Librarian

My name is Shayla Thomas, and I am the library media specialist at Central Elementary School. I am originally from Macon, MS but have called Tuscaloosa home since 2015. I attended the University of West Alabama and graduated with my Bachelors in Elementary Education, Masters in Elementary Education, and Education Specialist in Elementary Education. Moreover, I recieved an Education Specialist in Library Media. I'm married to my wonderful husband Michael and we have two sons, Malachy and Myles. I am so excited to be at Central Elementary and can't wait to see all of the students face to face very soon!

Personal Philosophy

As a Library Media specialist, it is my job to to see that students not only have open access to a plethora of materials that both support the curriculum and a personal thirst for knowledge, but that they also receive the benefit of the librarian's active, ongoing collaboration with the academic and special-area teachers in the building.  It is important that I encourage a love for reading and support a quest for information by promoting a wide variety of reading programs and content-specific activities through the library.  The library must be accessible to all students, no matter their academic proficiency; there must be materials suitable for all needs and/or challenges.

Central Elementary's library will be an active, busy, yet non-intimidating, place for students to use for a variety of purposes.  Before and after school access is important, as well as a flexible daily schedule. The technology that will available here will include up-to-date computers that have a variety of educational software and media installed, research databases available for student and staff use, Internet access for research, and Web 2.0 applications that are actively and creatively used.  Books and other printed material will include a current Reference section, a wide variety of the best fiction, current print periodicals (with archived periodicals on the computers), and a full range of nonfiction to support all curricular areas.  Professional resources for teachers and administrators will have a prominent place in the school library and I will  create a comfortable reading area for teachers and staff.