About

I have over 25 years of experience supporting children, families, caregivers, educators, and librarians and my professional interests include early childhood programs and services, parent and caregiver education, staff development and training, early literacy, and storytime.

I’m a founding member of Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy, an advisory group to the Colorado State Library that supports training and advocacy efforts around early literacy issues in public libraries. While on the CLEL Steering Committee, I contributed to two LSTA grants to provide training to small and rural libraries and to develop the Storyblocks video project. Also through CLEL, I was one of two public library advisors to the Early Childhood Librarian Fellowship program at the University of Denver, where as an adjunct I co-taught the course Early Childhood Materials and Services.

With Carol Edwards, I created the CLEL Bell Awards for Early Literacy, which showcases picture books that support early literacy development in young children and recently celebrated their 10th year.

For ALSC, I’ve had the opportunity to serve on the Every Child Ready to Read Oversight Committee, the Children and Technology Committee, and the 2021 Caldecott. Earlier in my career, I mentored and collaborated with children’s librarians via my blog Mel’s Desk, where I wrote about early literacy skills, practices, and storytimes. Mel’s Desk was most active between 2009-2014, updated intermittently from 2014-2020, and since 2020 has been dormant but accessible as a reference.

In 2013 I was named one of Library Journal’s Mover & Shakers for my work guiding the team behind the Flannel Friday online children’s librarian community.

I offer workshops, webinars, and trainings outside my library as time allows, and present at conferences nationally on storytime topics.