Meet Audra
I am a lover of joy, open-hearted laughter, late nights reading outside, and pajama dance parties. I am married to my best friend, mom to two teenagers with disabilities, and frequently bossed around by my dog and three cats. I have worked in special education for the last seventeen years, with special expertise in accessibility and educating students with complex communication and/or social-emotional support needs. This included creating peer mentorship programs in both the elementary and middle school settings. In December 2021, I achieved National Board Certified Teacher status. I am excited about my transition into school librarian; I look forward to supporting a culture of literacy and belonging for all of our students.
Lover of Books
My unquenchable love for reading started before I could walk with a very well-read copy of Babar. Though I find myself reading a little bit of everything, I have a special fondness for silly picture books, everything fantasy, and contemporary middle grades works that reflect the heart of our students’ lives. It’s not just the stories, but the shared love of the journeys through them. Whether it’s BookCon, bookstagram, or book clubs, finding communities of readers has always felt like finding home.
Representation Matters
Representation can be both life-changing and life-affirming. I remember the first time I read a fantasy novel that featured a heroine with cerebral palsy, where I could look at my daughter and know that books were beginning to reflect her. I cried. Every single person who enters our library spaces has the right to that same feeling of affirmation and belonging. As #WeNeedDiverseBooks writes, “Imagine a world in which all children can see themselves in the pages of a book.” That’s a world I want to help bring into being.
All About Access
Libraries should be the great equalizer — a place where people of any ability, race, nationality, religion, gender, or orientation can feel welcomed, affirmed, and supported in their search for information. For libraries to live up to this mission, we must ensure that both our physical spaces and the information within are accessible. Physical access is essential, but only the beginning. Universal design asks us to consider multiple pathways for engagement, representation, action and expression, while culturally responsive practice asks us to question the underpinnings of the systems as they have been. Combined, they offer a path to creating equity and access for all who enter.
Clip Art Credit
ArtCreationDesigns. (2021). Book reader [Clip art]. Etsy. https://www.etsy.com/listing/873308639/watercolor-book-reader-clipart
OctupisArtis. (2021). Watercolor splashes [Clip art]. Etsy. https://www.etsy.com/listing/226525345/watercolor-splashes-clipart-16-digital