Press Contact: Guy Lamolinara (202) 707-9217
Public Contact: Susan Veccia (202) 707-6151

May 28, 1998

Library of Congress Names American Memory Fellows
50 Educators To Participate in National Digital Library Educators Institute

The National Digital Library Program of the Library of Congress has announced the selection of 50 educators to participate in the 1998 American Memory Fellows Program. The program is an opportunity for teams of outstanding middle and high school humanities teachers and library/media specialists to improve the teaching of American history and culture in their schools by using digitized primary sources from the Library.

"This is an important and exciting opportunity for the Library to share its valuable historical primary-source materials and to become partners with educators to bring this material to schools across the nation," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. "The Library looks forward to working with these 50 Fellows and building on the success of last year's Educators Institute.

The American Memory Fellows will gather in Washington for a National Digital Library Educators Institute from July 26 to July 31. Fellows will learn about the Library of Congress's digitized American Memory collections of photographs, documents, maps, sound recordings and motion pictures available at www.loc.gov/. During the Educators Institute, the Fellows will share in a professional development experience that will shape the way the Library's unique American Memory collections are used in schools across the country.

The 1998 Fellows join 50 graduates of the 1997 Educators Institute. Like their predecessors, the 1998 Fellows will create teaching units based on the American Memory collections. Then, in school year 1998-1999, Fellows will test their teaching units in the classroom, and will revise them for eventual dissemination to the education community through both the Library's World Wide Web site and at professional education forums nationwide. Interactive teaching unit ideas proposed by the selected American Memory Fellows include projects on the New Deal and the Depression, African American history, "period" newspapers, and a videodocumentary of New York City as well as interdisciplinary projects on local history, immigration and childhood.

Last year's American Memory Fellows found the Institute meaningful to their teaching and their professional growth. William Fernekes, a social studies supervisor from New Jersey said, "In my 23-plus years in the field, I would rate this Institute at the very top in terms of daily quality and long-term potential for educational change." Participant Michael Federspiel of H.H. Dow High School in Midland, Mich., explained that the Institute and the American Memory collections "have made history come alive for my students, and have allowed them to be 'historians' working with legitimate primary documents."

Twenty-five, two-person American Memory Fellows teams, selected by an independent review panel from 159 teams of applicants, comprise teachers, librarians, curriculum coordinators, media specialists and other educational professionals from across the nation. The American Memory Fellows are frequent users of technology in the classroom, and they are experienced using primary sources to motivate students, promote critical thinking, and help students connect history to their own lives. Each Fellow is an active leader in the field of education and has the ability to disseminate his or her expertise to educators in their region.

As part of their participation, American Memory Fellows will also cooperate throughout the school year in an on-line National Digital Library Teacher Network. Through this forum, they will exchange ideas and learn from each other through organized on-line discussion groups.

The American Memory Fellows Program is part of the National Digital Library Program, which aims to digitize millions of American history items from the Library of Congress collections by the year 2000. Hundreds of thousands of items are already available online. The 1998 National Digital Library Educators Institute is made possible by a grant from an anonymous donor, who is helping the Library reach out to the education community.

1998 American Memory Fellows

MID-ATLANTIC

Team 1

Alison Cole Westfall, Teacher
St. Peter's School
422 3rd St. S.E.
Washington, DC 20003

Laura Mitchell, Historian
National Museum of American History
12th & Constitution Ave N.W.
Washington, DC 20560

Team 2

Byron Stoloff, Social Studies Teacher
Edison/Fareira High School
151 West Luzane St.
Philadelphia, PA 19140

Evelyn Bender, Library Media Specialist
Edison/Fareira High School
151 West Luzane St.
Philadelphia, PA 19140

Team 3

Joyce Kasman Valenza
Library Information Specialist
Wissahickon High School
521 Houston Rd.
Ambler, PA 19002

Carl Atkinson, Social Studies Teacher
Wissahickon High School
521 Houston Rd.
Ambler, PA 19002

Team 4

Kathryn Lee, Media Production Teacher
Eastern Middle School
300 University Blvd. East
Silver Spring, MD 20901

Brad Goldberg, World Studies Teacher
Eastern Middle School
300 University Blvd. East
Silver Spring, MD 20901

MIDWEST

Team 5
v Bev Bertolone, Social Studies Chair
Blue Valley High School
6001 W. 159th St.
Stilwell, KS 66085

Ken Stewart, Library Media Specialist
Blue Valley High School
6001 W. 159th St.
Stilwell, KS 66085

Team 6

Sybil Connolly, Library Media Specialist
Kenneth Cooper Middle School
8001 River Bend Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73132

Kelly Ann Middendorf, History Teacher
Kenneth Cooper Middle School
8001 River Bend Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73132

Team 7

Carol Kohnen, Librarian
St. Joseph's Academy
2307 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63131

Jane Garvin, Social Studies Chair

St. Joesph's Academy
2307 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63131

Team 8

Kelly Loomis, Language Arts Teacher
Parchment Middle School
307 N. Riverview Dr.
Kalamazoo, MI 49004

Martha W. King
Library Media Specialist
Parchment Middle School
307 N. Riverview Dr.
Kalamazoo, MI 49004

WEST

Team 9

Judy Drummond, Teacher
Horace Mann Academic Middle School
3351 23rd St.
San Francisco, CA 94110

Cathy Johnson, Librarian
Horace Mann Academic Middle School
3351 23rd St.
San Francisco, CA 94110

Team 10

Deborah Dent-Samake, History Teacher
Urban School of San Francisco
1563 Page St.
San Francisco, CA 94117

Carolyn Karis, Library Media Specialist
Urban School of San Francisco
1563 Page St.
San Francisco, CA 94117

Team 11

Melody Pinkston
Library Media Specialist
Fourth Avenue Junior High School
450 S. 4th Ave.
Yuma, AZ 85364

Michael Foree, 6th Grade Teacher
Carver Elementary School
1341 W. 5th St.
Yuma, AZ 85364

Team 12

Marilyn Cordova Swan, Librarian
Iver C. Ranum High School
2401 W. 88th Ave.
Denver, CO 80221

Elaine Kohler, Librarian
Iver C. Ranum High School
2401 W. 88th Ave.
Denver, CO 80221

Team 13

Christopher Langley, Teacher
Lo-Inyo School
P.O. Box 159
Lone Pine, CA 93545

Sandra Langley, Teacher
Lo-Inyo School
P.O. Box 159
Lone Pine, CA 93545

Team 14

Mel Sanchez, Teacher
Santa Ana High School
520 W. Walnut St.
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Marilyn Frenz, Library Media Specialist
Santa Ana High School
520 W. Walnut St.
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Team 15

Debbie Abilock, Librarian
The Nueva School
6565 Skyline Blvd.
Hillsborough, CA 94010

Cynthia Kosut, Humanities Teacher
The Nueva School
6565 Skyline Blvd.
Hillsborough, CA 94010

NORTHEAST

Team 16

Arnold Pulda, Teacher
Doherty High School
299 Highland St.
Worcester, MA 01602

Howard Lurie, Technology Coordinator
Mr. Greylark Regional High School
1781 Cold Spring Rd.
Williamstown, MA 01267

NORTHWEST

Team 17

Barbara Olic-Hamilton
Language Arts Chair
Boise High School
1010 W. Washington St.
Boise, ID 83702

Elizabeth Horn, Media Specialist
Boise High School
1010 W. Washington St.
Boise, ID 83702

Team 18

Nicolet Whearty
Library Media Specialist
Helena High School
1300 Billings Ave.
Helena, MT 59601

Kathleen Prody, English/Speech Teacher
Helena High School
1300 Billings Ave.
Helena, MT 59601

Team 19

Marta Brooks, Teacher
St. Ignatius High School
P.O. Box 400
St. Ignatius, MT 59865

Jodi Bunnell, Archivist
University of Montana
Univ. Mt. Library Archive
Missoula, MT 59812

Team 20

Janet Martin, English Teacher
Grant High School
2245 N.E. 36th Ave.
Portland, OR 97212

Kris Demien,English Teacher
Marshall High School
3905 S.E. 91st Ave.
Portland, OR 97266

SOUTHEAST

Team 21

Elizabeth Ridgway
American Studies Teacher
Williamsburg Middle School
3600 N. Harrison St.
Arlington, VA 22207

Amy Donnelly
Instructional Technology Coordinator
Arlington County Public Schools
3600 N. Harrison St.
Arlington, VA 22207

Team 22

Charlotte Bruce, Head Librarian
McLean High School
1633 Davidson Road
McLean, VA 22101

Helen Stephan
History Department Chair
McLean High School
1633 Davidson Rd.
McLean, VA 22101

Team 23

Laura McCall-Drury, Spanish/World Civilization Teacher
Burgin Independent School
P.O. Box B
Burgin, KY 40310

Lydia DiMartino
School Media Specialist
Burgin Independent School
P.O. Box B
Burgin, KY 40310

Team 24

Scott Culclasure
International Baccalaureate Coordinator
High Point High School
801 Ferndale Blvd.
High Point, NC 27262

Pat Adams-Caskie, Media Specialist
High Point High School
801 Ferndale Blvd.
High Point, NC 27262

SOUTH

Team 25

Neal Gibson, Humanities Teacher
Arkansas School for Mathematics and Science
200 Whittington Ave.
Hot Springs, AK 71901

George West, Humanities Teacher
Arkansas School for Mathematics and Science
200 Whittington Ave.
Hot Springs, AK 71901

# # #

PR 98-086
5/28/98
ISSN 0731-3527

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