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com
RHONDA LESPERANCE, Secondary Teacher Librarian
Education
Texas Woman’s University, Masters in Library Science (MLS)
Dallas, Texas 2008
School for International Training, Masters in Teaching (MAT)
Brattleboro, Vermont 1996
University of South Florida, Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs
Tampa, Florida 1993
EXPERIENCE
Gulliver Prep, Miami, Floria, USA - Middle School Librarian
2019-2020
➢ Oversaw configuration of online union catalog for elementary and middle school automated
systems.
➢ Facilitated middle school advisory class.
➢ Managed middle school collection development, including, acquisition, processing, and
de-selection of materials.
➢ Participated on Information Technology and Diversity and Inclusion committees.
➢ Library initiatives and school involvement: Banned Book Week; bookfair; Get Caught Reading;
International Read Aloud; Black History Month;
Universal American School (UAS), Dubai, UAE - Secondary Librarian
2014 - 2019
➢ Integrated and taught 21st Century information and digital literacy and research skills in the
middle and high school.
➢ Drafted school library policy handbook.
➢ Incorporated library academic and social involvement in local and international school
accreditation processes.
➢ Participated on school task forces and committees.
➢ Advisor, IB Extended Essay & CAS students.
➢ Designed and launched separate study, reading, and active library environments.
➢ Created the first social media and digital library presence.
➢ Advocated for and configured a union catalog for elementary and secondary libraries.
Instagram: @uasmshslibrary
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➢ Partnered with technology, accounting, maintenance, and business departments to manage
library operations.
➢ Managed library and textbook online automated systems.
➢ Handled collection development, including cataloging, acquisitions, processing, de-selection, and
vendor relations,
➢ Made evidence-based decisions based on resource management and surveys.
➢ Established relationship with sister school librarian to share resources, professional
development, and physical space.
➢ Co-presented findings on library makerspace, ECIS International Librarian Conference, Chennai,
India and Dubai Follett Conference.
➢ Attained IBDP librarian certification.
➢ Organized and hosted guest authors.
➢ Chaperoned students to academic and literature-related competitions and events.
➢ Hired and supervised two library assistants.
➢ Library initiatives and school involvement: Banned Book Week; Reading Olympics; Get Caught
Reading; poetry slam; Read Every Day Grown & Learn reading nook; chess tournaments; Create,
Share, Innovate makerspace; movie night; book fair; yoga classes; UAE Day; library newsletter
UCSI International School, Springhill, Malaysia - All School Librarian, 2013-2014
➢ Constructed library online automated system.
➢ Managed library Collection Development, including content management, purchasing, selecting,
and de-selection of library resources.
➢ Supported teachers by co-teaching classes and embedding research in units.
➢ Supervised boarding students.
➢ Integrated research skills and information and digital literacy standards in PYP, middle school,
and DP programs.
➢ Established Silent Sustained Reading program to promote reading, and enhance academics.
➢ Attained PYP librarian certification.
➢ Library initiatives and school involvement: Get Caught Reading: Library Lock In; Candlelight
Read Aloud, Environmental Week, Silent Sustained Reading; library newsletter
American International School of Riyadh, KSA - Secondary Librarian, 2012-2013
➢ Enhanced the library and learning environment by improving access to the library collection.
➢ Taught academic research skills to IB Extended Essay classes.
➢ Team taught action research skills and cross culture experience in participation with United Arab
Emirates students.
➢ Launched digital materials as part of library collection.
➢ Managed library Collection Development, including content management, purchasing, selecting,
and de-selection of library resources.
➢ Encouraged lifelong reading and supplemented the library budget by hosting book fairs.
➢ Supervised two library assistants.
Instagram: @uasmshslibrary
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➢ Library initiatives and school involvement: Banned Book Week; Get Caught Reading; Reading
Olympics; bookfair; International Day
Rabat American School, Rabat, Morocco - Secondary Librarian Assistant, 2007-2012
➢ Team taught cross culture and technology class unit and set up Skype exchanges between
Moroccan and United States students, grades 7th -8th (Findings presented at the ECIS
conference, Hamburg, Germany.).
➢ Oversaw circulation and patron management.
➢ Assisted in collection development by de-selecting materials, indexing, and conducting
inventory.
➢ Created and ran RAS Petite Triathlon and Give Us Your Soles local charity events.
➢ Taught online citation generators and research skills. (Findings presented at the International
Association of School Librarianship, Qatar).
➢ Library initiatives and school involvement: Get Caught Reading; RAS Petite Triathlon;
Candlelight Read Aloud
COMMITTEES & LEADERSHIP
Oversee Committee, Universal American School
Curriculum Committee, Universal American School
CIS Accreditation Task Force, Universal American School
Middle School Reading Task Force, Universal American School
High School Reading Task Force, Universal American School
Technology Think Tank Task Force, Universal American School
Stipend Committee, Universal American School
Professional Development Committee, Universal American School
Silent Sustained Reading, UCSI International School
TESOL Arabia Conference Chair, Zayed University
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Co-presenter: ECIS Librarian Conference (February 2018)
Training: Follett Destiny 16.0
Conference: Near East South Asia council of Overseas Schools, Bahrain, Oman
Conference: European Conference On Environmental Literacy, Estonia
Certification: IB Librarians, Across the Continuum, Category 1-3,
aking it Happen, Instructor
Certification: IB PYP, M
Conference Presenter: International Association School Libraries
Zotero Citation Generator, Qatar
Certification: IB Diploma Program, Librarians
Conference: Jefferson Overseas Schools Technology Institute, Washington D.C.
Course: American Library Association, B ooktalking
Course: American Library Association, Fundamentals of Collection Development
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and Management
Conference: European Conference for International Schools, Istanbul
Conference Presenter: Using Wikis to Promote Cross-cultural Student Relations, Lisbon
Workshop Presenter: English as a Second Language Writing Skills, A bu Dhabi
Conference Presenter: Costa Rica Association of Teachers, T
he Participatory Approach by Paulo
Freire, San Jose
EXTRACURRICULAR INVOLVEMENT
Week Without Walls, Laos Trip Leader, UAS
Week Without Walls, F riends of the Library, UAS
Week Without Walls, Chaperone
Poetry Slam, UAS
Prom Committee, faculty sponsor, UAS
Student Government, faculty sponsor, UCSI
RAS Petite Triathlon, founder and organizer, RAS
Children's Hospital, chaperone student volunteers, RAS
Week Without Walls Chaperone, RAS
International Culture Day Organizer, Zayed University
CERTIFICATIONS, ONLINE TECHNOLOGY, AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Certifications: Google Certified Educator Level 1
Yoga Teacher
Management systems: Blackboard, Google Classroom, Follett Destiny
Teacher of Distinction: South Korea Ministry of Education
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Emirates Literature Foundation
European Council of International Schools
International Association of School Librarianship
American Library Association
REFERENCES
Natalia Walchi, Gulliver Pedagogical Coach [email protected]
Andrew Torris, UAS Director [email protected]
Pat Hould, UAS Principal [email protected]
Perry Tkachuk, UCSI, PYP Coordinator [email protected]
Instagram: @uasmshslibrary [email protected]m https://rhondalesperance.weebly.com
