Ann Ewbank grew up dreaming of being a high-school social-studies teacher, and eventually her dream came true.

After a part-time job as a shelver at the Burton Barr Library in Phoenix, she decided to combine her love of teaching and love of the library to become a librarian.

Now, Ewbank, education liaison librarian at the Fletcher Library on the West campus, has been nationally recognized for her work as a librarian at ASU and her advocacy efforts for librarians statewide.

Ewbank was named one of the Library Journal’s 50 “2009 Library Journal Movers and Shakers,” an honor that has been awarded to librarians since 2002.

“I’m just really honored to be in the company of all of those people who have bee recognized this year and before me,” Ewbank said. “It is really flattering to be recognized for the work that I’ve done.”

University Librarian Sherrie Schmidt said she is not surprised Ewbank was named a Mover and a Shaker — a librarian who makes a difference — because she said Ewbank has done just that at ASU and across Arizona.

“[Ewbank] understands very well what a teacher librarian does,” Schmidt said, which enables her to go above and beyond expectations.

At the Fletcher Library, Ewbank said she works to assist students and faculty at the College of Teacher Education and Leadership in finding information and research, which is her favorite part of the job.

“The most rewarding part is when somebody e-mails me or stops by my office and says, ‘Thank you very much for what you showed me or how you helped me because I got an A,’’’ Ewbank said. “That’s the best part. It shows that I’m making a difference.”

And though she loves helping students and faculty at ASU, Ewbank said when budget cuts in K-12 education resulted in eliminations of teacher librarians across Arizona, she felt she had to try to help. She launched Fund Our Future Arizona with other librarians in response to the Mesa Public Schools board recommendation to cut 78 teacher
librarians.

“That would mean that instead of a certified teacher managing the library and operating a school library program, a clerk would be put in that position,” Ewbank said. “Our group saw that as a serious issue — not only for the kids in Mesa but for kids all across the state.”

Despite rallying and raising awareness, the Fund Our Future Arizona effort at Mesa Public Schools failed, she said, as only 31 teacher librarians are left — but the effort across the state has not failed.

“We’ll continue until there is a certified librarian in every public school in Arizona,” Ewbank said.

And the efforts have not gone unacknowledged, said Lisa Kammerlocher, a fellow liaison librarian at the Fletcher Library.

“I went to the protest in Mesa when [Fund Our Future Arizona] was trying to advocate for trying to keep librarians in the Mesa Public Schools, and it was amazing,” Kammerlocher said, and it was largely because of Ewbank’s dedication.

“She’s very bright and a great communicator. She has what’s really important and knows where to put her energy to get really great things done,” Kammerlocher said. “She has really helped give people a voice.”

Reach the reporter at abigail.gilmore@asu.edu.