Carolyn White Gamtso Receives N.H. School Library Media Association's 2022 Impact Award

Monday, May 2, 2022
Carolyn White Gamtso headshot

, associate professor and director of the , has been awarded the 2022 Impact Award by the New Hampshire School Library Media Association (NHSLMA). This award recognizes a non-NHSLMA member who has made a significant contribution to the promotion of school librarianship in New Hampshire.

NHSLMA cited Gamtso鈥檚 work on the Educators Partnering for Successful Student Transitions workshop, a free, online professional development opportunity geared toward high school English Language Arts educators, English learner (EL) teachers听and school library media specialists. Partnering with the Library and Center for Academic Enrichment staff as well as English faculty, Gamtso鈥檚 efforts led the project to its selection as one of four winners chosen from a Dive In and Deliver funding challenge launched in 2019 by the Inclusion Council.

鈥淓ducators Partnering for Successful Student Transitions received high praise from school librarians and EL teachers,鈥 says Kristin Whitworth, co-chair of the NHSLMA Awards Committee. 鈥淥ne EL teacher told me that she had never been to a [professional development] that made her feel so supported and included.鈥

Whitworth also noted Gamtso鈥檚 role in the partnership between NHSLMA and the New Hampshire College and University Council鈥檚 (NHCUC) Libraries Committee to plan the professional development conference From Conflict to Constructive Dialogue: Engaging in Difficult Conversations in our Libraries. The virtual conference featured speakers who provided strategies for empowering librarians to engage in productive community discussions about the profession鈥檚 role in promoting justice, equity, diversity, inclusion and intellectual freedom in library spaces.

The passage from high school to college can be challenging, and it can be especially difficult for first-generation and multilingual learners. In response, a听multidisciplinary team from 91制片厂 Manchester听created a workshop to ease the transition to higher education for听students in our communities.