“Students need to read about people and places that don’t exist in Seneca,” Moore said. “I don’t want them to live in a bubble. The world is so diverse, and for them to function well as adults, they need to experience perspectives and ideas that may be different from their own. Books are a safe place to explore, learn and develop.”
Moore is a Spartanburg, South Carolina native who, after teaching for decades, decided to become certified as a librarian. After researching library certification programs across the country, she selected Marshall University for her totally online graduate education.
“I chose the Marshall School Library Media Specialist program because it focused solely on working in a school setting,” Moore said. “It had me prepared on day one. I knew how to enter my school and change the reading culture by adding diverse books and highlighting authors. I knew how to gain students’ confidence by engaging them in the book selection process. I knew how to collaborate with teachers and other community members. I knew how to be the school librarian that Seneca Middle School needed me to be, and I owe it all to Marshall University.”
As the 2024 recipient of the South Carolina Library Program of the Year, Moore received a commendation from the South Carolina Legislature. Successive accolades include being named one of 48 educators nationwide to receive the National Education Association’s Travelers Award for Teaching Excellence, as well as a Community Educator Award from her city.
Moore said people are often surprised that she’s only been a librarian for four years, but her love of books has been a lifelong passion.
She credits books with helping her through tough life experiences and she says the same is true for her students.
“A student who was experiencing anxiety felt less alone after reading the graphic novel Living with Viola by Rosena Fung, which is about living with anxiety disorder,” Moore said. “A student who felt discouraged after being prescribed medicine for ADHD, felt seen in the novel Focused by Alyson Gerber. We have students who arrived in the United States this year, and they feel represented by the stories about adapting to the culture and climate, like the wordless graphic novel Isla to Island by Alexis Castellanos which uses color to communicate the main character’s fear and frustration.”
Moore believes that books really can be an open door to new adventures, much like the journey she has experienced through her Marshall University education.
For more information on the School Library Media Graduate Program, visit: School Library Media Graduate Program – Marshall Libraries
