Melissa Corey Books for Every Student | 2023 School Librarian of the Year Finalist

Building access and equity into her collection and programming has become Melissa Corey’s mission as media specialist at Robidoux Middle School in St. Joseph, MO.

Melissa Corey Library Media Specialist, Robidoux Middle School, St. Joseph, MO Photos by Ashley Coats/St. Joseph School District

For many of the students at Robidoux Middle School in St. Joseph, MO, books are a luxury they too often can’t afford.

Robidoux is a Title I school, with 100 percent free and reduced-rate lunch. Its nearly 400 students in grades six through eight come from a community with higher than average poverty.

Building access and equity into her collection and programming has become Melissa Corey’s mission as Robidoux’s library media specialist.

When the pandemic hit, that inequity was only amplified, particularly…