About Sherry

At an early age, Sherry knew what she wanted to do. In fourth grade, she declared to the world via an article in her hometown newspaper that she wanted to be a librarian.  She loved to read, and so, she was certain that she would make a great librarian.

Sherry holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Baylor University, where she majored in English (emphasis on British Literature) and minored in history.  Sherry then moved to the frigid north, where she completed her Masters Degree in Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. While her degree was in general librarianship, Sherry gravitated towards the children’s and young adult literature classes, which piqued her interest in helping children learn to love reading as much as she did growing up. Her interest in technology had its roots there as well, as she worked at the help desk for the school.

One winter in Illinois was enough, and after Sherry graduated from library school, she moved back to Waco, where she began work as a Library/Media Specialist at ESC Region 12.  The library program in Region 12 was young, and Sherry enjoyed developing workshops and trainings on integrating technology into the classroom, as well as various library topics. One of the highlights of the year was the annual Library Jubilee, an annual one-day mini-conference with a fun theme, lots of authors, and lots of opportunities for librarians to connect with each other.  The role of librarian can be a lonely one, and librarians are often the only person on their campus who knows what they do.  Sherry believes that the librarian has the power to impact the entire school by creating a library that can and should be the information and technology hub of the school. Being a librarian is about more than putting books on shelves.  It’s about putting people in touch with the information they need, when they need it and in the right format.  Whether the information is print or digital, Sherry enjoys bringing order to the chaos of information.

Over the course of the next five years, Sherry developed her position at ESC Region 12 to include a strong instructional technology component.  As interactive whiteboards, iPads, Chromebooks, and BYOD flooded the classrooms, Sherry rediscovered not only an affinity, but an aptitude for technology.  A SMART and Promethean Certified Trainer, she loves learning about the latest trends and tools, but she also loves being able to share those things in a way that digital immigrants can understand.  Sherry is passionate about helping teachers integrate technology seamlessly and painlessly into their classrooms and patiently helping them arrive at that “aha” moment where it all just makes sense. 

Sherry is equally passionate about the written word.  She admires the beauty of a well-crafted sentence, and enjoys helping others achieve that beauty while communicating their message.  Throughout college, Sherry edited for friends and family, and soon began to develop a reputation for her verbal skills.  From a dissertation to a website, Sherry has helped make ideas more clear and concise for clients in a variety of fields.  She has written two published articles, bios for professionals in the music and education industries, and a radio script for Focus on the Family’s radio drama, Adventures in Odyssey.

Publications

“The Modern Librarian: Bringing Order to the Digital Chaos.” Tech Edge Feb. 2013: 10-11.  http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/TEAQ0113/index.php?startid=10

“Baylor Students Driven to Compete in Space Race” Baylor Lariat 15 Feb 2006. http://www.baylor.edu/lariatarchives/news.php?action=story&story=38992

Certifications