McDaniel alumna leads Maryland’s School Library Media program
McDaniel master’s alumna Laura Hicks’ appointment to the role of Program Specialist for School Library Media at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) came as no surprise to those who know her from her work in school libraries and library associations as well as her studies at the College.
“We’re thrilled that Laura has accepted the MSDE library position,” says Mona Kerby, L. Stanley Bowlsbey Chair in Education and Graduate and Professional Studies and professor of Library Science. “She is already a leader at the national level and now Maryland libraries will benefit from her expertise.”
As Program Specialist, Hicks supports school library media specialists across the state by keeping them up to date on trends and best practices through professional development and conference sessions, providing technical assistance to the state digital library steering committee and consulting on integration of information and technology literacy skills, among many other responsibilities.
“My vision for the MSDE Library Media program is for it to be a leader in the education of, and advocacy for, passionate School Library Media Specialists that drive the success of students in their learning communities,” says Hicks, who earned her B.S. in Food Science from University of Maryland College Park and both an M.S. in School Library Media and an Administrator I certificate at McDaniel.
Not surprisingly, Hicks’ love of books first led her to consider a career in libraries.
“My addiction to students’ ‘ah ha’ moments steered me to being a School Librarian,” she says. “My love of students, educators, books, technology and the importance of information literacy drives me forward.”
Before MSDE, Hicks was the Library Media Specialist at Frederick High School (FHS) in Frederick, Md. She began her career in school libraries as the information resource specialist for Frederick County Public Schools and went on to become the media specialist at West Frederick Middle School where she worked until her transfer to FHS.
Hicks brought her creativity and customer-service experience from jobs in retail, catering and floral design to her work in public and school libraries and has leveraged her experiences there to attain leadership roles in local, state and national organizations. She is currently the regional director for the American Association of School Librarians as well as an at-large member of the American Library Association’s governing council.
The best part of being a school library media specialist, Hicks says, is the opportunity to work with every student and teacher in your school and to share your love of learning, innovating and reading with them every day.
“It is often said in the education world that we touch lives but may never see the results, or don’t see them until years down the road,” she says. “I had a moment like that when I was leaving my last school. A student who entered the library years before as a very quiet, introverted young man shook my hand and thanked me for introducing him to the books and friends he found in the library.
