Dorsett Shoals Elementary School’s library media program has been honored with the prestigious Judy Serritella Exemplary Library Media Program award for 2024.
The award is presented by the Georgia Library Media Association to three schools statewide each year — one at each level — in recognition of library media programs that empower students to be critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers and ethical users of information both in vision and in practice.
The award is a testament to the hard work of DSES Media Specialist Tracy Scaglione, who has led the media program at DSES for 22 years, and media clerk Barbara Camacho.
“This is the first time a school in our district has won a state level GLMA Exemplary Library Media Program award,” Scaglione said. “It is an honor to receive recognition for building a strong library program at DSES over the last 22 years through teaching, planning, grant writing, and collaborating. Fantastic support through the years from the school system, principals, other media specialists, teachers, media clerks, and families made this award possible. This is a career highlight!"
Scaglione’s achievements at DSES during her career include the successful implementation of the Children’s Book Council Voting Site, which enriched the school’s collection with nearly $10,000 worth of new books. Additionally, Scaglione has secured almost $100,000 in grants during her career to enhance library resources, including expanding the graphic novel section and integrating new technologies.