Nancy Napolillo has served as technology coordinator of Monongalia County Schools for more than 15 years. Under her direction, every classroom in Monongalia County has been wired for Internet access. Teachers have been trained to use new technologies Smartboards, document cameras, and virtual field trips have become the norm rather than the exception. Parents and students are able to track students' progress online with EdLine. Our technology is supported by a cadre of well-qualified technicians. We teachers, parents and students owe much of our progress in terms of technology integration to Nancy Napolillo's vision.
Nowhere has Mrs. Napolillo's influence been greater than in our school library media centers. Though not a school librarian by training, Mrs. Napolillo educated herself on library issues and served as a supportive supervisor for many years. Under her direction, all libraries in Monongalia County became automated with stand-alone, school-based library catalog and circulation systems. In 2006 the entire county upgraded to a district wide system that facilitates interlibrary loan and social interactions for patrons. Mrs. Napolillo made sure that the costs of maintaining these expensive systems did not impinge upon our libraries materials allotment.
In addition to moving our libraries into the 21st century in terms of software and hardware, Mrs. Napolillo ensured we had high quality resources for our students to use. World Book Online, several Ebsco databases, and Discovery Streaming have been provided for all Monongalia County libraries. This provision ensures that our students have access to new, up-to-date reference books, high quality, full-text periodicals, and multimedia. Again, this was provided without dipping into our libraries' materials budget.
Mrs. Napolillo is leaving her position as Director of Technology and Secondary Education to take a principal position at MTEC. We library media specialists wish her the very best, but we will greatly miss her support to which we have become accustomed.
