About me

I became a school librarian in 1991 and finally retired from education in August of 2022. I won't tell you how long I taught because that would give away my age. I worked at the elementary level for 12 years. I loved working with the little ones and telling stories, using puppets, singing songs, and getting the kids excited about books. However, there comes a time when we need to change to grow. From 2003 until I retired, I worked with students at the middle and high level.

In 2006, I was hired to create the library at Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technology Academy in Avondale, LA, a suburb of New Orleans. Taylor serves about 800 students in grades 6th - 12th. The school is part of the Jefferson Parish school system and one of the only STEM schools in the district. In 2010 and 2019 Patrick Taylor was given the title of Blue Ribbon school by the US Department of Education. Louisiana has continued to rate the school an A. The school has continued to rank in the top three in the state and top two in the district over the last several years .

While at Taylor, I have won three separate grants from the Laura Bush foundation to stock the shelves with quality material. I also received a Beyond Words grant from Dollar General and the American Association of School Librarians. In 2007, I won a visit with author, Tiffany Trent, in a contest sponsored by The Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of  the American Library Association. Also, the Young Adult Library Services Association selected Bookmarked, my high school library book group, to participate in the YA Galley program for 2010-2012 and 2013-2014. In March of 2011, the Louisiana Association of School Librarians named me the School Library Media Specialist of the year. In October of 2011, I received, along with English teacher Lisa Valence, the Gale TEAMS Award for Middle School. I was named the Region I Educator of the Year by the Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators (LACUE) in November 2011. In June of 2012, I received the Information Technology Pathfinder Award from the American Association of School Librarian (AASL), a division of American Library Association. In June of 2013, along with English teacher Lisa Valence, I received the Technology Innovation Award from the Special Interest Group Media Specialists (SIGMS) of the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE). I was named a 2014 Fund For Teachers' Fellow along with four teachers from Patrick Taylor Academy as members of a team. In the fall of 2014, I became an ambassador for Infogr.am. I received a University of Chicago Outstanding Educator Award in 2014.  I was named a 2016 Local PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovator for Louisiana. In March of 2018, I won the James O. Modisette Middle/High Award for excellence in library programs from the Louisiana Library Association. I was named an ambassador for Wakelet in June 2020. I was on the AASL Best Digital Tools Committee from 2020 to 2022 and was on the AASL Best Website Committee for two years before that. In May of 2022, I was named a Coca Cola Distinguished Educator and was selected for this award by a student. For 2022-23, I am chair of the AASL Frances Henne Award Committee. Since January 2012, I have been reviewing books, apps and digital resources for both School Library Connection and School Library Journal. I have served on the Louisiana Teen Reader's Choice committee with the Louisiana State Library from 2015 to 2022. I am a long time member of many professional organizations including: LASL, LLA, YALSA, AASL, and ALA and at various times have been a member of LACUE and ISTE. 

I am passionate about reading young adult literature, and I loved working in a school library. 

Links to content written by me or about me:

Organize Success Podcast: Elizabeth Kahn and Success in Preserving History by Tina Schneider Livebinders Blog June 10, 2020

Livebinder Podcast Interview about Ninth Ward Project from March 12, 2020

School Librarian Blog Reviews by Tom McNicholas Learning in the 21st Century with Tom May 31, 2018

10 Best Tools for a 5 minute Formative Assessment by Elizabeth Kahn WhooosReading the Blog September 15, 2017
7 Online Tools to Make Custom Learning Games by Elizabeth Kahn WhooosReading the Blog March  21, 2017
10 News Sites to Find Paperless Current Events by Elizabeth Kahn WhooosReading the Blog September 6, 2016
Top 4 Content Curation Websites for Lesson Resources by Elizabeth Kahn WhooosReading the Blog March 7, 2016
7 Fun (And Effective!) Reading Websites That Engage Students by Elizabeth Kahn Learn2Earn The Blog January 8, 2016
Thinking Outside the (Search) Box – Part 2 by Amy Gillespie Knowledge Quest September 10, 2015
Advocacy Success Stories: Grassroots Advocacy by Elizabeth Kahn AASL Toolkit for Promoting School Library Programs June 25, 2015
LGBTQ and College Bound by Lauren Barack. www.SLJ.com June 3, 2015
Using Infogram in the Classroom, Infogram Blog, February 11. 2015
Web 2.0 How-to for Educators by Gwen Solomon and Lynne Schrum 2014
Tips for Creating a Mock BOB, SLJ's Battle of the Kids Books, February 12, 2014

Librarian/Teacher Projects on New Orleans' Ninth Ward, Energy Conservation Honored at ISTE, The Digital Shift from School Library Journal, June 26, 2013

EBSCO Awards Seven Librarians Scholarships to Attend 2013 ALA Annual Meeting, American Libraries, April 2, 2013

SLJTeen Talks to James Patterson, by Elizabeth Kahn, SLJTeen, February 6, 2013

Tech-Savvy School Librarians Empower their Students by Steve Zalusky, atyourlibrary.org, June 13, 2012

Tech-Savvy School Librarians win AASL's Pathfinder Award, School Library Journal Extra Helping, May 15, 2012
Collaboration is the Key to Successful Research, by Elizabeth Kahn and Lisa Valence Library Media Connection, March/April 2012
What Middle School Students are Reading, by Elizabeth Kahn SLJ Extra Helping, December 20, 2011
AASL Member Spotlight, Hotlinks, Vol. 10, Issue 9, December 2011

Presentations:

Annapolis Book Festival 2021

April 25, 2021

Moderated panel with author Kelly Yang, who wrote Parachutes

(recording available until October 2021)
Louisiana Library Association 2019
March 14, 2019 Baton Rouge, LA
“You, too, can run a tween/teen book group” 
"So, I am school librarian, now what?"
Louisiana Library Association 2018
March 8, 2018 Alexandria, LA
"Tech Tools for Quick Formative Assessment"

LASL Summit 2018, Baton Rouge, LA
"It's Time for Book Group"
Louisiana Library Association 2017
March 8, 2017 Lafayette
"Research Process: Directing and Managing Student Work in Middle and High School"
SLJ Teen Live 2016
August 10, 2016, Online Conference
"College and Career Readiness for the Underserved"
Louisiana Library Association 2016
March 9, 2016, Baton Rouge, LA
"Have you Made the Digital Shift?"
Archbishop Shaw High School Faculty PD
October 19, 2015 Marrero, LA
"Research Process: Directing and Managing Student Work"
LASL Fall Summit 2015, Lafayette, LA
LACUE 2015

"Where Reading and the Web Collide"

Open here for link to Symbaloo with resources

Louisiana Library Association 2014
March 28, 2014, Lafayette, LA
"Be Armed and Ready for the Next Evolution in Educational Technology "
(I will modify LACUE 2013 presentation and present it alone)
Open here for link to wiki with resources
LACUE 2013

December 3, 2013, New Orleans, LA

"Be Armed and Ready for the Next Evolution in Educational Technology "

with Kelly Maher, Technology Lead Teacher

Open here for link to wiki with resources

Open here for my blog post with video from presentation

Catholic Library Association                                                                                                     
"Become a 21st Century School Librarian by Harnessing the Internet"
April 2, 2013, Houston, TX
Open here for link to wiki with resources
Open here for the Prezi that I used during the presentation

Louisiana Library Association 2013
"Become a 21st Century School Librarian: Learn How to Harness Digital Resources"
March 7, 2013, Baton Rouge, LA

Open here for link to wiki with resources
Open here for blog post about presentation

LaLAMP Keynote Speech 2012
"define:Collaboration"
with Lisa Valence, ELA teacher
September 10 in New Orleans
September 11 in Baton Rouge
September 12 in Rayne
September 13 in Ruston
Open here for link to blog post, find audio of speech at end of post
Open here for link to wiki with resources
Louisiana Association of School Librarians Mid-Winter 2012
March 2012, Alexandria, LA
"Collaboration is the Key to Successful Research"
with Lisa Valence, ELA teacher
LACUE 2011
"Preparing Students for the Future"
with Kelly Maher, Technology Lead Teacher and Lisa Valence, ELA teacher
November 2011
Open here for link to wiki with resources