ConVal high school librarian named state's best

Caitlin Howard, The Keene Sentinel, N.H.
·3 min read

Jun. 23—Rachael Bowman is no stranger to libraries.As a student at the University of New Hampshire in the early 1990s, Bowman worked in the college's library and tech services. She then went on to work as an administrative assistant at the Yale Library.

"I always had a fondness for libraries," said Bowman, who works as a librarian at ConVal Regional High School in Peterborough.

Bowman also has her master's in education and library media from Plymouth State University, but this was not her first introduction to the world of books. Her father is an antique bookseller, which she said started an early passion for books.

For her work at ConVal's school library, Bowman was named the 2022 School Librarian of the Year from the New Hampshire School Library Media Association (NHSLMA). She was recognized at the New Hampshire Excellence in Education Awards — known as the EDies — on June 4 in Concord, according to a news release from the ConVal School District.

Although the award was an individual honor, Bowman said it recognizes a group effort from the entire Library, Integration and Technology Services (LITS) team at ConVal.

"I feel like it's a team honor and it's a district honor, because I don't think I would be in this position if I didn't have as supportive of a district and building administration," Bowman said in an interview Tuesday.

Bowman started working at ConVal in 2015, but her connections in the district go back further. She, and her husband, Eric Bowman— who is a social studies teacher there — are alumni of ConVal. Their two children have also graduated from there.

"We're pretty invested in the school," she said with a laugh.

When Bowman and Jones took over the school's library in 2015, their first school year working together, they set out to "reimagine" the space and the library's role within the school, she said.

They opened up the library, switching to smaller, mobile bookshelves that allow for the layout to be changed as needed, Bowman said. Additionally, the library worked to be more adaptable to suit different needs, including providing research and curriculum help for staff and students, as well as a place anyone can stop in and ask questions.

The main goal was "making the space very welcoming and open to staff and students," Bowman said.

Additionally, the school transitioned to a one-to-one Chromebook system for students early into her time at ConVal. In place of computer labs — which previously provided the school's only computer access — each student gets a Chromebook every year to use both in and outside of school for assignments.

The library was involved in this process, "helping to manage and support students with [the Chromebooks], as well as teachers working with blended learning, both online and using them in school as well," Bowman said.

These achievements are among those that earned Bowman the top honor from NHSLMA, an organization that supports librarians statewide and their library programs, according to their website.

Recipients of School Librarian of the Year are those who have "made a significant statewide impact on the library/media profession or on the library/media services provided to our school communities," according to the NHSLMA website. The winner must be a previous recipient of a NHSLMA award; ConVal was awarded the Outstanding Library Program honor in 2019.

The School Librarian of the Year award is nominated and selected solely by the NHSLMA board, Bowman said.

The news release noted Bowman is "a leader both at the ConVal High School library and in the school library community, working directly with her colleagues to physically and culturally transform ConVal High School's library."

Caitlin Howard can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1441, or choward@keenesentinel.com.