Suffolk County, NY –August 1, 2025 – School librarian Jacqueline Liesch at Meadowview Elementary School in Eau Claire, Wisconsin has been designated a "Certified Sustainable School Librarian" through the Sustainable Libraries Initiative's award-winning Sustainable Library Certification Program (SLCP).
Jacqueline Liesch exemplifies school library leadership in her work to bring a thorough understanding of socially, financially, and environmentally sustainable practices to her students through interactive programming and thoughtful lesson planning.
Jacqueline inspires empathy and compassion in her students by incorporating immersive educational experiences on human differences into her library. Meadowview Elementary students have the ability to give back to the local community through a knitting club, and the opportunity to communicate with students in Nicaragua through videoconferencing to gain new perspectives.
"This program provided a truly enriching experience, allowing me to approach the planning of the library program in a comprehensive and thoughtful manner. By considering all aspects of sustainability-environmental, economic, and social-I was able to develop a well-rounded perspective on how to create a program that is both effective and enduring," said Jacqueline. "The structured outline was particularly valuable, as it helped illuminate the interconnected components of sustainable planning, showing how each element contributes to the overall success of the initiative."
Ensuring access to materials on the topic of sustainability, Jacqueline organized a Destiny collection focused on the environment and built a website for digital connection to resources. Further improving the accessibility of her library, Jacqueline genrefied her collection and incorporated student learning into every step. Evaluations of student understanding on genre content were taken before and after the process: scores improved across the board.
Jacqueline is the first librarian in Wisconsin to complete the Sustainable Library Certification Program: an award-winning benchmarking system designed to provide public libraries, academic libraries, library systems, and school librarians with exclusive resources and guidelines to shift towards a cleaner, greener, and more equitable future.
"Jacqueline Liesch has transformed Meadowview Elementary's library program through her dedication to sustainable practices and environmental stewardship," said Jacqueline's mentor and fellow certified school librarian Anne-Marie Kalin. "Her expertise and passion have created an exemplary model for green library initiatives, earning her well-deserved recognition as a certified sustainable librarian. Eau Claire is fortunate to have such an innovative educational leader!"
Therapy dogs, planting AeroGarden seedpods, and participating in Heifer International's Read to Feed program are on the drawing board for the sustainable future of Jacqueline's library. "This experience not only strengthened my understanding of sustainability but also deepened my commitment to integrating these principles into my professional work. Overall, this opportunity was an inspiring and insightful journey that has equipped me with valuable skills and perspectives for future endeavors," added Jacqueline.
For more information, please view Jacqueline's final presentation here or reach out to SLI staff by emailing sliadmin@suffolknet.org.