Library Science

Are you interested in adjuncting an undergraduate class for us? Please fill out our interest form and we'll be in touch.  Want to stay up-to-date on the Program's latest happenings? Join our listserv by emailing group-applibsci@appstate.edu with the subject line "Join."

We love our alumni! Please let us know if you have any news you want to share with our community — we’ll gladly feature you here. Stay in Touch!

 We’ll have our own booth in the vendor hall at NCTIES. Please stop by to say hello and pick up some swag! Better yet, meet Dr. Moeller for dinner on Thursday, March 6 at 6:00 PM at Transfer Co. Food Hall: https://www.transfercofoodhall.com

Applications to join the Library Science Alumni Association (LSAA) are open! Please fill out an application. Questions? Email moellerra@appstate.edu.

LSAA representatives for the 2024-2025 academic year are: Tiffiny Francis, Maddie Moore, Belle Wilson, Ashley Rose, Laurie Johnston, Sarah Northington, Alisha Broce, Katie Moose, Jennie Greenway. Thank you, alumni, for your service!

Emily Golightly

When did you graduate?  May 2022

Where do you work?  Newport Elementary School (K-5) in Newport, NC (part of the Carteret County Public School System)

What does that entail?  It entails lots of things, and no two days are alike! I am a full-time librarian in a rural coastal setting, serving 32 general education classrooms, 2 SDA (specially designed academics), and one cross-categorical class in a partially fixed, partially flexible schedule. I also work with the EC resource teachers to serve 5th grade EC students, and we work with the Walking Classroom program to focus on listening comprehension, as well as creating our own podcasts. I started and co-facilitate our school news team. I run our school's Battle of the Books team. I am also the school's testing coordinator, webmaster, and post on our social media accounts. I'm a Level 2 Google Certified Educator who's also pursuing ISTE certification this year, so I also provide tech support and digital learning best practices however I am able.

I also provide professional development at the school, local, regional, state, and national/international level, primarily focused on podcasting, digital tools, library programming to promote reading excitement, and diverse strategies for diverse learners. I also chair our school's Media Technology Advisory Committee (MTAC), and serve as a member of the school's Site-Based Leadership Team. 

I have worked to write and receive grants and run book fairs to fund our library's needs, and I have worked with our school's ELA Goal Team to bring One School, One Book (a school-wide shared reading event with families) to our school for the past two years. We recently had our first face-to-face author visit, which was very exciting, and many of the books students received were generated through donations and fundraising efforts. 

In my spare time, I serve as the current Past President of the North Carolina Reading Association. I am also the interim secretary of the NC School Library Media Association, as well as the chair of their conference committee's Keynotes and Authors Committee. I serve on the American Library Association's Coretta Scott King Book Grant Committee, putting CSK winners into the hands of non-profit organizations all over the country to support their efforts to promote diverse literature in their communities and book programs. I am also the Director of Programming for our local reading council, the Crystal Coast Reading Council, as well as a member of ALA, AASL, and Alpha Delta Kappa, a teacher service sorority. Basically, if it is related to literacy or educational technology, I have a passion for it and get involved wherever I can, whether it's running our staff book club or helping to teach small groups of multilingual learners to read in intervention groups.

What do you like about your role?  I love being in the library because every day is different, and I have the opportunity to impact every child that walks through our doors. I love supporting teachers, helping them with curricular needs, but also supporting their personal reading lives. I love bringing stories to life with silly voices, sound effects, puppets, or whatever it takes to help that story come alive. I love being able to be a safe space for kids who may not love school, but they know they're accepted in the library, whether they have reading challenges, behavioral challenges, or home life challenges. They're all welcome, and they know that. I love being the person to make reading fun and exciting, and I work hard to bring engaging programs to our school to get our most reluctant readers pumped up about books. I also love getting to see kids grow and change over time. Having children from kindergarten through fifth grade means that you really get to know them over those six years, and that is something very special.

How do you think the MLS program prepared you for your position?  I began the MLS program in the summer of 2020, in the middle of COVID, and so the beginning of my journey was a challenging one, but App State prepared me for the challenges ahead, and the things I learned I still use regularly in my day-to-day teaching. I will say that one of the most impactful things was learning about the resources and processes for book challenges, as that has been something I have had to grapple with more and more over the past couple of years. Having my documentation and research prepared prior to a meeting has been very helpful when addressing requests for reconsideration. I appreciate that we read banned books in the program, and I appreciate that the program offered diverse perspectives and literature that represented ALL students and their families. I try to bring those same practices into my own library now and make sure that children see themselves and their families on our shelves, because all children deserve that.

What is your advice for current or incoming students in the MLS program?  Get connected and get involved! Whether you are currently in your own library while pursuing your degree, or working on a degree prior to having a position in a library, joining professional organizations has had such a powerful and wonderful influence on my professional and personal life. I have made lifelong friends all across the state, and I have had so many wonderful opportunities that would never have happened if I had not joined organizations such as NCSLMA or the NC Reading Association. (It also looks great on your professional evaluations to show involvement in organizations outside of your building, and it helps you stay up-to-date on the latest research and best practices.) These organizations and the professional conferences they host each year refresh and renew my spirit, which is so important when we are in the trenches, day to day, and sometimes grow weary from the stress of it all. That little boost of getting to be with "your people"--those people who do what you do and understand the importance of our role as librarians--means more than words can express. I am so honored that I get to be a part of such an amazing group of educators across our state. Librarians truly are the best people!

Anna Booraem

 When did you graduate?  May 2013

Where do you work?  I'm the manager at the Leicester Branch of the Buncombe County Public Libraries. 

What does that entail?  I manage a small staff and do lots of scheduling, approving time and absences, and training/support.  I also purchase the books for the adult collection, plan programs, work with our Friends of the Library group, run a book club, and continually try to expand our reach into and support of our community. 

What do you like about your role? I love how every day is different. I also enjoy the creativity of my job whether it's in problem solving, coming up with a program idea, or helping to develop things for the library system as a whole like our Library Mentorship Program. And finally, the people I work with across the Buncombe County Library system and the library patrons really make it all so wonderful. 

How do you think the MLS program prepared you for your position?  One of the things the MLS program really focused on was collaboration. We had so many group projects through grad school! Sometimes it was hard (since I had a terrible internet connection and was a working mom and always overwhelmed), but overall it paid off. Those group projects really helped prepare me for my career. I have so many meetings and collaborate with so many groups as part of my job today. Teamwork really does make the dream work in libraries. 

What is your advice for current or incoming students in the MLS program?  If you can work in a library while you're in grad school, that's the way to go!  But if you don't have that opportunity and still want to pursue Library Science, have faith that through internships and time on the job you will learn so much and put the good things you learned in grad school into practice.