Bringing the zeal back to school librarianship.
School Library Activist | Keynote Speaker | Book Reviewer | Blogger
- Quick Facts -
2022 School Library Journal, School Librarian of the Year
www.slj.com/story/ace-advocate-kc-boyd-is-2022-school-librarian-of-the-year
- 2022 Excellence in Equity Award Winner
- 2022 National Association of State Boards of Education “Policy Leader of the Year Winner”
- Appeared on the cover of School Library Journal Magazine, 2014 https://tinyurl.com/t8qn9my
- 2015 Library Journal Magazine, 'Mover and Shaker'
- Certified School Library Media Specialist for 25 years.
- District Librarian for Chicago Public Schools and East St. Louis School Districts, currently working for the Washington D.C. Public School System.
- Executive board member for the District of Columbia Library Association and Washington Teachers Union
- Committee member for the EveryLibrary Institute/Advisory Board and the American Library Association Chapter Council representing Washington D.C.
- Chair Elect of the American Library Association's Ethnic & Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT).
- Former coordinator for Chicago's Mayor Richard Daley Book Club for Middle School Students.
- Former creator and producer of the award winning Wendell Phillips Academy High Schools', ‘Behind the Paws’ students news program.
- Featured in Education Weekly, Edutopia, School Library Journal, PBS News Hour, American Libraries, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly and Medium Magazines.
www.slj.com/story/ace-advocate-kc-boyd-is-2022-school-librarian-of-the-year
- 2022 Excellence in Equity Award Winner
- 2022 National Association of State Boards of Education “Policy Leader of the Year Winner”
- Appeared on the cover of School Library Journal Magazine, 2014 https://tinyurl.com/t8qn9my
- 2015 Library Journal Magazine, 'Mover and Shaker'
- Certified School Library Media Specialist for 25 years.
- District Librarian for Chicago Public Schools and East St. Louis School Districts, currently working for the Washington D.C. Public School System.
- Executive board member for the District of Columbia Library Association and Washington Teachers Union
- Committee member for the EveryLibrary Institute/Advisory Board and the American Library Association Chapter Council representing Washington D.C.
- Chair Elect of the American Library Association's Ethnic & Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT).
- Former coordinator for Chicago's Mayor Richard Daley Book Club for Middle School Students.
- Former creator and producer of the award winning Wendell Phillips Academy High Schools', ‘Behind the Paws’ students news program.
- Featured in Education Weekly, Edutopia, School Library Journal, PBS News Hour, American Libraries, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly and Medium Magazines.
K.C. Boyd
K.C. Boyd is currently a library media specialist with the Washington D.C. Public School System. She has previously worked as the Lead Librarian for the East St. Louis School District #189 in East St. Louis, IL., a Area Library Coordinator for Chicago Public Schools and a District Coordinator for the Mayor Daley Book Club for Middle School Students. She is a second generation educator and holds Master’s degrees in Library Information Science, Media Communications, and Education Leadership. Her favorite quotes, “Reading is the gateway skill that makes all learning possible,” and “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth,” drives her commitment to serving marginalized African-American children, young adults, and school communities.
During the summer of 2015, Boyd began working for the East St. Louis School District #189 in downstate Illinois. Boyd led a team of librarians in re-starting a dormant district school library program for eight schools. This was a herculean project that included weeding books out of the dated library collections and organizing all collections by the Dewey Decimal System. In addition to this work, performing a ten month retrospective conversion project that included training new librarians on the subjects of cataloging, importing/exporting books and overall functions of the school library program. Boyd also led this team of librarians in the challenging tasks of developing a library culture, love of reading and respect for the library program at their schools. During the 2016-2017 school year marked the first time East St. Louis School Libraries used a web based circulation system and checked out books for its K-12 grade students. Over 15,000 books were checked out in school libraries by students during that school year, a first for this school district.
In 2014, Boyd was inducted into the CPS ‘Librarian Hall of Fame,’ specifically for her work at Wendell Phillips Academy High School where she was the recipient of the Department of Libraries and Information Services 2012 and 2014 VITAL Technology Grants. Through these grants, Boyd helped successfully help transform the educational landscape for at that time, the Level 1 ranked Phillips high school through integrating technology into the curriculum. As the creator/producer of the award-winning ‘Behind the Paws’ students news YouTube program, she helped change and heighten the image of Phillips Academy within the city of Chicago. This work did not go unnoticed as CPS sought her advice and used her work promoting and ‘branding,’ Phillips Academy as a model for other schools within the school district to follow. In the spring of 2015, Boyd was featured on the CPS ‘Social Media Toolkit Page,’ named a CPS ‘Social Media Trailblazer,’ and was awarded the coveted CPS ‘Ones to Watch Award.’
Boyd is currently serving the greater library community through her leadership in a number of organizations. Boyd currently serves on the executive boards for the District of Columbia Library Association and the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. She is an active committee member for the American Library Association Chapter Council representing Washington D.C., American Association of School Librarians Digital Tools, American Library Association’s Center for the Future of Libraries Advisory Group, EveryLibrary Institute and Advisory Board, and the Washington Teachers’ Union Equity Collaborative. In addition, Boyd is a National Ambassador representing the Washington D.C. area for the Checkology Virtual Classroom and The News Literacy Project.
A staunch advocate and activist for school libraries/librarians, she is widely known and respected for her work with educating parents, teachers, and district officials on promoting leisure reading for children and teens. Her blog, The Boss Librarian Blog documents her work with K-12 students, discusses the effective use of technology in k-12 education, and provides helpful book reviews. Additionally, she is a sought-after and popular keynote speaker and conference presenter at the local, state, and national levels. Boyd has also been featured in a number of national publications such as The Medium, Education Weekly, School Library Journal, PBS Newshour, Library Journal about her work with reluctant/struggling readers and digital literacy. In addition, she appeared on the October 2014 cover of School Library Journal in the article, “Chicago Hope: High School Librarian K.C. Boyd.” She has also been recognized by Scholastic Books as one of ‘15 Librarians to Follow on Instagram,’ Library Journal as a ‘2015 Mover and Shaker,’ awarded the Black Caucus of the American Library Association’s, ‘2015 Leadership Award,’ and 2020 District of Columbia Library Association's Distinguished Service Award.
She has reviewed books for Booklist Magazine, School Library Journal, and the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. A popular guest lecturer for library science and reading university programs, she has delivered informative, and inspirational messages to graduate students at Rutgers University, University of Illinois - Champaign, University of Maryland and University of South Alabama. She is currently serving on the The Center for the Future of Libraries Advisory Group and served on the American Library Association's 2020 Newbery Selection Committee.
It is Boyd’s belief that all children, despite economic circumstance, have the right to read and should have access to books that reflect themselves and encourage inquiry. Boyd can be reached through her website: http://www.kcboyd.com/.
During the summer of 2015, Boyd began working for the East St. Louis School District #189 in downstate Illinois. Boyd led a team of librarians in re-starting a dormant district school library program for eight schools. This was a herculean project that included weeding books out of the dated library collections and organizing all collections by the Dewey Decimal System. In addition to this work, performing a ten month retrospective conversion project that included training new librarians on the subjects of cataloging, importing/exporting books and overall functions of the school library program. Boyd also led this team of librarians in the challenging tasks of developing a library culture, love of reading and respect for the library program at their schools. During the 2016-2017 school year marked the first time East St. Louis School Libraries used a web based circulation system and checked out books for its K-12 grade students. Over 15,000 books were checked out in school libraries by students during that school year, a first for this school district.
In 2014, Boyd was inducted into the CPS ‘Librarian Hall of Fame,’ specifically for her work at Wendell Phillips Academy High School where she was the recipient of the Department of Libraries and Information Services 2012 and 2014 VITAL Technology Grants. Through these grants, Boyd helped successfully help transform the educational landscape for at that time, the Level 1 ranked Phillips high school through integrating technology into the curriculum. As the creator/producer of the award-winning ‘Behind the Paws’ students news YouTube program, she helped change and heighten the image of Phillips Academy within the city of Chicago. This work did not go unnoticed as CPS sought her advice and used her work promoting and ‘branding,’ Phillips Academy as a model for other schools within the school district to follow. In the spring of 2015, Boyd was featured on the CPS ‘Social Media Toolkit Page,’ named a CPS ‘Social Media Trailblazer,’ and was awarded the coveted CPS ‘Ones to Watch Award.’
Boyd is currently serving the greater library community through her leadership in a number of organizations. Boyd currently serves on the executive boards for the District of Columbia Library Association and the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. She is an active committee member for the American Library Association Chapter Council representing Washington D.C., American Association of School Librarians Digital Tools, American Library Association’s Center for the Future of Libraries Advisory Group, EveryLibrary Institute and Advisory Board, and the Washington Teachers’ Union Equity Collaborative. In addition, Boyd is a National Ambassador representing the Washington D.C. area for the Checkology Virtual Classroom and The News Literacy Project.
A staunch advocate and activist for school libraries/librarians, she is widely known and respected for her work with educating parents, teachers, and district officials on promoting leisure reading for children and teens. Her blog, The Boss Librarian Blog documents her work with K-12 students, discusses the effective use of technology in k-12 education, and provides helpful book reviews. Additionally, she is a sought-after and popular keynote speaker and conference presenter at the local, state, and national levels. Boyd has also been featured in a number of national publications such as The Medium, Education Weekly, School Library Journal, PBS Newshour, Library Journal about her work with reluctant/struggling readers and digital literacy. In addition, she appeared on the October 2014 cover of School Library Journal in the article, “Chicago Hope: High School Librarian K.C. Boyd.” She has also been recognized by Scholastic Books as one of ‘15 Librarians to Follow on Instagram,’ Library Journal as a ‘2015 Mover and Shaker,’ awarded the Black Caucus of the American Library Association’s, ‘2015 Leadership Award,’ and 2020 District of Columbia Library Association's Distinguished Service Award.
She has reviewed books for Booklist Magazine, School Library Journal, and the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. A popular guest lecturer for library science and reading university programs, she has delivered informative, and inspirational messages to graduate students at Rutgers University, University of Illinois - Champaign, University of Maryland and University of South Alabama. She is currently serving on the The Center for the Future of Libraries Advisory Group and served on the American Library Association's 2020 Newbery Selection Committee.
It is Boyd’s belief that all children, despite economic circumstance, have the right to read and should have access to books that reflect themselves and encourage inquiry. Boyd can be reached through her website: http://www.kcboyd.com/.
Short Biography
Awards and Honors
- 2022 School Library Journal, "Librarian of the Year"
- 2022 Excellence in Equity Award Winner
- 2022 National Association of State Boards of Education “Policy Leader of the Year Winner”
- 2020 Distinguished Service Award, District of Columbia Library Association
- Recognized by Scholastic Books as one of ‘15 Librarians to Follow on Instagram’
- Appeared in American Libraries Magazine - 'The Bookend: Librarian Introduces Popular
Street Lit Genre'
- Recognized by Library Journal as a 2015 ‘Mover and Shaker’
- Black Caucus of the American Library Association’s 2015 'Leadership Award'
- Inducted into the Chicago Public Schools 'Librarian Hall of Fame' and awarded the coveted,
"One to Watch Award"
- Appeared on the 2014 cover of School Library Journal in the article, “Chicago Hope: High School
Librarian K.C. Boyd”
- Credited for the creation of the first NOOK Street Lit. Book Club for Teens in the country.
Membership
American Library Association
AASL - American Association of School Librarians
ALSC - Association for Library Service to Children
EMIERT - Ethnic and multicultural Information Exchange Rd Table
District of Columbia Library Association
National Council of Teachers of English
Black Caucus of the American Library Association
Top Ladies of Distinction
National Council of Negro Women
NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
Boards and Committees
2022 American Library Association Chapter Councilor Representing Washington DC
2022 American Association of School Librarians Digital Tools Committee
2022 EveryLibrary Institute
2022 Executive Board, District of Columbia Library Association
2022 Washington Teachers Union Executive Board
2022 National Ambassador, The News Literacy Project
2022 AASL School Library Event Promotion Committee
2021 ALA Council’s Committee on Committee member
2020 American Library Association's 2020 Newbery Selection Committee
- 2022 School Library Journal, "Librarian of the Year"
- 2022 Excellence in Equity Award Winner
- 2022 National Association of State Boards of Education “Policy Leader of the Year Winner”
- 2020 Distinguished Service Award, District of Columbia Library Association
- Recognized by Scholastic Books as one of ‘15 Librarians to Follow on Instagram’
- Appeared in American Libraries Magazine - 'The Bookend: Librarian Introduces Popular
Street Lit Genre'
- Recognized by Library Journal as a 2015 ‘Mover and Shaker’
- Black Caucus of the American Library Association’s 2015 'Leadership Award'
- Inducted into the Chicago Public Schools 'Librarian Hall of Fame' and awarded the coveted,
"One to Watch Award"
- Appeared on the 2014 cover of School Library Journal in the article, “Chicago Hope: High School
Librarian K.C. Boyd”
- Credited for the creation of the first NOOK Street Lit. Book Club for Teens in the country.
Membership
American Library Association
AASL - American Association of School Librarians
ALSC - Association for Library Service to Children
EMIERT - Ethnic and multicultural Information Exchange Rd Table
District of Columbia Library Association
National Council of Teachers of English
Black Caucus of the American Library Association
Top Ladies of Distinction
National Council of Negro Women
NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
Boards and Committees
2022 American Library Association Chapter Councilor Representing Washington DC
2022 American Association of School Librarians Digital Tools Committee
2022 EveryLibrary Institute
2022 Executive Board, District of Columbia Library Association
2022 Washington Teachers Union Executive Board
2022 National Ambassador, The News Literacy Project
2022 AASL School Library Event Promotion Committee
2021 ALA Council’s Committee on Committee member
2020 American Library Association's 2020 Newbery Selection Committee