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Information
Guy McClure
256-233-8296
For immediate release
April 2, 2013
Athens State
Student Honored by National Library Publication
ATHENS, Ala. - Athens State University
student Laura Poe was recently named the 2013 Paralibrarian of the Year by Library
Journal. Poe is majoring in English
with a minor in Drama. When not in the
classroom, she serves as the volunteer coordinator for the Athens Limestone
Public Library.
“I wear many different hats at the
Athens Limestone Public Library,” states Poe.
“My duties range from the simple responsibility of making sure that each
staff member and volunteer get a birthday card all the way to organizing our
wonderful volunteers.”
Library Journal is a national publication
that is for all libraries, whether they be academic, public, or private. The journal focuses on informing librarians
and paralibrarians, such as Poe. Paralibrarians
are library staffers without, or who have not yet been awarded a Masters in
Library Information Science.
The March
issue of Library Journal featured Poe
on its cover and honored her with a $1,500 cash prize. The Paralibrarian of the Year award goes to
one support staff member nationally and places
special emphasis on the efforts of the winner to further the role of
paralibrarians in the library profession.
“Three of the women I
work with wrote letters nominating me,” states Poe. “The judges liked what they
had to say about me and I was chosen. I have no idea of how many people were
entered into this; however it was open to paralibrarians across the United
States. Last year the winner was from
Florida and the year before was from Texas.”
Although her first
career aspiration was to be Wonder Woman, Poe always loved books. Some of her early memories were visiting her
local library as a child to experience Storytime. To her it was magical, and those first
experiences planted a seed that has grown into a love of anything library
related.
“My favorite part of working at the library is helping my patrons,”
continues Poe. “Just the other day I had
a father come in and thank me for introducing the Rick Riordan series of books
to his son. The books have boosted his AR points at school. It is the little
things that make all I do worthwhile.”
Poe’s choice of
an English major seemed to go hand in hand with her love for reading. Although, she admits, she wasn’t sold on the
Drama Minor. Now that she teaches and gives lectures, she is using what she has
learned from Athens State’s drama curriculum more than she ever imagined. In fact, her newly found love for drama has landed
her a lead role in the Athenian Players’ upcoming production of Tennessee
Williams’ The Glass Menagerie. Poe will
play Amanda Wingfield, the matriarch of Williams’ trademark dysfunctional
families.
But in real life, Poe’s greatest role
is the matriarch of her own “functional” family. She is a wife and a mother to three children
age seven to sixteen. They make their
home in western Limestone County.
Poe elaborates, “My
life is like a three ring circus. In ring number one we have my job, 40 hours a
week with lots to do. In ring number two we have school, I am taking four
classes and am performing in a play. And in the center ring I have my family.”
Poe expects to
graduate from Athens State University in May of 2015 and continue her studies
by enrolling in a Master’s program at the University of Alabama.
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