AASL 2012 Elections

ISS Representative to the Board

Cathy Gulley Evans

Current Position:

Director of Libraries, appointed 1995, St. Mary's Episcopal School 60 Perkins Extended Memphis, Tennessee 38117

Previous Positions:

Librarian, Woodland Hills Academy, Jackson Mississippi 1978-1980

Assistant Library Director, Memphis University School, 1981-1989

Library Director, Memphis University School, 1990-1995

Degrees and Certificates:

University of Tennessee, MSLIS, 1994

University of Memphis, MS Education, 1981

Mississippi University for Women, BS Library Science 1972

Offices held in the ALA-APA, state, & regional library associations, and other associations:

Tennessee Library Association, Chair, School Library Section, 1986

Tennessee Library Association, Vice-Chair, Library Instruction Round Table, 1992

Tennessee Library Association, Chair, Conference Local Arrangements, 1990

Memphis Library Council, Vice-President, 1992

Memphis Library Council, President, 1993

Tenn-Share, School Library Representative to the board, 1992-1994

Tenn-Share, Vice-President, 1998-2000

Tenn-Share, President, 2000-2002

Memphis Association of Independent Schools Library Consortium, Director, 1989-1995

Honors and Awards (library and non-library):

Tennessee Library Association, Louise Meredith Award, 1990

Tennessee Library Association, James E. Ward Library Instruction Award, 1993

Tenn-Share Resource Sharing Award, 2002

Appointed to Governor's Tennessee Advisory Council on Libraries 1998-2000

St. Mary's Episcopal School, Helen Field Todd Staff Award, 2009

Major Accomplishments:

Directed Memphis Association of Independent Schools Library Information Consortium, (MAISLIC) as we became some of the first independent school OCLC members  and later implemented SIRSI  as our consortium's joint library automation system.  Our consortium has also jointly purchased databases. 

Instrumental in  the development and implementation of the Tennessee Electronic Libaray (TEL) our state funded database program and coordinated database training workshops across the state.   Helped coordinate the additional purchase of another database which was jointly purchased by public, university and school libraries.  

Transformed the St. Mary's library  from the traditional “warehouse” study hall model to one  that is clearly the center of learning. We have grown to a staff of 6 professional librarians who are considered collaborators and teaching partners even to the point of designing and participating in assessment. With the implementation of Libguides and Haiku (CMS) we have become embedded librarians. 

Great input in the design of our new library that is both beautiful and functional.  It successfully reflects our philosophy of a “fun place to learn and develop potential.”  

Publications:

"Teaching Chemistry Resources" Skills for Life: Library Information Literacy for Grades 9-12 (Linworth, 1993)

"Staff Development in the School Library" Tennessee Librarian 45:4 Fall, 1993

"St. Mary's Library State of the Art" St. Mary's News, Fall 1995

Links for further information:

Library web page:   http://sites.google.com/site/smeslib/

Faculty profile:  http://www.stmarysschool.org/academics/meet-our-teachers/cathy-evans/ind...

Statement of Professional Concerns:

I have been a school librarian for over 35 years and truly believe that we are in a better position now than we ever have been to make a difference in the education of children. There is more awareness of the impact of a strong school library program on student achievement, and we have more tools and resources at our fingertips to help us teach students the ever-important skills they will need to become lifelong learners. The core skills currently driving change have always been and will remain the very skills we have known as the foundations of our profession.  We must do everything we can to seize this unique opportunity to strengthen the role of the libraries and librarians as agents of positive change.

Member of ALA since:

1988