Rebecca Novotny was nominated by her colleague, Matt Wells.
Dr. Novotny has turned the library into an academic sanctuary for students. It's a place of peace, welcome, safety, and retreat during the school day, while also serving as a crucial learning center. In addition to all the regular foot traffic she attracts by her doubling as the school's Technology Liaison (and all the password resets, login reminders, and "my Chromebook isn't working" visits she receives), she has devoted herself to developing an encyclopedic knowledge of the books and resources available in her library. Students know this, and they come in droves.
Her library is so much more than a quiet hangout. Students are barely through the door before Dr. Novotny finds out who they are, what makes them tick, and how she can help them reach their goals. She has ignited a lifelong passion for reading in many reluctant readers by asking probing questions and matching them with "gateway books" they would never have found on their own. She maintains an enormous range of materials and keeps the inventory fresh and relevant by creating inviting, rotating displays of thematic collections and new arrivals, and by decorating the space with student artwork.
In addition to stretching her student visitors, she also engages the campus staff with new book arrivals via a "Young Adult Fiction Book Club.” Adults read, summarize, and review the books, which is not only fun, but creates a wonderful opportunity for staff to explore students' imaginary worlds and empathize with their lives and the challenges they face. On teacher workdays, she turns her library into a "Grey Matters" event space where teachers can make pins from old comic book pictures, do some adult coloring, or build a stress toy while enjoying snacks.
For both students and adults, Dr. Novotny and her library have become a vital "hub" for the campus, with spokes connecting meaningfully and deliberately to nearly every aspect of school life. She's truly changing lives one book, one Chromebook, and one tech support query at a time.