CURRENT POSITION Coordinator of Library Services, Metro Nashville Public Schools DEGREE M.Ed., Administration & Supervision/Library Science, Middle Tennessee State University, 2003; Ed.S., Educational Leadership, pending May 2023 FOLLOW Twitter @LindsKimery; Instagram @LindsKimery; linkedin.com/in/lindsey-kimery Photo by Ali Miller

Tenacious Advocate

Lindsey Kimery joined Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) in the fall of 2020 and immediately began to prioritize book access during the school system’s COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. “She coordinated 130 librarians across Nashville to start a curbside checkout system,” says nominator Alyssa Littrell, MNPS district librarian. During the early stages of the pandemic, Kimery also worked with the nonprofit Book’em to arrange a book-giveaway program connected to online-learning support sessions offered by school librarians. “This not only added to students’ personal libraries, but also helped make positive connections between librarians and students at times when meaningful connections were most needed,” Littrell says.

More recently, she stepped up her advocacy efforts as the Tennessee legislature crafted bills such as the Age Appropriate Materials Act of 2022 and an Obscenity and Pornography bill, each an attack on intellectual freedom. “Lindsey rallied librarians across the district and state to speak up and speak out on behalf of those who would be affected,” says Littrell. “Her advocacy efforts paid off and the Obscenity and Pornography bill that would have charged librarians with a felony was sent to summer study, essentially killing the bill.”

“The nature of the school library profession is always evolving, and it’s been under extreme pressure over the last few years,” Kimery says. “We were thrust into virtual learning during the pandemic, which altered the way we provide access and services; we have faced more scrutiny than ever before for defending intellectual freedom and for curating collections that represent all of our students; and we continue to navigate a racial reckoning and prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in our spaces and collections.” Kimery remains focused on these goals. “She does what she knows is right despite the waves it might make,” says Littrell.

But her work is always about the students. Kimery advocates for school-library services with stakeholders such as curriculum specialists and school principals through the district newsletter, Principal Connection. She’s also designed a presentation for principals and district leadership entitled “Leveraging Your School Librarian,” detailing how librarians can be used to bolster literacy and positively impact test scores.  And her team works in partnership with the Nashville Public Library on Limitless Libraries, providing MNPS students with access to public library resources. “Overall, it’s about making sure our librarians have what they need to support students on their path to becoming lifelong readers and learners and creating equitable library services throughout our district,” says Kimery.