2005 Walter J. Taranko
School Library Media Specialist of the Year

In her letter of nomination, Karen MacDonald, Teaching Strategist at King Middle School,  lauded  McDaniel’s collaboration with other teachers as well as her efforts to integrate information literacy into the general curriculum. She noted that MacDaniel had worked to expand and improve the library's collection and had organized, for parents and students,  special library activities to promote the use of that collection.

In his letter of support, Michael J. McCarthy, Principal at King Middle School,  pointed to McDaniel's grant writing abilities and her role as a leader and as a valuable resource  in the  school's Literary Initiative.

Deborah M. Locke, Librarian at Westbrook High School, said in her letter of nomination, "At a time when we are consumed with new technologies and online challenges, Kelley still makes her top priority getting great  books into the hands of kids, making alliances with local booksellers, and bringing guest authors to her school."

The Taranko Award, presented annually by the Maine Association of School Libraries (MASL), honors school library media specialists who have made significant contributions to the library media profession at the local and/or state levels.  The recipient, chosen by a committee of MASL members including previous winners of the award, is given a plaque noting the honor while the school library media program receives a $500 donation in the name of the honoree. 

The award bears the name of Walter J. Taranko who, throughout his career at the State Library, was an enthusiastic and able mentor to school libraries and librarians in Maine.

Acceptance Speech
by Kelley McDaniel
October 23, 2005

I know that I am lucky - incredibly lucky - to work in a place where I am encouraged and inspired and appreciated.

Sadly, I do know that not every administrator encourages his staff; not every educator is inspired by her colleagues; and not every librarian is appreciated by her community.

I wish that every librarian experienced the appreciation that I do.

• My wonderful colleagues leave gifts and notes of thanks on my desk;
• Our students routinely thank Tom and me with notes and hugs and Hershey bars;
• Parents and other members of our community call or drop by the library to tell Tom and me how much their child loves the library, or loves us, or just to say, "Thanks for what you've done for my child."

Last fall, my principal came into the library to share this story: "One of our students was taking a group of visitors on a tour of the school and when they came to the library the student announced, 'This is my favorite place.' One of the visitors asked, 'Your favorite place in the school?' 'No,' the student replied, 'my favorite place in the world.'"
"I wanted you to know that," my principal said to me.

Not surprisingly, I feel like King Middle School brings out the best in me.

I hope that every librarian works in place that brings out the best in her (or him).

I used to think when a school hired me, they were doing me a favor. I didn't always consider whether I would feel encouraged, inspired and appreciated in that job. It was as though I thought that I didn't have the right to make demands, or even to
have expectations, of the school.

A lot of people suffer from this problem in personal lives. They sometimes find themselves "settling for" relationships where they are not treated as they need and deserve to be.

I stopped "settling for" when I met my spouse, Dana. She helps me be my best self and loves me when I'm my worst self.

When I interviewed for my job at King, back in 1999, I went into the interview thinking, "This is what I'm have to offer a school and this is what I need from a school in return."

I hope that every librarian finds the job that she (or he) deserves. I really feel like I have.

Thank you.

Kelley

When I was first hired as the librarian at King Middle School in Portland, in June of 1999, the then-assistant principal said to me, "Now, don't think that you have to do things the way they've always been done."

I guess he didn't realize to whom he was speaking. I have never suffered from what one might call "status quo-itis".

Since being given "creative license" at King, I have

• established an extensive comic book collection;
• brought in more than $15,000 in innovative grant money;
• started Thanks-a-Latte days;
• created, with my colleague, Tom O'Donnell, what may be the largest student library aide program in the state - 52 student library aides this trimester, with a waiting list;
• instituted, with Tom, an after school library program that includes everything from movie trips to cookie decorating;
• organized a sleepover, which included a school-wide scavenger hunt in the middle of the night; and
• implemented a new, browser-friendly, system for organizing fiction by genre.