In an award presentation at a recent faculty meeting, Angela Couse, education specialist for secondary libraries, said the following:

It is my great pleasure to present Jenny Betten with this year’s Libraries Transform award.  This honor is peer nominated and awarded to an FCPS librarian for “transforming the lives of students and the community through the learning, curiosity and collaboration they inspire.” Not only do these librarians create dynamic programs within their school, but they also reach beyond their school walls to positively impact the library community as a whole. Jenny is a shining example of a librarian who meets this incredibly high standard. 

Jenny was nominated by five librarian colleagues who appreciate her strengths as a calm, considerate and supportive leader. For the past two years, Jenny has led the Middle School librarians CT, creating “purposeful agendas” and meaningful opportunities for community building among librarians both in and outside of school. She is a model mentor to new librarians and, according to Megan McKnight, a fellow middle school librarian,  Jenny has “changed the way middle school librarians collaborate for the better,” with her generous sharing of ideas, lessons and resources. 

Committed to culturally responsive and inclusive teaching, Jenny empowers students to engage with literature in new and creative ways. Within the Jackson library, Jenny fosters a love of reading in her students through collaboration with teachers, differentiation and diversity in the book collection, and Books with Betten, a weekly feature on the Jackson morning announcements, which she also shares through her Youtube channel.  This year, as an integral member of the county-wide Middle School Battle of the Books team, Jenny created and shared innovative book-based, Minute-to-Win-It style games to encourage relationship building, content connection and, most importantly, joy in the library.  As Roseanne Tempesta, librarian at Kilmer Middle School, wrote in her nomination, Jenny has “truly transformed what it means to be a middle school librarian” and she “deserves to be recognized for all her accomplishments!” 

Congratulations, Jenny!