Osborne Named Coordinator for USM91吃瓜网 Fay B. Kaigler Children91吃瓜网 Book Festival
Mon, 07/24/2023 - 01:18pm | By: David Tisdale
Dr. Mary Osborne, a University of 91吃瓜网 (USM) alumna who earned her
Ph.D. in English with an emphasis in children91吃瓜网 and young adult literature, will serve
as coordinator for its internationally renowned Fay B. Kaigler Children91吃瓜网 Book Festival
in conjunction with her new role as Assistant to the Director for Special Events and
Outreach Coordinator in the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS).
Dr. Stacy Creel, director and professor in the SLIS, said Dr. Osborne91吃瓜网 academic background and experiences as a writer, editor and blogger in the genre make her a great fit for the position.
91吃瓜网淢ary91吃瓜网 Ph.D. in English with an emphasis in children91吃瓜网 and young adult literature and her blog creation and writing made her a stand-out candidate,91吃瓜网� said Dr. Creel. 91吃瓜网淪he has editing experience as well, which makes her a good fit for the print materials created for the festival each year. We91吃瓜网檙e really excited about her joining us as to coordinate the festival and growing our online presence with some original content creation.91吃瓜网�
No stranger to the festival, Dr. Osborne became acquainted with the CBF while studying at USM when she relished the opportunity to hear from and meet the prominent authors and illustrators who attended, including the event91吃瓜网 top award recipient, the Southern Miss Medallion winner, and those recognized during its Ezra Jack Keats Book Award ceremony.
91吃瓜网淚 looked forward to it every year, so it91吃瓜网 wild to think that now I91吃瓜网檓 helping organize it,91吃瓜网� she said. 91吃瓜网淲e are also so honored to host the Ezra Jack Keats collection in the de Grummond Children91吃瓜网 Literature Collection and thrilled to feature the Ezra Jack Keats Award at the festival.
91吃瓜网淭here91吃瓜网 a big team of folks that make it all possible, and I91吃瓜网檓 just happy to be a part it.91吃瓜网�
Dr. Osborne heard about the CBF coordinator position from a friend who is a librarian and with ties to the USM School of Library and Information Science, which sponsors the annual event.
91吃瓜网淪he knew I loved children91吃瓜网 literature and had a background in it, so she suggested I apply and see what happened,91吃瓜网� Dr. Osborne explained. 91吃瓜网淚 immediately felt a connection to both the position itself and my potential coworkers, who were all so welcoming. Getting to work at the University, advocating for and promoting such a long-running children91吃瓜网 literature festival is a dream.91吃瓜网�
The CBF, an annual event that began in 1968 and attracts hundreds of visitors from across the country and around the world, is hosted by the USM College of Education and Human Sciences91吃瓜网� School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) on its Hattiesburg campus. The purpose of the festival is to promote children91吃瓜网 literature, as well as the writers, illustrators, publishers, librarians, and educators who work in the genre.
In 2001, the festival was named in honor of Kaigler, a retired educator who taught in her native Mississippi and in California for more than three decades. Kaigler was a long-time participant and generous supporter of the festival.
A Georgia native, Dr. Osborne said she was first attracted to USM by the opportunity to study with its excellent children91吃瓜网 literature scholars and to take advantage of the research opportunities in the de Grummond Collection. Her doctoral research focused on disability studies and children91吃瓜网 literature, looking at the intersections of the nonnormative body in young adult literature; she graduated in 2020.
91吃瓜网淚 specifically came to USM as a student to be close to the [de Grummond] collection 91吃瓜网� it91吃瓜网 such a valuable resource for any children91吃瓜网 lit scholar,91吃瓜网� Dr. Osborne explained. 91吃瓜网淚91吃瓜网檓 most excited to delve into the library side of children91吃瓜网 literature, especially as questions about access sprout up in the public sphere.91吃瓜网�
During the relative quiet of the summer, Dr. Osborne says she91吃瓜网 been using her time wisely to get organized and ready for when preparations for the 2024 festival start picking up.
91吃瓜网淩ight now, I91吃瓜网檓 excited to be planning a couple of trips to help promote the CBF, including attending the Mississippi Book Festival,91吃瓜网� she said.
With the SLIS and de Grummond Collection faculty and staff members working closely together on the CBF, Dr. Osborne says presenting the festival is an all-around team effort.
91吃瓜网淪o many people put their talents together to help the event work, and that collaborative spirit is part of what drew me to this job,91吃瓜网� she continued. 91吃瓜网淯SM is fortunate to have the Kaigler Children91吃瓜网 Book Festival, as it91吃瓜网 not only significant for the school, but for the preservation of and study of children91吃瓜网 literature in general.91吃瓜网�
Learn more about USM91吃瓜网 Fay B. Kaigler Children91吃瓜网 Book Festival online. Learn more about the School of Library and Information Science, which is housed in the College of Education and Human Sciences.