Leestown Library Celebrates 2 State Honorees

The Kentucky Association of School Librarians (KASL) is honoring two staffers from Leestown Middle School. Claudett Edie is the 2025 Outstanding School Media Librarian for the state, and paraeducator Janet Connors will receive the Service Award for Library Clerk. The awards banquet is July 14 in Louisville. 

Edie, who is also a project-based learning coach, has served Leestown for nine years. “My favorite part of being Leestown’s librarian is creating a bookstore-like experience through passive and interactive learning stations that ignite curiosity,” she said. “This curiosity is a driving force behind our work, as it leads students to gravitate toward a new hands-on display or ask questions about something they’re encountering for the first time. These moments not only build school community, inspire impromptu book talks, and bond us through shared discoveries, but also foster a love for learning.”

Edie says watching a student fall in love with a book she recently added to the collection is equally rewarding. “I also enjoy collaborating with teachers to create experiences that engage and challenge every learner,” she said. 

Connors has served Leestown for six years as a para and part-time library clerk. She likes working with Edie on the rotating displays and signage to create engaging and appealing experiences for classes. She also loves interacting with students in all grades on a daily basis. 

“I love seeing their excitement when they talk about books that they love,” Connors said. “It’s especially rewarding when I make a connection with a student through a book or series that we both have read and enjoyed.”