This year I again presented the Glass Apple Award to outstanding Iowa teacher-librarians and, for the first time, three school districts, during press conferences at school libraries in January and February. The Glass Apples, an initiative of my Iowa Stories 2000 Foundation, were first presented in 2005 to honor the hard work and dedication of the individual recipients as well as to call attention to the many caring, committed certified teacher-librarians around the state and the important role they play in educating Iowa’s children.

The Glass Apple was designed by Jesse Bogenrief of Bogenrief Studios in Spencer.

This year three school systems, Johnston, Iowa City and Forest City community school districts, received Glass Apples. They are examples of school districts around the state that, even in difficult financial times, recognize the importance of certified teacher-librarians and adequately supported media resource centers.

Christie Vilsack presents Carroll High School Teacher-Librarian Kelly Fischbach with the Glass Apple Award.

Certified teacher-librarians are vital to every school’s curriculum because they help students and teachers learn how to find, evaluate and use a multitude of information resources including ever-changing technological- and Internet-based resources. Teacher-librarians also help to narrow the digital divide between urban and rural communities and among various demographic groups.

Since 1998, Iowa schools have cut nearly 150 teacher-librarians positions. I am calling upon state lawmakers this year to restore the requirement that all school districts employ certified teacher-librarians. I urge parents, teachers, school administrators and all who care that Iowa’s children are prepared to succeed in our new global “flat world” to join me in that effort. We must make sure that our elected officials act to support certified teacher-librarians and school library resource centers.

Certified teacher-librarians are people schools cannot afford to lose. Studies from numerous states, including Iowa, show that students perform better academically, including on reading tests, when their school has a qualified teacher-librarian and an adequately staffed and supported library media-resources center.

As Iowa strives to maintain and improve its high national standing in quality public education, now is not the time to be eliminating teacher-librarian positions. Now is the time to rally in their support.

The first Glass Apple presentation this year was at Summit Middle School in Johnston and honored the Johnston Community School District. The Johnston district, along with the other district recipients, Forest City and Iowa City, are examples of districts that, large or small, have demonstrated strong support for certified teacher-librarians and their media-resource centers.

Individual recipients of the Glass Apple Award for 2006 are: Virginia Miehe of West Liberty High School; Denise Rehmke of West High School in Iowa City; Pearl Miller at BCLUW High School in Conrad; Sue Rusk at East Union High School in Afton; and Julie Cabeen at Clarinda Middle School.

Other recipients are; Anne Sushko of Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Dubuque; Eileen Watje-Spencer in Denison; Kelly Fischbach at Carroll High School; Mary Williams at Sigourney Elementary School; Bert Miller at WACO High School in Wayland; Judy Snetselaar in Webster City; and Susan Radosti in Paullina.

The Glass Apple Award also recognizes the important role that educators from the Area Education Agencies play in providing on-going professional training for teacher librarians, and updating resources available to students, faculty and parents.

Support from AEAs often enables collaboration between school libraries and their community libraries. Often with AEA support, school libraries can serve not only as a resource center for students, but also as vital information centers for parents, school faculty, counselors, nurses and other education-related personnel.

The Area Education Agency’s libraries offer schools a wide variety of resources including books, video tapes and other materials that schools cannot afford to buy on their own.

The Glass Apples were crafted by Jesse Bogenrief of Bogenrief Studios of Sutherland, Cherokee and Spencer, Iowa. The wooden base for the apple was made by Staats Custom Awards in Mount Pleasant.