Our History
“On a snowy night in April, 1918, when an unexpected storm blew in from the sea, a small group of people interested in the welfare of school libraries met around an open fire in the Children’s Room of the Brookline Public Library. Among them were public librarians, teachers of English, school principals, representatives of teacher and library training institutions, and two who bore the title of ‘school librarian’---actually, ‘public library assistants assigned to certain hours at the school library’ according to Miss Mary H. Davis, who was one of the two.
Out of this meeting came the decision to organize, the appointment of a committee to draw up a constitution, the selection of a place for the first meeting, and the start of a list of people who might be interested in joining the association.
Although this meeting marked the first attempt at a New England regional organization of school librarians, the need for improvement in the school library situation had been expressed at the national level at the 1910 meeting of the National Education Association when ‘a group met at the Boston Public Library with the idea of campaigning for better high school libraries’ ---as recalled by Miss Mary E. Hall, Librarian, Brooklyn (New York) Girls’ High School, who attended that meeting.
On May 18, 1918, at Simmons college, the first formal meeting of the New England School Library Association was held. As hostess and organizing spirit, Miss June Richardson Donnelly, Director of the Simmons College School of Library Science, presided at the meeting. The proposed articles of the constitution were read by the Chairman of the Committee on Constitution, Miss Louisa M. Hooper, Librarian of the Brookline, Massachusetts, Public Library. The Constitution was
discussed and adopted.”
Pike, Mary M. and Mary. D. Bair. NESLA---A History of the New England School
Library Association 1918-1968. Salem (MA): Lavender Printing Company. 1968
A Few Firsts
1918 Annual meeting, May 18, at Simmons College. Constitution adopted
1919 School library standards approved
1920 Book Lists published
1922 Use of AV materials at a meeting---four slides
1925 Meeting with the All-New England Library Conference, later to be the New England Library Association
1929 Exhibit by book publishers at a meeting, April
1931 Member from Vermont
1933 State school library association formed (Connecticut)
1936 Questionnaire on the cooperation of school and public libraries.
Representation by school librarian from New Hampshire on the Executive Board.
1939 Student book review programs
1940 Conference and workshop at Simmons College (on Guidance through the School Library)
Mimeographed newsletter
1943 Elementary School Library Committee appointed
1944 State School Library consultant in New England (Connecticut)
1945 Use of acronym NESLA (in News Letter)
1946 Recruiting pamphlet published
1947 Life membership written into the Constitution (twenty dollars)
1950 NESDEC-NESLA Joint Library committee appointed.
Committee to promote demonstration libraries in at least one teacher training institute in each state
1952 NESDEC-NESLA Joint Library Committee publication (“Every School Needs A Library”)
1953 Presentation at a meeting of the Massachusetts Teachers Federation (library correlation exhibit and workshop)
1961 Legislative Committee appointed
1963 Scholarship Committee appointed
Completely Audio-visual meeting (Woodstock, VT)
1979 Elizabeth T. Fast Service Award established
1980 First edition of NEEMA Views
1982 NEEMA’s first annual Book Examination Day, Wesley United Methodist Church, Worcester MA
1996 publishes membership brochure
1997 NEEMA is awarded the AASL/ABC-CLIO Leadership Grant to offer a leadership retreat for all state level board members and open NEEMA board participation through virtual meetings
1999 NEEMA Task Force developed Competencies: Questions for Evaluators and Indicators of Quality for the School Library Media Program Registered neema.org for the association web page
2001 Last Book Examination Day
2002 NEEMA White Paper by Dr. Carol A. Gordon The Place of the School Library Media Program in the Accreditation Process of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
2003 Developed a 3 year strategic plan for the @Your Library Campaign for New England
2005 Created a Future of School Libraries (FOSL) Task Force to develop an Action Plan Leadership conference at the Harvard Club of Boston prior to ALA Midwinter meeting
2008 Established the Hall of Fame Votes to change name to New England School Library Association at annual meeting
2010 NESLA retreat for all of the New England school library association boards NESLA establishes a Facebook page
2013 Margaret A. Hallisey Exceptional Service Award established
2014 NESLA transitions to the Wild Apricot online association management system
2018 100th anniversary of NESLA, the oldest school library association.
“On a snowy night in April, 1918, when an unexpected storm blew in from the sea, a small group of people interested in the welfare of school libraries met around an open fire in the Children’s Room of the Brookline Public Library. Among them were public librarians, teachers of English, school principals, representatives of teacher and library training institutions, and two who bore the title of ‘school librarian’---actually, ‘public library assistants assigned to certain hours at the school library’ according to Miss Mary H. Davis, who was one of the two.
Out of this meeting came the decision to organize, the appointment of a committee to draw up a constitution, the selection of a place for the first meeting, and the start of a list of people who might be interested in joining the association.
Although this meeting marked the first attempt at a New England regional organization of school librarians, the need for improvement in the school library situation had been expressed at the national level at the 1910 meeting of the National Education Association when ‘a group met at the Boston Public Library with the idea of campaigning for better high school libraries’ ---as recalled by Miss Mary E. Hall, Librarian, Brooklyn (New York) Girls’ High School, who attended that meeting.
On May 18, 1918, at Simmons college, the first formal meeting of the New England School Library Association was held. As hostess and organizing spirit, Miss June Richardson Donnelly, Director of the Simmons College School of Library Science, presided at the meeting. The proposed articles of the constitution were read by the Chairman of the Committee on Constitution, Miss Louisa M. Hooper, Librarian of the Brookline, Massachusetts, Public Library. The Constitution was
discussed and adopted.”
Pike, Mary M. and Mary. D. Bair. NESLA---A History of the New England School
Library Association 1918-1968. Salem (MA): Lavender Printing Company. 1968
A Few Firsts
1918 Annual meeting, May 18, at Simmons College. Constitution adopted
1919 School library standards approved
1920 Book Lists published
1922 Use of AV materials at a meeting---four slides
1925 Meeting with the All-New England Library Conference, later to be the New England Library Association
1929 Exhibit by book publishers at a meeting, April
1931 Member from Vermont
1933 State school library association formed (Connecticut)
1936 Questionnaire on the cooperation of school and public libraries.
Representation by school librarian from New Hampshire on the Executive Board.
1939 Student book review programs
1940 Conference and workshop at Simmons College (on Guidance through the School Library)
Mimeographed newsletter
1943 Elementary School Library Committee appointed
1944 State School Library consultant in New England (Connecticut)
1945 Use of acronym NESLA (in News Letter)
1946 Recruiting pamphlet published
1947 Life membership written into the Constitution (twenty dollars)
1950 NESDEC-NESLA Joint Library committee appointed.
Committee to promote demonstration libraries in at least one teacher training institute in each state
1952 NESDEC-NESLA Joint Library Committee publication (“Every School Needs A Library”)
1953 Presentation at a meeting of the Massachusetts Teachers Federation (library correlation exhibit and workshop)
1961 Legislative Committee appointed
1963 Scholarship Committee appointed
Completely Audio-visual meeting (Woodstock, VT)
1979 Elizabeth T. Fast Service Award established
1980 First edition of NEEMA Views
1982 NEEMA’s first annual Book Examination Day, Wesley United Methodist Church, Worcester MA
1996 publishes membership brochure
1997 NEEMA is awarded the AASL/ABC-CLIO Leadership Grant to offer a leadership retreat for all state level board members and open NEEMA board participation through virtual meetings
1999 NEEMA Task Force developed Competencies: Questions for Evaluators and Indicators of Quality for the School Library Media Program Registered neema.org for the association web page
2001 Last Book Examination Day
2002 NEEMA White Paper by Dr. Carol A. Gordon The Place of the School Library Media Program in the Accreditation Process of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
2003 Developed a 3 year strategic plan for the @Your Library Campaign for New England
2005 Created a Future of School Libraries (FOSL) Task Force to develop an Action Plan Leadership conference at the Harvard Club of Boston prior to ALA Midwinter meeting
2008 Established the Hall of Fame Votes to change name to New England School Library Association at annual meeting
2010 NESLA retreat for all of the New England school library association boards NESLA establishes a Facebook page
2013 Margaret A. Hallisey Exceptional Service Award established
2014 NESLA transitions to the Wild Apricot online association management system
2018 100th anniversary of NESLA, the oldest school library association.
Presidents and Founders
2019-current Deborah Ehler-Hansen VT
2017-2019 Dr. Carol Gordon MA
2015-2017 Mary Ellen Minichiello CT
2013-2015 Irene Kwidzinski CT
2012-2013 Andrea Ange NH
2011-2012 Geraldine Fegan MA
2008-2011 Merlyn Miller VT
2007-2008 Susan Ballard NH
2006-2007 Jenifer O'Connor (Smolnik) CT
2005-2006 Dr. Carolyn A. Markuson MA
2004-2005 Dr. Carol Gordon MA
2003-2004 Irene Kwidzinski CT
2002-2003 Dr. Mary Frances Zilonis MA
2001-2002 Sylvia K. Norton ME
2000-2001 Jeanette Lizotte NH
1999-2000 Dr. Carolyn A. Markuson MA
1997-1999 Susan Snider NH
1996-1997 Carolyn Marcato CT
1995-1996 Dorothy Grazier NH
1994-1995 Susan Ballard NH
1992-1994 Harriet LaPointe RI
1991-1992 Dorothy Natoli MA
1990-1991 Charles W. White CT
1989-1990 Loretta T. Staples NH
1988-1989 Altheia M. Fischer NH
1987-1988 Marion S. Dubrawski MA
1986-1987 James S. Weigel CT
1985-1986 Judith Lyons Beagle CT
1984-1985 Dorothy A. Gregory ME
1983-1984 Jean D. Battey VT
1982-1983 Lilias F. Cingolani MA
1980-1981 Audrey J. Friend MA
1979-1980 Robert G. Hale, Sr. CT
1978-1979 Charles W. Adams MA
1977-1978 Bruce L. MacDuffie MA
1976-1977 Patricia E. Jensen CT
1975-1976 Joseph F. Giorgio CT
1974-1975 Dr. Loraine E. Tolman MA
1973-1974 Dr. Loraine E. Tolman MA &Patricia E. Jensen CT
1972-1973 Helen Colby NH
1971-1972 Lavinia Murphy (O'Connor) MA
1970-1971 Pauline Cole MA
1969-1970 Dolores Burkhardt CT
1968-1969 Virginia Dooley CT
1967-1968 Frances Lombard ME
1966-1967 Catherine Jones MA
1965 Philip Northway MA
1963-1964 Mary Elizabeth Baker CT
1961-1963 Edith Dahlgren RI
1959-1960 Janice Byington VT
1957-1958 Katherine W. Trickey MA
1955-1956 Dorothy Annable MA
1953-1954 Mary Bair MA
1951-1952 Ruth Hennig MA
1948-1950 Virginia Fooks RI
1946-1947 Stella Morse MA
1945 Caroline R. Siebens MA
1943-1944 Edna Ballard CT
1941-1942 Rheta Clark CT
1939-1940 Edith Coulman MA
1936-1938 Mary R. Lucas RI
1935 Frances R. Cox CT
1933-1934 Jane Thurman MA
1932 Lucy Bell MA
1930-1931 Dorothy Hopkins MA
1028-1929 Susan James MA
1926-1927 Bertha V. Hartsell MA
1924-1925 Margaret Kneil CT
1923-1924 Elizabeth Furst MA
1921-1922 *Mary H. Davis MA
1919-1920 *Judy R. Donnelly MA
1918-1919 *Martha Pritchard MA
*Founder
2019-current Deborah Ehler-Hansen VT
2017-2019 Dr. Carol Gordon MA
2015-2017 Mary Ellen Minichiello CT
2013-2015 Irene Kwidzinski CT
2012-2013 Andrea Ange NH
2011-2012 Geraldine Fegan MA
2008-2011 Merlyn Miller VT
2007-2008 Susan Ballard NH
2006-2007 Jenifer O'Connor (Smolnik) CT
2005-2006 Dr. Carolyn A. Markuson MA
2004-2005 Dr. Carol Gordon MA
2003-2004 Irene Kwidzinski CT
2002-2003 Dr. Mary Frances Zilonis MA
2001-2002 Sylvia K. Norton ME
2000-2001 Jeanette Lizotte NH
1999-2000 Dr. Carolyn A. Markuson MA
1997-1999 Susan Snider NH
1996-1997 Carolyn Marcato CT
1995-1996 Dorothy Grazier NH
1994-1995 Susan Ballard NH
1992-1994 Harriet LaPointe RI
1991-1992 Dorothy Natoli MA
1990-1991 Charles W. White CT
1989-1990 Loretta T. Staples NH
1988-1989 Altheia M. Fischer NH
1987-1988 Marion S. Dubrawski MA
1986-1987 James S. Weigel CT
1985-1986 Judith Lyons Beagle CT
1984-1985 Dorothy A. Gregory ME
1983-1984 Jean D. Battey VT
1982-1983 Lilias F. Cingolani MA
1980-1981 Audrey J. Friend MA
1979-1980 Robert G. Hale, Sr. CT
1978-1979 Charles W. Adams MA
1977-1978 Bruce L. MacDuffie MA
1976-1977 Patricia E. Jensen CT
1975-1976 Joseph F. Giorgio CT
1974-1975 Dr. Loraine E. Tolman MA
1973-1974 Dr. Loraine E. Tolman MA &Patricia E. Jensen CT
1972-1973 Helen Colby NH
1971-1972 Lavinia Murphy (O'Connor) MA
1970-1971 Pauline Cole MA
1969-1970 Dolores Burkhardt CT
1968-1969 Virginia Dooley CT
1967-1968 Frances Lombard ME
1966-1967 Catherine Jones MA
1965 Philip Northway MA
1963-1964 Mary Elizabeth Baker CT
1961-1963 Edith Dahlgren RI
1959-1960 Janice Byington VT
1957-1958 Katherine W. Trickey MA
1955-1956 Dorothy Annable MA
1953-1954 Mary Bair MA
1951-1952 Ruth Hennig MA
1948-1950 Virginia Fooks RI
1946-1947 Stella Morse MA
1945 Caroline R. Siebens MA
1943-1944 Edna Ballard CT
1941-1942 Rheta Clark CT
1939-1940 Edith Coulman MA
1936-1938 Mary R. Lucas RI
1935 Frances R. Cox CT
1933-1934 Jane Thurman MA
1932 Lucy Bell MA
1930-1931 Dorothy Hopkins MA
1028-1929 Susan James MA
1926-1927 Bertha V. Hartsell MA
1924-1925 Margaret Kneil CT
1923-1924 Elizabeth Furst MA
1921-1922 *Mary H. Davis MA
1919-1920 *Judy R. Donnelly MA
1918-1919 *Martha Pritchard MA
*Founder
Leadership Conferences and Workshops
2018- Dancing with the Stars in School Librarianship: Celebrating NESLA's Centennial Year
2014 - Paige Jaeger & Melissa Stewart “Nonfiction Matters and the CCSS”
2013 - Leonard S. Marcus, Mary Newell DePalma & the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book
Art educators “Picture This! Using Your Visual Literacy Skills”
2012 - Patrick Larkin & Shannon McClintock Miller “The Un-Conference”
2012 - Workshop w/ Janet Allison, NEASC commission director “NEASC and You”
2011 - Nancy Dowd “Advocacy: Marketing Your School Library Program” and a panel of New
England SLYMPY award winners
2010 - David Loertscher, Ross Todd, Roger Nevins, Valerie Diggs, Rolf Erikson, Pam
Harland “Knowledge Learning Commons: The Future School Library”
2009 - Kathy Lowe & Susan Ballard “Implementing the New AASL Standards”
2008 - Dr. Henry Jenkins “Where Soulja Boy Meets Melville: What Remix Culture Can Tell Us About the New Media Literacies”
2007 - Dr. Ross Todd & Dr. Carol Gordon “Re-Designing Knowledge Spaces: From Information Literacy to Knowledge Outcomes”
2006 - Dr. Ross Todd & Dr. Carol Gordon “Making School Libraries Part of School Reform”
2005 - Dr. Ross Todd & Debbie Abilock “School Library Odyssey 2005: Interconnectivity and Learning”
2004 - Ferdi Serim “A Very Bright Idea: From Vision to Practice”
2004 - workshop “Every Student Succeeds @your libraryTM : Strategic Marketing for School Library Media Centers”
2003 - Dr. Gary Hartzell and Dr. Ross Todd “Perceptions---Reality---Change”
2001 - Wayne Free “2001: Technological Odyssey...Putting It All Together In Reality: Integrating Standards, Instructional Practice & TEchnology to Impact Student Learning”
2000 - Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs “Information Literacy & Curriculum Mapping: Instructional Strategies to Encourage Critical Thinking”
1999 - Dr. Ross Todd “Making the Connection: Information Literacy in Tomorrow’s Schools”
1998 - Kay Bland “Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning”
1997 - “Electronic Concepts as Teleconferencing and Virtual Meetings”
1996 - Leadership with a Theme: Information Fluency
1995 - Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson “Strap on Your Spurs: Technology & Change Cowboy Style”
1994 - Russell Pieken “Library Media Specialists: Creators of the Vision”
1993 - Dr. Christie Vernon “Librarians in the Lions’ Den”
1992 - Dr. Michael Eisenberg “Research in School Library Media: What, Why, and How”
1990 - Dr. Doris Epler “Leadership Ideas for the Technology Age”
1989 - Dawn Heller & Ann Montgomery “Public Relations”
1988 - Carol Ann Haycock “ Implementing Information Power”
1987 - Jack Agati “Advocacy
© 2021 New England School Library Association
2018- Dancing with the Stars in School Librarianship: Celebrating NESLA's Centennial Year
2014 - Paige Jaeger & Melissa Stewart “Nonfiction Matters and the CCSS”
2013 - Leonard S. Marcus, Mary Newell DePalma & the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book
Art educators “Picture This! Using Your Visual Literacy Skills”
2012 - Patrick Larkin & Shannon McClintock Miller “The Un-Conference”
2012 - Workshop w/ Janet Allison, NEASC commission director “NEASC and You”
2011 - Nancy Dowd “Advocacy: Marketing Your School Library Program” and a panel of New
England SLYMPY award winners
2010 - David Loertscher, Ross Todd, Roger Nevins, Valerie Diggs, Rolf Erikson, Pam
Harland “Knowledge Learning Commons: The Future School Library”
2009 - Kathy Lowe & Susan Ballard “Implementing the New AASL Standards”
2008 - Dr. Henry Jenkins “Where Soulja Boy Meets Melville: What Remix Culture Can Tell Us About the New Media Literacies”
2007 - Dr. Ross Todd & Dr. Carol Gordon “Re-Designing Knowledge Spaces: From Information Literacy to Knowledge Outcomes”
2006 - Dr. Ross Todd & Dr. Carol Gordon “Making School Libraries Part of School Reform”
2005 - Dr. Ross Todd & Debbie Abilock “School Library Odyssey 2005: Interconnectivity and Learning”
2004 - Ferdi Serim “A Very Bright Idea: From Vision to Practice”
2004 - workshop “Every Student Succeeds @your libraryTM : Strategic Marketing for School Library Media Centers”
2003 - Dr. Gary Hartzell and Dr. Ross Todd “Perceptions---Reality---Change”
2001 - Wayne Free “2001: Technological Odyssey...Putting It All Together In Reality: Integrating Standards, Instructional Practice & TEchnology to Impact Student Learning”
2000 - Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs “Information Literacy & Curriculum Mapping: Instructional Strategies to Encourage Critical Thinking”
1999 - Dr. Ross Todd “Making the Connection: Information Literacy in Tomorrow’s Schools”
1998 - Kay Bland “Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning”
1997 - “Electronic Concepts as Teleconferencing and Virtual Meetings”
1996 - Leadership with a Theme: Information Fluency
1995 - Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson “Strap on Your Spurs: Technology & Change Cowboy Style”
1994 - Russell Pieken “Library Media Specialists: Creators of the Vision”
1993 - Dr. Christie Vernon “Librarians in the Lions’ Den”
1992 - Dr. Michael Eisenberg “Research in School Library Media: What, Why, and How”
1990 - Dr. Doris Epler “Leadership Ideas for the Technology Age”
1989 - Dawn Heller & Ann Montgomery “Public Relations”
1988 - Carol Ann Haycock “ Implementing Information Power”
1987 - Jack Agati “Advocacy
© 2021 New England School Library Association