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McCurdy Librarian Receives International Literacy Award
Mary Piazza, the librarian at McCurdy Elementary School, shows her award from the Missouri State Council of the International Reading Association.
(Posted May 6, 2011)
Mary Piazza, the librarian at McCurdy Elementary School, received the Missouri State Council’s International Reading Association’s Literacy Award (MSC-IRA) for exemplary service in the promotion of literacy.
Piazza has been a MSC-IRA member since 1984. She is slated to serve as the state council secretary for the 2011-2012 school year. At the local level, she served as president for two years and secretary for one year for the Mid-Rivers Area Council. She has also worked as a classroom teacher, a resource/reading teacher and a reading specialist. Teaching has been her career for more than 34 years.
Piazza is enthusiastic about literacy and about sharing books as often as possible. As the school’s librarian, she reads books aloud to student groups and helps students find books to read on their own. She also assists students who are undecided about what they want to read. Getting books and lots of them into the hands of students is a daily goal.
“As a local council, we have been trying to get books into the hands of local people who don’t have them or who don’t visit libraries,” said Piazza. “We go to Oktoberfest in St. Charles, and we collect books, adult books and children’s books, to give away.
“The next step is to put books in public offices, like at the drivers’ license bureau or wherever people have to wait in line, places where there is no entertainment,” she added. “What keeps me going is to see that I’m passing on my love of books and reading to someone else and they can pass it on.”
She said she gives always gives younger kids take-home items that could become a game. With older kids, it is always something else to do after they finish the book – related games or activities such as puppets.
“I buy a lot of books. If kids want a book and they can’t afford it, but they really want it, I will get it for them,” said Piazza.
