Hello from Hassenfeld!

Mary Buxton, Library Director
by Mary Buxton, library director

As your new Library Director, it’s high time I offer an official HELLO and WELCOME!
Being new to USN is a true joy, each day filled with wonderful surprises that fill me with awe and humility.   The best part of every day is that spent with students: in the library, in classes, in the hallways, at Town Hall Meetings or Assemblies.  Of course, being surrounded and supported by the adults at USN far exceeds anything I could have imagined.  I couldn’t have asked for more or been more excited to begin the school year.
 
Before USN, I spent almost a dozen years as the Librarian at The Academy of Notre Dame, a 6-12 independent school in Villanova, PA, creating a library program that evolved from the old paper card catalog to a 24/7 digital and physical library.  Digital and print resources achieved a compatible balance while the importance of face-to-face teaching increased in importance as the amount and complexity of available information grew exponentially. 
 
For several years prior to that, I led development and admission programs for both independent schools and law schools, while teaching information literacy and writing both on-line and face-to-face.  I even practiced law for a few years and learned how much I needed to be with kids!
 
While my daughter thought going to college would mean being far, far away, it turns out that she is a freshman at Belmont, barely a mile down the street.  With time has come the realization that it really is nice to have dinner at home once in a while and that having one familiar face in Nashville wasn’t a bad thing at all.
 
As I begin to settle into the Library, I am continuously reminded of the strength and depth of the Library Staff.  Kate Pritchard is in her second year as our K-12 Instructional Librarian.  With a Master’s in Library Science and Teaching Certificate from Simmons College, she brings seven years of combined experience in Reference and Young Adult Library Service and experience as an Associate Editor for BookPage, responsible for nonfiction and children’s books.  A large portion of her responsibilities here at USN includes reaching out to all grades to provide customized book talks and to collaborate with subject teachers in the middle and high school to teach research skills.  In addition she is continually enhancing the library’s collection and creating new initiatives to work with our teachers and students. 
 
Dawn Maharaj is in her third year as our K-4 Teacher Librarian.  Many of you will remember that she was a first and second grade teacher here for the two years prior to her joining the Library.  Prior to USN, she taught at the elementary and sixth grade level for nine years.  Dawn holds the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification; Elementary Education certification in TN; a Master’s of Science in Elementary Education from Nova Southeastern University, and is enrolled in the doctoral program at Northeastern University for Curricular Leadership while also pursuing her Master’s of Science in Library and Information Science from Drexel University.  As our K-4 Teacher Librarian, Dawn teaches Library Skills and the love of literature to every Lower School class on a weekly basis.  She also continually enhances the Lower School library collection and continues to create meaningful and appropriate collaborations with the Lower School teachers.
 
Linda Schneider is in her fourth year as our Library Assistant, bringing fifteen years of library experience to USN.  Linda not only supervises the library throughout the day--which is no easy task--but also provides invaluable support behind the scenes.  This includes cataloging and processing library materials, managing special projects, assisting students from all grades with circulation needs and inquiries, and assisting parents and faculty throughout the day. 
 
As you can see, the Library is in good hands, all of us eager to expand and enhance our existing program.  In future newsletters I will highlight not only our print and digital collection but also our programming, from instruction to author visits to literature displays to creating opportunities for all our students to experience literature.  Please stop in anytime, browse through our book displays and our collection, and remember that you are always invited to check out books too.  We’d love to welcome you.
 
 
 
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Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212

Phone:  615-321-8000
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USN Mission: 
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.