Mona Kerby ’80, ’84

Educating others is at the core of Mona Kerby’s life and career. Kerby’s own educational background includes elementary education, counseling education and library science, which she holds two degrees in from Texas Woman’s University. She received her Masters in Library Science in 1980, followed by her Ph.D. in Library Science from TWU in 1984. Kerby’s career began as a Kindergarten Teacher with the Arlington, Texas School District and transitioned into instruction in higher education, teaching others to become teachers. Now, she currently resides at McDaniel College in Maryland as the L. Stanley Bowlsbey Endowed Chair Professor of Graduate and Professional Studies, coordinating the graduate program in school librarianships as well as graduate certificate programs in technology and writing for children and young adults. Her dedication to educating others is not only classroom bound, but she also is an award-winning author of 15 books ranging in genre from fiction and non-fiction to picture books.

For her dedication to education and the library profession, Kerby recently received the 2020 American Association of School Librarians’ Distinguished Service Award, which is recognition of a library professional who has, over a significant period of time, made an outstanding national contribution to school librarianship and school library development.

Why did you come to TWU? I interviewed at TWU and UNT. I liked the friendly professors and lovely campus at TWU. Of the four colleges I attended, TWU was my favorite. It just makes me proud to be a Texas woman.

What is your favorite TWU memory? The summer heat, perhaps, and the joy of finding a bit of shade on the sidewalk or under a tree. Or, it could be when I was a girl and my grandmother hired a TWU student to take us swimming at the pool.

Who at TWU inspired you and how was that person inspirational? I loved Dr. Nicosia, Dr. Kunkle, Dr. Swigger, Dr. Schlessinger, and Dr. Ana Cleveland. Dr. Nicosia helped me to become a better writer because he returned my master’s professional paper. At the time, I cried, but I learned how to write. Because of his caring, I’ve gone on to publish 15 books.

What do you enjoy about your current position/profession? I love online teaching and writing books and articles. Online teaching means I can teach students from all over the state of Maryland. Writing books and articles allows me to help learners all over the world.

How do you see your profession changing in the next 5 or 10 years? Digital access to learning is going to revolutionize our schools. I’m not exactly certain what school libraries will look like.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? In my free time, I still love reading and movies. I love walks. I love our two dogs. My husband and I love to travel and hope to resume when the world returns to normal.

Page last updated 1:22 PM, July 26, 2022