By: Susan Yutzey
Check your inbox, OELMA Facebook, and Twitter (@OELMA1) for updates on the 2018 scholarships and awards opportunities. Each week the Awards Committee will focus on one or more OELMA awards and/or scholarships, including a comment about the award and how it’s affected the 2017 recipient both personally and professionally.
The Awards Committee is pleased to introduce our newest member – Janie Kantner. Janie is in her 17th year as the library media specialist at Indian Trail Elementary in Canal Winchester Local School District. Janie is a passionate reader and her goal every day is to empower her students with a love of reading and a knowledge of who they are as readers. Professionally, she is most proud of her work making a fully flexible, true library learning commons environment work within the framework of our k-2 building. She adds –“Personally, I spend my time reading everything! When I am not reading, I am traveling, following my beloved Buckeyes in football and basketball, or getting my interior design fix through shopping and endless watching of HGTV!”
Cheryl Lorson, entering her second year on the Committee, is now the Co-chair taking over from Marie Sabol who served as Co-chair for two years. Cheryl is in her 14th year at Westfall Local Schools as a teacher librarian – most recently at the high school. She wears many hats in her district – INFOhio D/B ICoach, an Ohio Resident Educator Mentor, the Westfall Education Association treasurer, and a member of various district and school committees. She initiated and advises Battle Over Books and Book Club in the district at both the high school and middle school levels. She received a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation and its renewal to start and continue the high school book club. Also received was one of the 2016 “Patterson Pledge” School Library Grants from James Patterson and the Scholastic Reading Club. This Partnership Grant allowed the district to initiate and continue Westfall’s family community book study. Cheryl quite enjoys seeing students so engrossed in reading and discussing books as well as collaborating with her local public library! Cheryl resides with Mark, her husband of 37 years, who teaches chemistry and physics. They have three grown children (two sons and a daughter), a daughter-in-law, and two grand dogs. Cheryl enjoys being with family and friends and reading with one of her favorite books being Andy Anderson’s The Young Traveler’s Gift. She also enjoys helping in church and camping, including visiting the 48 contiguous states along with the Canadian provinces from Nova Scotia to British Columbia.
