K.C. Boyd: Washington DC’s Teacher Librarian extraordinaire
Today we’re shining the spotlight on K.C. Boyd, Teacher Librarian extraordinaire from Washington, DC. This Chalkboard Champion has been featured in Education Weekly, School Library Journal, PBS News Hour, American Libraries, Library Journal, and Medium Magazine.
K.C. is affectionately called “Boss Librarian” by her students. What does her work with the kids look like? “Some weeks I teach classes that support the curriculum in conjunction with lessons that are taught by teachers,” she describes. “I enjoy this immensely because I’m presenting curricular content in a different way. This alternative way of teaching the lesson often provides students with a more global view of the material and makes it more meaningful,” she asserts.
“There are other weeks when I do not have classes,” she continues. “This is when I’m identifying print/digital resources for the teachers and students for use in the classroom, scanning the net for free programs that are aligned with the mission/vision of the school, and keeping abreast of new trends in library science that I can use in my library,” she explains. “Lunch periods are always busy, as I have students in the library either checking out books, quietly talking to their friends, or watching a book that was made into a movie with my Apple TV,” she concludes.
K.C. is a second-generation educator. Her parents were teachers, both born in the South during the Jim Crow era. To seek better opportunities, they migrated north to Chicago in the 1960’s. And that’s where K.C. grew up.
K.C. holds three Master’s degrees: in Library Information Science, Media Communications, and Education Leadership. Before accepting her position in DC, she worked as the Lead Librarian for the East St. Louis School District in East St. Louis, Illinois. She also worked as an Area Library Coordinator for Chicago Public Schools and a District Coordinator for the Mayor Daley Book Club for Middle School Students.
“Working in school libraries is not easy,” confesses K.C. “It’s a roller coaster of events and emotions that are not for the weak. Committed warrior librarians possess the same driving force: a deep and abiding love for libraries,” she continued.
You can read more about this Chalkboard Champion in this interview at Tech at EdCircuit. You can follow K.C. Boyd on Twitter @Boss_Librarian.
