the New York City Library Services Team she was instrumental in the development and implementation of the New York City Information Fluency Continuum, a blueprint for teachers and librarians to ensure that students acquire the inquiry and information skills required for academic success and lifelong learning. Melissa and the New York City Team didn’t stop there: along with her colleagues she tirelessly shared this comprehensive work with School Library System Directors and School Librarians across the state, spearheading the rebranding of their work as the Empire State Information Fluency Continuum, which has been endorsed by State Librarian Bernie Margolis, NYLA, and SLSA.
Melissa is passionate about school librarians and school libraries and works tirelessly with the librarians of the New York City Schools to ensure that students have access to school libraries with current, relevant collections, staffed by qualified teacher librarians. Beyond the walls of school libraries, as a collaborator with the program MyLibraryNYC Melissa promotes the opportunity for teachers and students to access the wealth of resources held by the three public library systems in New York City.
Melissa believes strongly in the need to contribute to our profession, presenting at countless state and local conferences, writing for professional publications, and serving on a variety of SLSA, NYLA, AASL and ALA committees. Currently she Chairs AASL’s newly created committee, Best Apps for Teaching and Learning.
Melissa Jacobs is a force of nature, a constant collaborator, a visionary and a tireless advocate for libraries and learning. It is my pleasure to call her my colleague and friend, and tonight it is my great honor to present her with the 2014 SLSA Distinguished Service Award.