Huntsville City Schools (HCS) is celebrating a historic achievement as two of its exceptional library media specialists, Dr. Cherryl Phillips-Walker and Mrs. Julia Morrobel, have been honored with the prestigious Herman Moore LAMP Award of Exceptional Service. The award is presented annually by the Alabama Library Expo and recognizes library media specialists who go above and beyond to provide outstanding service to their students, schools, and communities.
In a phenomenal showing for HCS, these library media specialists secured two out of the four total awards granted across northern Alabama. The well-deserved recognition shines a brilliant spotlight on the fact that Huntsville City Schools' libraries are thriving and delivering exceptional support to their students.
Dr. Cherryl Phillips-Walker, the dedicated Library Media Specialist at Williams Middle School, brings over 30 years of immense experience and academic passion to her role with the support of Principal Alphus Shipman. Deeply committed to collaborating and supporting teachers, she recently earned her Doctorate in Rural Education specializing in Library Media and focusing her research on Communities of Practice and Influencing Teacher-Librarian Collaboration. Dr. Phillips-Walker is beginning to channel this advanced research straight back into the library and school community, cultivating a rich, collaborative learning system where every student can thrive.
Mrs. Julia Morrobel, the driven and committed Library Media Specialist at New Century Technology High School, brings over 20 years of experience in library services and continues to be a driving force for literacy and educational technology. Her leadership extends far beyond her own campus, where she also serves as the on the Executive Board and as President-Elect for the Alabama School Library Association (ASLA). As part of her work with ASLA Mrs. Morrobel has been helping to shape the future of school libraries statewide. Mrs. Morrobel's innovation in the library media center empowers students daily to explore new tools and academic pathways.
The Huntsville Community is incredibly proud of these two remarkable women. Their awards are a powerful reminder of how vital passionate library media specialists are to overall student success and literacy development.