The CCBC shared the following news. In a time of transitions, we congratulate Megan and thank her for leadership, mentorship and insightful work at the CCBC over the years!
Megan Schliesman to Retire After 32 Years at the CCBC
At the end of the UW-Madison spring semester, Megan Schliesman will retire from her role as Assistant Director/Librarian at the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC). Megan began her career at the CCBC in July of 1993 following her 1992 graduation from the UW-Madison School of Library and Information Science (now the iSchool). In addition to her work managing many administrative aspects of the CCBC, Megan’s talents as a writer and keen reader solidified her capacity as an expert in literature for children and teens. Megan has co-authored CCBC Choices, the CCBC’s annual best-of-the-year list, since 1993.
Over the years, thousands of Wisconsin librarians and teachers have benefited from Megan’s insightful recommendations of new, high-quality, and diverse titles. A well-known and respected speaker, Megan has presented at countless Wisconsin conferences for professional organizations, such as the Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association, the Wisconsin Library Association, and the Wisconsin State Reading Association. Webinars, radio shows, and in-person workshops are also venues where Megan’s book recommendations have been a valuable resource, in addition to innumerable tours and presentations given at the CCBC to preservice teachers and librarians and other UW students.
Megan’s impact has been felt beyond the borders of Wisconsin. Nationally recognized as a speaker and leader, Megan has been actively involved with the American Library Association (ALA) and the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) throughout her career. Megan served as the co-chair of the ALA/ALSC 2022 Morris Seminar, chaired the Children’s Literature Legacy Award Committee (née Wilder), served on the ALA/ALSC 2005 Newbery Award Committee, and more.
Megan Schliesman’s name is synonymous with the topic of intellectual freedom as it relates to the right to read in Wisconsin schools and libraries. Since 1978, the CCBC has provided free, confidential, and unbiased intellectual freedom information to librarians and teachers facing challenges to children’s and young adult materials around the state of Wisconsin. Megan has managed the CCBC’s Intellectual Freedom Information Service since 2002. She has been as much of a champion for strong policies and procedures as she has been a confidential consultant to professionals dealing with complicated book challenge situations. One of the most significant contributions Megan has made to the CCBC’s Intellectual Freedom Information Service is the development of the What IF… Forum. A place to ask questions before (or when) a challenge occurs, the online question-and-answer forum helps teachers, school and public librarians, and others in the library and education fields to think through what IF principles look like in practice. This free resource is emblematic of Megan’s creativity in responding to the needs of professionals in the field.
Megan’s retirement will leave a sizable hole in the heart of the CCBC staff, a small and highly collaborative unit. Megan’s talent with the written word, penchant for thoughtful documentation, sturdy leadership and reliability, research skills and resourcefulness, and passion for identifying and recommending the very best in books for children and teens will be deeply missed. In addition to being a brilliant librarian in service to the state of Wisconsin, she is a tremendous colleague and friend.
The transformative power of a book in the hands of a young reader cannot be overstated, and in her decades at the CCBC, Megan has said that nothing brings her greater joy than to assist an adult with finding a book that they are excited to share with a student or child.
To honor Megan’s career, please consider making a secure, tax-deductible donation to The Ginny Moore Kruse Intellectual Freedom Fund to help sustain the CCBC’s work in the area of Intellectual Freedom.
To share a personal note or offer best wishes, please contact CCBC Librarian Merri Lindgren at mlindgren@education.wisc.edu.
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