Bellevue School District Libraries chosen as the 2026 recipient of the LIRT Innovation in Instruction Award

CHICAGO - The Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT) is pleased to announce that the 2025-2026 Innovation in Instruction Award will be presented to the Bellevue School District Libraries at Lake Hills Elementary School, Bellevue Digital Discovery, and Cherry Crest Elementary School. This year’s award recognizes them for their series of information literacy instruction activities for grades 2, 3, and 4. The activity series is a worthy model for generating student interest and engagement and building core information literacy skills at a young age.

Over several years, Heather Newman, teacher librarian at Lake Hills Elementary School and Bellevue Digital Discovery, and Elizabeth Roberts, teacher librarian at Cherry Crest Elementary School, collaborated to solve their dilemma: how do we design learning activities for students to work independently or in small groups to develop specific library and information literacy skills; have the activities be meaningfully assessed; and each activity can be completed in 20 minutes? They now have a series of hands-on activities. The activities are low-cost and adaptable in many environments beyond grades 2-4, and they are sharing their activities, including learning objectives and methods of assessment, online and via social media. You can follow Heather Newman on Instagram, Tiktok, or LinkedIn, and you can follow Elizabeth Roberts on Instagram or LinkedIn.

“We are deeply honored to receive the 2026 LIRT Innovation in Instruction Award. Our focus as school librarians is to design engaging, student-centered library instruction that builds independence and information literacy through hands-on, accessible learning experiences,” said Elizabeth Roberts. “We thank the LIRT Awards Committee for this meaningful recognition and remain committed to supporting students and educators through creative, inclusive library instruction.”

The Library Instruction Round Table was started in 1977 with the intent to bring together librarians who provide library instruction across all types of libraries–academic, public, school, and special. 2026 marks the 13th year the Innovation in Instruction Award has been awarded. The Bellevue School District will receive a $2,000 cash prize, $1000 travel stipend to be used to attend the ALA Conference, and a plaque commemorating the award. Their achievement will be celebrated at a ceremony during the ALA Annual Conference on Sunday, June 28, 2026 at 5:30 pm (location to be announced).

Find out more about LIRT, its mission, and the awards.

The LIRT Innovation in Instruction Awards Subcommittee included Ielleen Miller of Eastern Washington University (Chair), Raeshelle Cook of George Mason University, and Marlee Givens of Georgia Institute of Technology.

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