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News and Events : News 06-07 Press Release
Fellowship—and Pigs in Literature—Illustrate Librarian’s Teaching Role
GILL, MA—Pigs in literature? Pigs in literature—in a diorama? Well, yes. Armed with only a few dozen shoeboxes, construction paper, and a bag of plastic pigs, Northfield Mount Hermon School librarian Pam Allan asked students at this independent boarding and day high school to create a scene from a published work of fiction or nonfiction. The winning entry of the the Hoggers in Literature Diorama Contest (the school’s mascot is a running pig and its sports teams are called the Hoggers) portrayed a scene from The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.
“It was a way to get the kids excited about reading,” said Allan. The librarian was awarded NMH’s David D. Hartman ’52 Faculty Fellowship in September, and she was the first librarian at the school to earn such an honor.
Allan’s role as the associate director of library and academic resources is to help students do research for classroom projects. “I particularly enjoy teaching students the finer points of website evaluation, as I believe it is one of the most critical skills a young researcher can become proficient at,” she said. While the diorama contest was a fun way to get the school year started, it was another way to get kids into the library, and to make the experience fun.
Allan is also known around campus for her contributions to the library website, including an accessible web page called the Reading Room with reviews of new books and DVDs; Bookmark, a monthly series of students’ favorite books posted next to their pictures; and the ever-popular Lounge Lizard, a photo of a student using—or sometimes snoozing in—the library.
Director of Library and Academic Resources Alison Ernst noted that the David Hartman fellowship “acknowledges the important teaching role of librarians at NMH.”
An international leader among college preparatory boarding schools, Northfield Mount Hermon School offers a rigorous academic program, leadership opportunities, diversity of community, and the best of the traditional and innovative in education. NMH enrolls 631 boarding and day students in grades 9 to 12 and postgraduate.
CONTACT: Pam Allan, 413-498-3360, pallen@nmhschool.org or Kate Snyder, 413-498-3357, ksnyder@nmhschool.org
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