In RISD, school librarians are known as LITEs, or Library and Information Technology Educators. All of the LITEs in RISD have classroom teaching experience and a master’s degree. April is National School Library Month, and RISD will be highlighting some of the wonderfully talented LITEs across the district all month.
Shannon Tabb has been an educator for 23 years and is in her third year as a full-time LITE at Richardson High School. She has a psychology degree from Texas A&M and started teaching third grade at Spring Creek Elementary in 2001, through the Region 10 alternative certification program. Then, life took her to Virginia, where she continued to teach and became a librarian at a Title 1 elementary campus. After stops in the Seattle area and Colorado, she came home to RISD in 2021.
Spring Creek Assistant Principal Sarah Kate Miller was teaching biology at RHS at that time and connected Principal Chris Choat with her former third-grade teacher. Tabb was apprehensive about being a librarian in a high school and connecting with older students, “but three years later, I can tell you that they are hilarious and delightful.”
“Shannon is passionate about literacy for students of all ages and has a keen ability to connect with any student,” Miller said. “She builds wonderful relationships with students who may struggle to connect with others. She jumped right into the position of LITE at RHS and set up fun and engaging activities in the library to encourage students to visit and check out books. She loves to partner with teachers to design exciting learning experiences for students within the library.”
This month, Tabb has a station with little hearts on it for students to write about why they love the library, and she will fill the walls with the notes, sharing the love for every one to see.
“My main job as a high school LITE is to create a safe space for my students,” Tabb said. “The biggest part of my day is creating connections with these students so they feel welcome. Every morning, I open up the library at 7:50 to let students who have been dropped off or come to school early to chill out with their friends in the library. By 8:30, there are 100+ students ready to go to class. This allows me time to get to know them, know their name, find out who their siblings are, what sports teams they like, what instrument they play, who needs a granola bar, or maybe a little TLC. Lots of hugs here in the RHS library. I feel blessed to see their faces and give hugs when needed. I love RHS because of the diversity and seeing how these kids get along with each other.”
