Lena Shaw's KD McArthur has been named one of BCTLA's New Teacher-Librarian of the Year.
A Surrey Schools teacher-librarian has been named one of BC's New Teacher-Librarians of the Year by the BC Teacher-Librarians' Association.
Lena Shaw Elementary teacher-librarian KD McArthur was recently recognized by the organization, sharing the honour alongside Prince George's Rebekah Rustad.
The award recognizes new teacher-librarians (those who have been in the role for five years or less) who have made outstanding contributions to teacher-librarianship at and beyond the school level.
"I'm so grateful to be working in Surrey with such an amazing team of teacher-librarians," said McArthur. "We have such a supportive group who have helped me learn so much and I wouldn't be here today without all their knowledge and expertise.
A classroom teacher in Surrey for six years prior to becoming a teacher-librarian, McArthur said she made the switch five years ago after being encouraged by a teacher-librarian who was leaving their school.
"The school was going to need a new teacher-librarian and so I decided to go for it," she said.
In the time since, McArthur has come to see the library as the beating heart of a school.
"Every student comes into this place and interacts with us in some way," she said. "We're in the rare position to make connections with every student, which is really special."
How those connections are made has also changed over the past few years, as the role of a teacher-librarian has grown to include much more than managing a library full of books.
"From teaching about new technologies, to robotics and even weaving we do lot more in libraries these days," she said.
In addition to her role at school, McArthur is also involved in the Surrey chapter of the Teacher Librarians' Association and is a member of the Surrey Schools' Book of the Year Committee, which helps to select the district's winning books each year.
For McArthur, the recognition is confirmation that she's doing something right and that being surrounded by books has always been her calling.
"When I was younger I used to work for Indigo Books, and then later at the Capilano University Book store," she said. "I've always just been drawn to books in some shape or form."
Last year four Surrey Schools teacher-librarians were also honoured by the BCTLA.
To learn more about the BCTLA and its awards, click here.
