New appointment for Shasteen

Ruth Shasteen
Ruth Shasteen, School Librarian Program Coordinator

Ruth Shasteen (CAS '13) has been appointed as school librarian program coordinator after providing interim leadership in this role. Her duties focus on advising students interested in pursuing licensure or endorsement as a school library information specialist and supervising teacher-librarian candidates during their student teaching.

She continues her work at the iSchool as an adjunct lecturer, teaching courses (such as School Library Media Center, Cataloging for School Libraries, and Practicum), leading student teaching seminars, and supervising student teachers. In preceding years, she served as district librarian at Neoga CUSD and librarian at Central A&M High School in Moweaqua, both in the state of Illinois, and taught junior high and high school in Sullivan and Bethany, Illinois.

Shasteen earned a CAS in library and information science from the iSchool, MSEd in information services and technology from Eastern Illinois University, and BA in English from Eureka College. In 2018, she received the Polestar Award from the Association of Illinois School Library Educators (AISLE) for her contributions to school librarianship. She has served on numerous AISLE committees and task forces and cochaired the 4th edition of Linking for Learning, the state standards for evaluation of Illinois school libraries.

"This year marks the 20th anniversary of the School Librarian Licensure Program at the iSchool, and I'm excited to be part of the licensure program's continued growth in preparing our students for their changing roles as school librarians," said Shasteen.

Tags:
Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

An to deliver 2023 Gryphon Lecture

Sohyun An, professor of social studies education at Kennesaw State University, will deliver the 2023 Gryphon Lecture on March 20. Sponsored annually by the Center for Children's Books (CCB), the lecture features a leading scholar in the field of youth and literature, media, and culture.

Sohyun An

Postdoctoral Research Associate Program prepares future faculty

In the 2021-2022 academic year, the iSchool launched its Postdoctoral Research Associate Program. The goal of this program is to prepare candidates for tenure-track assistant professor or other appointments inside and outside of academia. The cohort has grown to five postdocs, and applications are currently being accepted for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Ames receives Graduate College Excellence Award for Graduate Contacts

Penny Ames, admissions and records coordinator, has been selected as the winner of the 2023 Graduate College Excellence Award for Graduate Contacts. The award is given annually as part of the Graduate College's Annual Workshop for Directors of Graduate Study and Graduate Contacts. It recognizes staff members whose service has exceeded expectations in enhancing graduate students' experiences and has positively impacted their graduate program or department's operations.

Penny Ames

New iSchool-CPS partnership addresses need for school librarians

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 10,000 full-time school librarian positions have been lost nationwide over the past two decades. This loss is especially felt by students, since research suggests that reading, writing, and graduation rates improve where schools employ certified school librarians. Thanks to a new program cosponsored by the iSchool and Chicago Public Schools (CPS), five school libraries that had been shuttered for five or more years now have a school librarian in place, with more to come.

books in a library

Talbott addresses needs of online career change students in NACADA article

In an article recently published in the NACADA Journal, PhD Coordinator for Student and Academic Affairs Katelyn Talbott shares her research on online career change master's degree students. The article is the offshoot of Talbott’s PhD dissertation, which explored the motivations for career change for students enrolled in an online MS degree program and what advising services, career development services, and admissions services these students used while enrolled.

Katelyn Talbott