Tracey Wong is the Recipient of the 2016 ALA Scholastic Library Publishing Award

For Immediate Release
Tue, 03/15/2016

Contact:

Cheryl Malden

Program Officer

Governance

312-280-3247

cmalden@ala.org

CHICAGO — Tracey Wong, a school library media specialist for the Daniel Webster Magnet School in New Rochelle, New York, has been selected as the 2016 recipient of the American Library Association’s Scholastic Library Publishing Award.  This special recognition is given annually to the librarian whose “unusual contribution to the stimulation and guidance of reading by children and young people” exemplifies achievement in the profession.

"It is with pleasure that the 2016 Award Jury recognizes Tracey Wong for her important and creative achievements in the field of Library and Information Science," said Judy Nelson, chair of the Scholastic Library Publishing Award Committee.  "Tracey deserves this honor for her ongoing commitment to incorporating the interdisciplinary use of technology to promote transliteracy (the ability to understand and communicate or be literate across all communication platforms, including but not limited to sign language, speech, reading, writing, mass media and social media) to support and advance low level readers and English language learners. Her libraries have become centers for reading, writing and exploration for not only her direct students, but also for their family members who often have no access to technology in their homes."

Wong received her Masters of Education degree in School Library Information Technology in 2012 from Mansfield University.  She also holds a Master’s of Science in Reading from Lehman College (2004) and a Master’s of Science in Teaching in Elementary Education from Pace University (2003). She was named one of 11 Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert Regional Leads for 2015 – 2016.  She holds several additional certifications including the PBS Innovative Educator certification, the Graphite Accelerated Educator certification and the Reading Recovery certification.  She has utilized the knowledge from each of these disciplines to creatively serve her inner city students.  She has authored several articles and presented trainings on how to obtain grants.  While new to librarianship, her efforts throughout her career have been directed to supporting literacy and encouraging reading by children and young people.

Wong was nominated for her unique ability to build alliances and partnerships throughout her community, her careful attention to grant and funding opportunities and her dedication to students and their progress across multiple literacies. From yoga practice in the library to a scholar-created community garden, all combined with introductions to research and reading resources, she has engaged the whole child in active learning.   In the 2013 article “Grant Central Station” in New York Teacher, Wong’s work was described as being like "a traffic cop directing students, teachers and parents in and out of the school library where she hosts around-the-calendar celebrations of books and literacy, highlighting and tying books to national holidays, authors’ birthdays, ecology, technology and anything and everything she can think of to entice young readers and enrich the curriculum.”  Wong’s expressed goal has been to “make reading fun and cool and to make the library a hub of activity and a center of learning and collaboration.”  In three years she obtained just under $1 million dollars in program funding, resource’s, technology and learning opportunities for three different NYC Department of Education schools to support this goal. 

Members of the 2016 ALA Scholastic Library Publishing Award Jury are:  Beth Gallego, Los Angeles Public Library, David Wang, Queens Library, Megan Egbert, Meridian Library District, Elizabeth P. Dumas, retired school library media specialist, Judy T Nelson (chair), Pierce County Library System.