Kristin Almeida
Kristin Almeida started her library career in 2009 at the URI Kingston Library, first as a reference student and later as an Instructor for LIB120, which she continues to teach. She began her K-12 career in Woonsocket and is now the Library Media Specialist at Westerly Middle School in addition to being the Library Department Head Teacher for Westerly Public Schools.
Jim Barrett
Jim Barrett is the School Library Media Specialist and Technology Support Teacher at the Nathan Bishop Middle School in Providence as well as an adjunct Reference Librarian for the Community College of Rhode Island. In addition to his work in Rhode Island public schools, he also served as a Trustee of Tiverton Library Services from 2004 to 2014. His professional interests include technology application and information literacy.
Emily Brown
Emily Brown is the Youth Services Coordinator at the Cranston Public Library. Her professional experience includes both public and school library services, technology instruction, gaming, and collection development. In her current position she has piloted a grant-funded series of 3D printing workshops for kids and teens and developed a travelling laptop lab for youth programs. She served on the YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens Committee from 2008-2010, has been published in School Library Journal, and has presented on topics ranging from graphic novels to Minecraft.
Meri Carney
Meri Carney has been the children’s librarian at Marian J. Mohr Library in Johnston, RI for the last ten years. With a background in theater, storytelling, teaching, writing, and public relations, she plans and executes quality children’s programing that is both meaningful and engaging. Her projects include puppet theater, book trailers, computer coding classes, and maker workshops.
Suzanne Costa
Suzanne Costa is the K-12 Library Department Chairperson for Barrington Public Schools and the Barrington High School Library Media Specialist. At Barrington High School she is involved in the transition to a 1:1 Chromebook environment and is interested in how technology can be used to improve teaching and learning within the secondary education setting. In addition, she recently completed her Doctorate in Education from Northeastern University.
Jennifer Cournoyer
Jennifer Cournoyer has been the Young Adult and Reference at Cumberland Public Library since 2013 and is an adjunct professor in the general studies program at New England College of Business. Her professional experience includes both public and academic library services, consulting, and freelance editing.
David Fontaine
David Fontaine is the Librarian & Information Specialist at Middletown High School and works as an online instructor for URI’s School of Education. As an online education instructor he teaches educators how to navigate digital content integration in the classroom. In his role as Librarian & Information Specialist he focuses on information literacy and credibility.
Lee-Ann Galli
Lee-Ann Galli is the reference and technology librarian at the Narragansett Public Library. Additionally, she serves on the Read Across Rhode Island Adult Committee and the Rhode Island Teen Book Award.
Suzanne Jordan
Suzanne Jordan has been the School Library Media specialist at Myron J. Francis elementary in East Providence since 2011. Her professional experience includes web development and production management at Embolden, a company that specialized in online strategy for community foundations and nonprofits, as well as after school programming, summer camp, and teaching K-8 Spanish.
Carrie Kelly
Carrie Kelly is the Technology Integration Specialist at Winman Jr High in Warwick, Rhode Island. She is also a part-time Public Services lecturer at URI’s library and a part-time reference and children’s librarian for South Kingstown Public Libraries. Her professional experience includes library services at Warwick Public Schools, PK-12 library services at St. George’s independent boarding school in Middletown, and a Google Innovation Middle School in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Karen McHenry
Karen McHenry is the School Library Media Specialist at Del Sesto Middle School in Providence. After receiving her MLIS she founded the Cradle to Crayons Parent and Baby program at the Providence Public Library. In 2009 she became National Board Certified and shifted her career to school library.
Barbara Miller
Barbara Miller is the School Library Media Specialist at West Glocester Elementary School and her prior experience includes school library in a small private school setting. Her professional interests include teaching students to be “efficient and effective users of information”.
Marianne Mirando
Marianne Mirando has worked as a School Library Media Specialist for the last fifteen years and is currently at Westerly High School. Her prior experience includes school library at the elementary level and public library services. She has worked the last seventeen years at Westerly Public Library, first as a part-time reference librarian and then part-time at their summer branch, the Watch Hill Library.
Susan Murphy
Susan Murphy is the School Library Media Specialist at Alan Shawn Feinstein Middle School in Coventry. Her professional experience includes twenty years of work in elementary and middle school library settings as well as public library services at the Providence Public Library. Her professional interests include library advocacy, fostering parent and teacher relationships, technology integration, makerspaces, and global competency.
Robin Nyzio
Robin Nyzio has worked in public libraries for the last 16 years. She is currently the Assistant Director and Head of Reference at the Jesse M. Smith Memorial Library where she also acts as the Young Adult Librarian. She has previously worked in children’s and references services at a number of New England Public libraries, including the Pawtucket Public Library, and has been involved with the Rhode Island Teen Book Award Committee and the Young Adult Round Table. Her professional experience includes computer skills classes, teen programming and outreach, and filmmaking for teens.
Tanya Paglia
Tanya Paglia is the Teen Librarian at Barrington Public Library where she implements digital media programming, such as her stop-motion club for teens. Her professional interests include new technologies and developing meaningful teen programming that incorporates media. In addition, she is a member of the Media Smart Libraries Local Advisory Board.
Kathryn Powers
Kathryn Powers is the Library Media Specialist at the James M. Quinn Elementary School in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Prior to her career in library she worked as a book editor for a small nonfiction publishing house, as a law copywriter, and as a marketing professional. Her professional interests include digital literacy and citizenship, censorship in school libraries, and school-wide independent reading initiatives.
Susan Rose
Susan Rose is the School Library Media Specialist at Chester Barrows Elementary School in Cranston and is the Library Program Supervisor for the Cranston school district. Her background prior to library is in epidemiology. She has developed and published a Harry Potter lesson plan for elementary and middle school students.
Terri Spisso
Terri Spisso is the School Library Media Specialist, Virtual High School Site Coordinator, and i21 Technology Coach at Ponaganset High School in the Foster-Glocester school district. Here, she is an active member of her district’s Leadership Team and Technology Committee and is involved in her school’s 1:1 Laptop initiative. Her career prior to library was as researcher at Boston University.
Gail Stokes
Gail Stokes has been the Youth Services Librarian at Cranston Public Library’s Auburn Branch since 2014. Her career prior to library was as a stockbroker and portfolio manager. Before accepting the position at Cranston Public Library she worked at Providence’s Mount Pleasant Library in a number of positions, including as their Youth Services Librarian.
Jennifer Thomas
Jennifer Thomas is the School Library Media Specialist and technology educator for Paul Cuffee Middle and Upper Schools and is a Visiting Lecturer in the Instructional Technology Department at Bridgewater State University . Her professional experience includes school library and technology education at Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School and Bishop Stang High School. Her professional interests include professional development, blended learning, and information and digital literacy. She is active in a number of professional organization including SLRI and RISTE, and is a member of the Media Smart Libraries Local Advisory Board.
Christopher Zanghi
Christopher Zanghi is the School Library Media Specialist at Ranger Elementary School and Ft. Barton Elementary School in Tiverton. His experience prior to library includes landscaping, crime investigation, marketing and sales, and hospitality. He has been a librarian for the last eighteen years.