Associate Professor Delia Neuman named APSL’s 2011 Librarian of the Year

The iSchool at Drexel, College of Information Science and Technology is pleased to announce that Dr. Delia Neuman, Associate Professor and Director of the School Library Media Program, has been named the Association of Philadelphia School Librarians’ (APSL) 2011 Librarian of the Year.  According to the award announcement, her librarian peers at Philadelphia schools unanimously voted to present Dr. Neuman with the award due to the following:

“By partnering with the School District of Philadelphia and APSL, Dr. Neuman has created the opportunity for a ‘next generation’ of librarians for the District by receiving a $622,963 federal grant to recruit and provide graduate-level library sciences education for teachers and paraprofessionals in the School District of Philadelphia.”

The report goes on to note: “Dr. Neuman’s effort, leadership, and vision are without compare. There is no other member of APSL who has done more to advocate for libraries and librarians in the School District this year than she.”

Dr. Neuman is the Principle Investigator on the above mentioned $622,963 grant, which was awarded by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Sciences. Through this grant The iSchool at Drexel seeks to increase the number of certified school librarians in the School District of Philadelphia (SDP). The grant money is funding the educations of 10 students so that they can earn master’s degrees in Library and Information Science with a concentration in School Library Media from the College and become eligible for Pennsylvania’s Library Science K-12 Certification.

The iSchool recruited professional and paraprofessional employees from the SDP, and accepted students joined the College in the spring of 2011. In addition to taking classes at the iSchool, they will participate in mentoring activities coordinated through the Association of Philadelphia School Librarians, and will complete their field studies in SDP schools. At the conclusion of the program, graduates will begin a three-year commitment to work as librarians in the SDP.