Librarian earns national recognition
Children around Butler County may recognize the face of educator Tiffany Harkleroad, no matter what school district they attend.
Harkleroad is the youth services librarian at the Butler Area Public Library, and even if a child couldn't make it to her regular reading sessions in person, they could watch an adapted version of her storytimes online.
“On March 14, (2020) we got a stay at home order, and on March 17, I started doing storytimes in my attic,” Harkleroad said. “We were away for about eight weeks, and I really had little to no face-to-face interaction with these kids I watched grow up. I needed to do something.”
People across the country may soon start to recognize Harkleroad, because she has been recognized by PBS as an early learning champion for her innovation in children's education through the library. She is the first librarian to be awarded by the program since its inception in 2018.
Liz Kostandinu, manager of the Inquire Within project at WQED, nominated Harkleroad for the award after collaborating with her for more than four years. She said she chose Harkleroad because of her enthusiasm for working with children, and her innovative teaching methods that moved her programs and ideas online during the coronavirus pandemic.
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