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CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION
P R O F I L E S I N S U C C E S S : Christine Drysdale Christine Drysdale is on her second career. Or perhaps, more accurately, her third. And BOCES is playing a valuable part in ensuring it’s a success.
between subjects," she explains. The library is so many things: It’s a place to get work done, to help students manage their workload, assist with printing, provide project supplies, and research support. Above all, she strives to help students develop their love of reading, gain confidence in accessing information, while always trying to move them toward independence.
A former corporate communications professional, Drysdale turned to education when her three children were young. She obtained a master’s in education and became an English Language Arts teacher at Somers Middle School, and later, the high school. When the school was working toward its International Baccalaureate certification, Drysdale was invited to open and run a college-style writing center, adjacent to the school library, to help students develop the necessary writing skills.
All of these efforts are bettered with dialogue and the sharing of best practices with other librarians. That’s another place where BOCES comes in. Drysdale is a regular attendee at the BOCES Library Media and Resource Professionals meetings, where she finds the connections and networking opportunities invaluable. "I think I learned as much in those meetings as in my college coursework," she says. Two of those connections were Mahopac High School librarian Dara Berkwits, and Putnam Valley High School librarian Marifran DeMaine, who both became valuable mentors.
Proximity to the library sparked another interest, and "I realized that library science might be my next venture," she says. "But it probably wouldn’t have happened without BOCES." To shore up the shortage of qualified school librarians, BOCES was sponsoring a cohort of library media specialists through Long Island University with a 25% discount. It was a timely opportunity for Drysdale: two years later she was the Somers High School library media specialist and the district’s K–12 library curriculum leader.
In-person monthly meetings turned virtual during COVID-19, and morphed into more casual weekly check-ins. "These have been wonderful," says Drysdale. "Librarians are usually so isolated, because they are typically the only one in their building, and the weekly connections are fabulous. In addition to sharing ideas and best practices, we feel we’re part of the professional community. The ability to talk to other librarians validates what we do. And, of course, when we hit a challenge we know we are not alone."
The function of a high school library today is a far cry from the quiet reading space equipped with rows of book stacks of just 15 years ago. Drysdale says that her job involves much more than to ensuring a robust book collection. It’s more about "minding the gap," as she puts it. "Every school is different, and every school has gaps – between the classroom and home,
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