Georgeann Burch's dedication to the school library profession has earned her the 2016 Polestar Award from the Illinois School Library Media Association (ISLMA). Burch recently retired from the iSchool after serving 11 years as the K-12 program coordinator. In her position, she supervised the education and licensure of K-12 library information specialists—identifying suitable placements, recruiting cooperating teacher-librarians, traveling to each placement at least twice to evaluate student performance, and facilitating the working relationship between students and their teacher-librarians.
"The Polestar Award is about having an impact on the school librarian profession in Illinois, and I can think of no one who has influenced more school librarians than Georgeann and her work as the K-12 supervisor for the School," said Gretchen Zaitzeff (MS '15) who nominated Burch for the award. "So many practicing school librarians have benefited from her knowledge of the profession that it is really hard to quantify the scope of her influence."
When Burch joined the iSchool, she brought many years of relevant experience, including 11 years as a librarian at Westview School in Champaign. She used her network of contacts to find students suitable job placements in schools around the state.
"The success of our graduates in securing positions is evidence of the strong preparation and mentoring that Georgeann provided," said Linda C. Smith, professor and associate dean for academic programs.
At the School, Burch offered bi-weekly, online student teaching seminars every semester and often taught full-semester courses such as School Library Media Center (LIS 516) and Information Books and Resources for Youth (LIS 445). One of her initiatives as K-12 program coordinator was to secure approval for a set of courses to qualify students to earn a Technology Specialist Endorsement from the Illinois State Board of Education.
Burch has been an active member of ISLMA, making presentations at the annual ISLMA conference and other professional conferences to emphasize the important role of school librarians. Within ISLMA, she has served as a co-chair of publicity for the conference and answered members’ questions about licensure.
In her nomination, Zaitzeff noted how supportive Burch was to her—a working student with a family. "There were several times Georgeann had to talk me down off the figurative ledge and help me refocus on the light at the end of the tunnel," she said. "I think the most important way Georgeann supported me was that when I thought school, student teaching, and edTPA (Teacher Performance Assessment) were too much and that I was going to fail, Georgeann told me that I was going to succeed. Her belief in me made me believe in me."
Burch was surprised and gratified upon receiving news of the award from the ISLMA. "This award was unexpected," she said. "It means a lot to me to know that my peers (former students) were the ones who nominated me for the award. Their expression of support, how I’ve helped them professionally, is very rewarding."