Greenwich librarian one of 10 to receive national public service honor

Jane E. Martellino recognized with national public service honor 

Jane E. Martellino, K-5 media specialist at the International School at Dundee (ISD) in Greenwich, Connecticut, is a winner of this year’s I Love My Librarian Award. Recognized by the American Library Association (ALA) for creating a vibrant culture of literacy on campus, she was selected from 1,865 nominations from library users across the country.

Martellino has cultivated a love of reading at her school by spearheading engaging programs, from a Battle of the Books tournament to her “one book, one school” initiative. She also founded Connecticut’s first K-3 book award program, The Charter Oak Book Award. Since it launched in 2010, more than 60 schools have participated each year.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Martellino has kept the school community engaged and inspired. She created a tablet-based interface for students to access digital books, daily read-alouds, learning resources and personalized reference assistance, all from the safety of their homes. She has also worked to keep everyone’s spirits up by sharing inspiring daily video messages featuring her dog, Maggie.

“Her brilliant mind literally never stops and everyone at ISD benefits from her enthusiasm, intelligence, and incomparable creative energy,” her nominators wrote. “Her passion for books is so palpable, so contagious, that you simply have to be a part of it.”

Martellino and this year’s nine other honorees will each receive a $5,000 cash prize, a $750 donation to their library and complimentary registration to ALA’s 2021 Virtual Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits. The virtual award ceremony will take place during the conference at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 and will be available to stream live at https://www.youtube.com/user/AmLibraryAssociation.