AAPS Library Services Department

Ann Arbor District Librarians, Evelyn Hollenshead and Eileen Widebrauk visited AAPS Libraries to promote reading and engagement with the district library this summer. Their presentation including information on the following:

• Brief Bio and What inspired you to study library science?

I was born and raised in Flint, Michigan to a loving and tight-knit multiracial family. I spent my high school years volunteering for community groups that mentored elementary children, and found my passion for teaching children during that time.

After high school, I attended Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, MI, and majored in Elementary Education with a triple minor in Early Childhood Education, Geography, and Reading. I continued to seek out ways I could connect with local children, and found a program called America Reads on campus. I was assigned to a local elementary school that I visited twice a week to tutor students in reading. I worked for the program for two years during college. My passion for teaching continued to flourish during this time, and my love for children’s literature began to grow while working with students and elementary teachers in the program.

After graduation, I moved to Grand Blanc, MI and began working at Linden Charter Academy in Flint. I taught 4th grade for a year, and then kindergarten for two years. I learned that the school district I attended as a child, Carman-Ainsworth Community Schools, was hiring new teachers. I took a leap of faith and applied. I happily accepted a first grade position the following school year and was assigned to teach at Dye Elementary, which was the building I attended from kindergarten through 6th grade! I spent 6 years teaching first graders at Dye, which was a very rewarding experience full of personal and professional growth. I was able to pour back into the community I was raised in, and worked alongside veteran teachers who I looked up to as a child in that building. During my years at Dye, I married my best friend, Johnny, went back to school to obtain my Master in Literacy Education degree from The University of Michigan, and had our first daughter, Naomi.

As a recent graduate and new mom, I felt the itch to explore my new area of expertise further. I spent almost every week at various libraries in the Flint area for storytime with my toddler, and borrowed more books than I could carry to read to her at home and to use in my classroom with my students. There was a weeknight storytime that my daughter really enjoyed at the Flint Public Library. It was hosted by a librarian whose storytelling was so amazing that even I was totally engaged in each experience week after week! I began to stay after each session to talk to the librarian about her career in the library and her love for children’s books. Her energy and knowledge was contagious. Inspired by her, I decided to return to school for a third time, and enrolled in Southern Utah University’s online masters program for school librarians. I finished the program two months before giving birth to my second daughter, Eden, and the rest is history! I have been the proud librarian at Eberwhite Elementary since 2016. I truly believe that I have my dream job! I thoroughly love the work that I do and the relationships I build with students, teachers, and families in my position as school librarian. I am so grateful that my professional journey throughout the years led me to where I am today.

• Why are school libraries so important?

School libraries are so important because they support students’ academic growth, foster a love of reading, and provide equal access to books and other resources. They offer a safe space for students to read, explore, collaborate, research, and discover new ideas beyond the classroom. School librarians help guide students in developing critical thinking and information literacy skills, which are crucial in today’s digital world. For many students, the school library is the only place where they can freely access books, technology, and a safe, welcoming environment to learn and grow. Overall, I believe that school libraries play a key role in shaping informed, lifelong learners, and it is incredibly important that our students have access to a school library staffed by a certified librarian at all levels of their educational journey.

• Apps you can’t live without:

My favorite app that I use in the library with students is Novel Effect. The Novel Effect app brings read-alouds to life in such a fun and engaging way, by adding music, sound effects, and voice interactions that follow along as I read a book aloud to students. The app has an online library full of diverse stories and teacher resources to choose from. Once you choose a story, paired with the actual book in hand, you simply click play and begin reading aloud. Using Novel Effect while reading aloud makes storytime feel magical and helps draw in even the most reluctant listeners. Whether I'm reading to a group of students in the library or giving in to my youngest daughter, now 8, begging to use it as she reads aloud to her dolls at home, Novel Effect adds an extra layer of excitement and connection to the story.

• What book or books have had the most influence on your life?

Books that have had the most influence on my life are picture books that feature diverse characters and cultures. Growing up as multiracial child, I had very limited access to books that featured diverse characters, backgrounds, and experiences like mine. Most of the stories I read centered around characters who didn’t look like me or live in a neighborhood like mine, which made it hard to truly connect with the books I was given. I deeply understand how important it is for all children to see themselves represented in the books they read, not only to feel seen and valued but also to understand and appreciate the richness of the world around them. I didn’t read my first picture book with a multiracial character who looked like me until I was in a multicultural children literature class in college! It was an eyeopening experience that fueled a passion inside of me to ensure my own children and my students would not have to wait that long to experience feeling represented in children’s literature. As a former classroom teacher and now as school librarian, I make it a priority to incorporate a diverse collection of books into my lessons and into the library’s collection to ensure that all students feel seen, valued, and represented. I intentionally select stories that reflect a wide range of cultures, languages, and experiences, using these books as a way to celebrate diversity and spark meaningful conversations. By doing so, I aim to create an inclusive school library where students not only learn about others but also feel proud of their own identities.

• What are you reading now?