NEW ENGLAND SCHOOL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
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NESLA HISTORY, CONSITITUTION & BY-LAWS

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.


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

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
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  • About NESLA
    • Governance >
      • Governing Board
      • Constitution and By-Laws
    • Join NESLA
    • Contact NESLA
  • Affiliates & Partners
    • Connecticut Association of School Librarians
    • Maine Association of School Librarians
    • Massachusetts School Library Association
    • New Hampshire School Library Association
    • Rhode Island Library Association
    • Vermont School Library Association
    • New England Library Association
    • School Library Association of Victoria (Australia)
  • Initiatives
    • Advocacy
    • Carolyn Markuson Fund
    • Collective Purchasing
    • Consortium of School Library Educators
    • School Libraries Worldwide
    • NESLA History, Constitution & By-Laws
  • Resources
    • NESLA News
    • SYNERGY
    • School Library Leaders
    • NCDE Resource Database
    • Other Resources