Staff Bios

Kathleen T. Horning

photo of Kathleen T. Horning Kathleen T. Horning is the director of the Cooperative Children's Book Center of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For nine years she was also a children’s librarian at Madison Public Library. She is the author of From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children’s Books (HarperCollins, 1997). With Ginny Moore Kruse, she coauthored Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults, 1980–1990, and with Ginny Moore Kruse and Megan Schliesman, Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults, 1991–1996. Kathleen is a past-president of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) of the American Library Association (ALA), and a past president of the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY). She has chaired the Américas Award Committee, under the auspices of The Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP), University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee; ALA/ALSC’s 1997 Mildred Batchelder Award Committee; and ALA/ALSC’s 1995 John Newbery Committee. She has served on ALA/SRRT's Rainbow List, ALA/ALSC’s Notable Children’s Books Committee and an earlier Newbery Award Committee. She also chaired USBBY’s Hans Christian Andersen Award Committee, which selected U.S. nominees for the international award in 1992. She served on the NCTE Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Committee and the ALA/SRRT Coretta Scott King Award Committee, and chaired ALA/ALSC’s first Committee on Social Issues in Relationship to Materials and Services for Children. Kathleen frequently lectures to librarians on issues in evaluating literature for children and young adults, and she was named the 2010 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecturer for ALA/ALSC. She has a B.A. in Linguistics and a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Studies, both from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Merri V. Lindgren

photo of Merri V. Lindgren Merri V. Lindgren is a librarian at the Cooperative Children's Book Center of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Merri is a regular contributor to the Wisconsin State Journal, writing a monthly column about books for children and young adults. She was the editor of The Multicolored Mirror: Cultural Substance in Literature for Children and Young Adults (Highsmith, 1991). She coauthored CCBC Choices during the years 1990 through 1993, while previously employed at the CCBC, and since 2002. Merri was a member of the American Library Association ALSC/YALSA 2008 Odyssey Award committee and is serving on the ALA/ALSC 2010 Caldecott Award Committee. She served on the 2001 Charlotte Zolotow Award committee and chaired the 2002, 2006, and 2007 Charlotte Zolotow Award committees. Merri has worked as a youth services librarian at the Helen M. Plum Memorial Library in Lombard, Illinois, and as an instructor of Adolescent and Young Adult Literature at Edgewood College. She is a former trustee on the board of the Baraboo (Wisconsin) Public Library. Merri graduated from UW–Madison with a B.A. Degree in Psychology and has a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Megan Schliesman

photo of Megan Schliesman Megan Schliesman is a librarian at the Cooperative Children's Book Center of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. With Kathleen Horning and Ginny Moore Kruse, Megan coauthored Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults, 1991-1996. She is currently a columnist for Library Sparks magazine. Megan served on the American Library Association/ALSC 2005 Newbery Award Committee and is chairing the ALA/ALSC 2011 Laura Ingalls Wilder Committee. She has also served on the 1998, 1999 and 2002 Charlotte Zolotow Award committees, chaired the 2003, 2008, and 2009 Zolotow Award committees. She was a member of the committee that created the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Planning Curriculum in English Language Arts (DPI, 2001) and created the bibliography for DPI’s Teaching Character Education Using Children’s Literature (DPI, 2001). Megan manages the CCBC Intellectual Freedom Information Services and "What IF . . . Questions and Answers on Intellectual Freedom" forum. She is a past member of the Wisconsin Library Association Intellectual Freedom Roundtable board, and a former member of South Central Library System Board of Trustees in Wisconsin. She has a B.A. degree in English from UW-Whitewater and a Master's Degree in Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Ginny Moore Kruse served as director of the Cooperative Children's Book Center between 1976 and 2002, when she retired. During those years she founded the CCBC Intellectual Freedom Information Services, later acknowledged by national awards, and now by a fund established in Ginny's name at the UW Foundation. Since then Ginny has received "Emerita" status at UW-Madison. Between 2002 and 2004, Ginny chaired the U.S. Board on Books for Young People committee to select U.S. nominees for the international 2004 Hans Christian Andersen Awards and U.S. books for the 2004 IBBY Honour List, completed a two-year terms as chair of the 2003 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award Committee, chaired the committee to choose the 2003 Jane Addams Children's Book Awards, and served as co-chair of the 2003-04 ALA/Children's Book Council Jt. Committee. During 2004-05 Ginny's projects include the Wisconsin Intellectual Freedom Leadership Network (Steering Committee), ALA Notable Children's Books Committee, 2004 IBBY Congress (Cape Town, South Africa), ALA/CBC Jt. Committee, and Children's Literature New England (Advisory Board). (Ginny looked back on her tenure as CCBC Director in an interview at the time of her retirement.)

Tessa Michaelson

photo of Tessa Michaelson Tessa Michaelson was a librarian at the CCBC between January, 2008 and June, 2009. Tessa was the creator and producer of the weekly CCBC podcasts during that time. Tessa served as a member of the 2009 Charlotte Zolotow Award Committee. Tessa is also serving on ALA/ALSC's Public Awareness Committee. Prior to coming to the CCBC, Tessa worked as a school librarian and technology teacher at Wingra School, a K-8 independent progressive school in Madison, Wisconsin. At Wingra School, she specialized in designing integrated media literacy projects for students of all ages. Tessa was also a third and fourth grade classroom teacher at Wingra before becoming a librarian. In the past, Tessa was a member of the CCBC Advisory Board and served as membership secretary for the Friends of the CCBC Board. She also served on the planning committee for the 2006 Wisconsin Educational Media Association annual conference as publications chair. While a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Tessa worked at the CCBC as a reference assistant and as the Intellectual Freedom Information Services Coordinator. Tessa has a B.S. degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Studies, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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	Collections Hours Location Staff Bios Governance Overview of Services Giving to the CCBC Contact Us Staff Bios Kathleen T. Horning Kathleen T. Horning is the director of the Cooperative Children's Book Center of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For nine years she was also a children’s librarian at Madison Public Library. She is the author of From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children’s Books (HarperCollins, 1997). With Ginny Moore Kruse, she coauthored Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults, 1980–1990, and with Ginny Moore Kruse and Megan Schliesman, Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults, 1991–1996. Kathleen is a past-president of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) of the American Library Association (ALA), and a past president of the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY). She has chaired the Américas Award Committee, under the auspices of The Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP), University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee; ALA/ALSC’s 1997 Mildred Batchelder Award Committee; and ALA/ALSC’s 1995 John Newbery Committee. She has served on ALA/SRRT's Rainbow List, ALA/ALSC’s Notable Children’s Books Committee and an earlier Newbery Award Committee. She also chaired USBBY’s Hans Christian Andersen Award Committee, which selected U.S. nominees for the international award in 1992. She served on the NCTE Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Committee and the ALA/SRRT Coretta Scott King Award Committee, and chaired ALA/ALSC’s first Committee on Social Issues in Relationship to Materials and Services for Children. Kathleen frequently lectures to librarians on issues in evaluating literature for children and young adults, and she was named the 2010 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecturer for ALA/ALSC. She has a B.A. in Linguistics and a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Studies, both from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Merri V. Lindgren Merri V. Lindgren is a librarian at the Cooperative Children's Book Center of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Merri is a regular contributor to the Wisconsin State Journal, writing a monthly column about books for children and young adults. She was the editor of The Multicolored Mirror: Cultural Substance in Literature for Children and Young Adults (Highsmith, 1991). She coauthored CCBC Choices during the years 1990 through 1993, while previously employed at the CCBC, and since 2002. Merri was a member of the American Library Association ALSC/YALSA 2008 Odyssey Award committee and is serving on the ALA/ALSC 2010 Caldecott Award Committee. She served on the 2001 Charlotte Zolotow Award committee and chaired the 2002, 2006, and 2007 Charlotte Zolotow Award committees. Merri has worked as a youth services librarian at the Helen M. Plum Memorial Library in Lombard, Illinois, and as an instructor of Adolescent and Young Adult Literature at Edgewood College. She is a former trustee on the board of the Baraboo (Wisconsin) Public Library. Merri graduated from UW–Madison with a B.A. Degree in Psychology and has a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Megan Schliesman Megan Schliesman is a librarian at the Cooperative Children's Book Center of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. With Kathleen Horning and Ginny Moore Kruse, Megan coauthored Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults, 1991-1996. She is currently a columnist for Library Sparks magazine. Megan served on the American Library Association/ALSC 2005 Newbery Award Committee and is chairing the ALA/ALSC 2011 Laura Ingalls Wilder Committee. She has also served on the 1998, 1999 and 2002 Charlotte Zolotow Award committees, chaired the 2003, 2008, and 2009 Zolotow Award committees. She was a member of the committee that created the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Planning Curriculum in English Language Arts (DPI, 2001) and created the bibliography for DPI’s Teaching Character Education Using Children’s Literature (DPI, 2001). Megan manages the CCBC Intellectual Freedom Information Services and "What IF . . . Questions and Answers on Intellectual Freedom" forum. She is a past member of the Wisconsin Library Association Intellectual Freedom Roundtable board, and a former member of South Central Library System Board of Trustees in Wisconsin. She has a B.A. degree in English from UW-Whitewater and a Master's Degree in Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Ginny Moore Kruse served as director of the Cooperative Children's Book Center between 1976 and 2002, when she retired. During those years she founded the CCBC Intellectual Freedom Information Services, later acknowledged by national awards, and now by a fund established in Ginny's name at the UW Foundation. Since then Ginny has received "Emerita" status at UW-Madison. Between 2002 and 2004, Ginny chaired the U.S. Board on Books for Young People committee to select U.S. nominees for the international 2004 Hans Christian Andersen Awards and U.S. books for the 2004 IBBY Honour List, completed a two-year terms as chair of the 2003 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award Committee, chaired the committee to choose the 2003 Jane Addams Children's Book Awards, and served as co-chair of the 2003-04 ALA/Children's Book Council Jt. Committee. During 2004-05 Ginny's projects include the Wisconsin Intellectual Freedom Leadership Network (Steering Committee), ALA Notable Children's Books Committee, 2004 IBBY Congress (Cape Town, South Africa), ALA/CBC Jt. Committee, and Children's Literature New England (Advisory Board). (Ginny looked back on her tenure as CCBC Director in an interview at the time of her retirement.) Tessa Michaelson Tessa Michaelson was a librarian at the CCBC between January, 2008 and June, 2009. Tessa was the creator and producer of the weekly CCBC podcasts during that time. Tessa served as a member of the 2009 Charlotte Zolotow Award Committee. Tessa is also serving on ALA/ALSC's Public Awareness Committee. Prior to coming to the CCBC, Tessa worked as a school librarian and technology teacher at Wingra School, a K-8 independent progressive school in Madison, Wisconsin. At Wingra School, she specialized in designing integrated media literacy projects for students of all ages. Tessa was also a third and fourth grade classroom teacher at Wingra before becoming a librarian. In the past, Tessa was a member of the CCBC Advisory Board and served as membership secretary for the Friends of the CCBC Board. She also served on the planning committee for the 2006 Wisconsin Educational Media Association annual conference as publications chair. While a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Tessa worked at the CCBC as a reference assistant and as the Intellectual Freedom Information Services Coordinator. Tessa has a B.S. degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Studies, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.