Instagram: @uasmshslibrary ​rhonda.lesperance@gmail.co​m ​https://rhondalesperance.weebly.

com 

​RHONDA LESPERANCE, Secondary Teacher Librarian 

 

 
 

Education    
Texas Woman’s University, Masters in Library Science (MLS) 
Dallas, Texas 2008 

School for International Training, Masters in Teaching (MAT)  

Brattleboro, Vermont 1996 

University of South Florida, Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs 

Tampa, Florida 1993 
   
EXPERIENCE 
Gulliver Prep, Miami, Floria, USA - Middle School Librarian 
2019-2020 
➢ Oversaw configuration of online union catalog for elementary and middle school automated 
systems. 
➢ Facilitated middle school advisory class. 
➢ Managed middle school collection development, including, acquisition, processing, and 
de-selection of materials. 
➢ Participated on Information Technology and Diversity and Inclusion committees. 
➢ Library initiatives and school involvement:​ Banned Book Week; bookfair; Get Caught Reading; 
International Read Aloud; Black History Month;  
 
Universal American School (UAS), Dubai, UAE - Secondary Librarian  
2014 - 2019 
➢ Integrated and taught 21st Century information and digital literacy and research skills in the 
middle and high school. 
➢ Drafted school library policy handbook. 
➢ Incorporated library academic and social involvement in local and international school 
accreditation processes. 
➢ Participated on school task forces and committees. 
➢ Advisor, IB Extended Essay & CAS students.  
➢ Designed and launched separate study, reading, and active library environments. 
➢ Created the first social media and digital library presence. 
➢ Advocated for and configured a union catalog for elementary and secondary libraries.  
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➢ Partnered with technology, accounting, maintenance, and business departments to manage 

library operations. 
➢ Managed library and textbook online automated systems. 
➢ Handled collection development, including cataloging, acquisitions, processing, de-selection, and 
vendor relations,  
➢ Made evidence-based decisions based on resource management and surveys.  
➢ Established relationship with sister school librarian to share resources, professional 
development, and physical space. 
➢ Co-presented findings on library makerspace, ECIS International Librarian Conference, Chennai, 
India and Dubai Follett Conference.  
➢ Attained IBDP librarian certification.  
➢ Organized and hosted guest authors. 
➢ Chaperoned students to academic and literature-related competitions and events. 
➢ Hired and supervised two library assistants. 
➢ Library initiatives and school involvement:​ Banned Book Week; Reading Olympics; Get Caught 
Reading; poetry slam; Read Every Day Grown & Learn reading nook; chess tournaments; Create, 
Share, Innovate makerspace; movie night; book fair; yoga classes; UAE Day; library newsletter 
 
UCSI International School, Springhill, Malaysia - All School Librarian, ​2013-2014 
➢ Constructed library online automated system.  
➢ Managed library Collection Development, including content management, purchasing, selecting, 
and de-selection of library resources.  
➢ Supported teachers by co-teaching classes and embedding research in units. 
➢ Supervised boarding students.  
➢ Integrated research skills and information and digital literacy standards in PYP, middle school, 
and DP programs. 
➢ Established Silent Sustained Reading program to promote reading, and enhance academics. 
➢ Attained PYP librarian certification. 
➢ Library initiatives and school involvement:​ Get Caught Reading: Library Lock In; Candlelight 
Read Aloud, Environmental Week, Silent Sustained Reading; library newsletter 
 
American International School of Riyadh, KSA - Secondary Librarian, ​2012-2013 
➢ Enhanced the library and learning environment by improving access to the library collection. 
➢ Taught academic research skills to IB Extended Essay classes.  
➢ Team taught action research skills and cross culture experience in participation with United Arab 
Emirates students. 
➢ Launched digital materials as part of library collection. 
➢ Managed library Collection Development, including content management, purchasing, selecting, 
and de-selection of library resources. 
➢ Encouraged lifelong reading and supplemented the library budget by hosting book fairs. 
➢ Supervised two library assistants. 
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➢ Library initiatives and school involvement:​ ​ ​Banned Book Week; Get Caught Reading; Reading 
Olympics; bookfair; International Day  
 
Rabat American School, Rabat, Morocco - Secondary Librarian Assistant, ​2007-2012 
➢ Team taught cross culture and technology class unit and set up Skype exchanges between 
Moroccan and United States students, grades 7th -8th (Findings presented at the ECIS 
conference, Hamburg, Germany.). 
➢ Oversaw circulation and patron management. 
➢ Assisted in collection development by de-selecting materials, indexing, and conducting 
inventory. 
➢ Created and ran RAS Petite Triathlon and Give Us Your Soles local charity events.   
➢ Taught online citation generators and research skills. (Findings presented at the International 
Association of School Librarianship, Qatar). 
➢ Library initiatives and school involvement:​ Get Caught Reading; RAS Petite Triathlon; 
Candlelight Read Aloud 
 
COMMITTEES & LEADERSHIP 
Oversee Committee, Universal American School 
Curriculum Committee, Universal American School 
CIS Accreditation Task Force, Universal American School 
Middle School Reading Task Force, Universal American School 
High School Reading Task Force, Universal American School 
Technology Think Tank Task Force, Universal American School  
Stipend Committee, Universal American School 
Professional Development Committee, Universal American School 
Silent Sustained Reading, UCSI International School 
TESOL Arabia Conference Chair, Zayed University  
 
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 
Co-presenter: ECIS Librarian Conference (February 2018) 
Training: Follett Destiny 16.0 
Conference: Near East South Asia council of Overseas Schools, Bahrain, Oman     
Conference: European Conference On Environmental Literacy, Estonia 
Certification: IB Librarians, ​Across the Continuum​, Category 1-3,   
​ aking it Happen​, Instructor 
Certification: IB PYP, M  
Conference Presenter: International Association School Libraries 
Zotero Citation Generator​, Qatar     
Certification: IB Diploma Program, Librarians   
Conference: ​J​efferson Overseas Schools Technology Institute, Washington D.C.  
Course: American Library Association, B ​ ooktalking   
Course: American Library Association,​ Fundamentals of Collection Development 
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and Management    
Conference: European Conference for International Schools, Istanbul  
Conference Presenter:​ Using Wikis to Promote Cross-cultural Student Relations​, Lisbon  
Workshop Presenter​: English as a Second Language Writing Skills, A ​ bu Dhabi   
Conference Presenter: ​C​osta Rica Association of Teachers, T
​ he Participatory Approach by Paulo 
Freire, ​San Jose 
 
EXTRACURRICULAR INVOLVEMENT  
Week Without Walls, Laos Trip Leader, UAS 
Week Without Walls, F ​ riends of the Library,​ UAS 
Week Without Walls, Chaperone 
Poetry Slam, UAS 
Prom Committee, faculty sponsor, UAS 
S​tudent Government, faculty sponsor, UCSI  
RAS Petite Triathlon​, founder and organizer, RAS 
Children's Hospital, chaperone student volunteers, RAS 
Week Without Walls Chaperone, RAS 
International Culture Day Organizer, Zayed University 
 
CERTIFICATIONS, ONLINE TECHNOLOGY, AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS 
Certifications:  Google Certified Educator Level 1  
  Yoga Teacher 
Management systems:  Blackboard, Google Classroom, Follett Destiny  
Teacher of Distinction:  South Korea Ministry of Education 
 
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS 
Emirates Literature Foundation 
European Council of International Schools  
International Association of School Librarianship 
American Library Association  
 
REFERENCES 
Natalia Walchi, Gulliver Pedagogical Coach nataliawalchli@gmail.com 
Andrew Torris, UAS Director  atorris@avenues.org 
Pat Hould, UAS Principal phould@dunecrest.ae 
Perry Tkachuk, UCSI, PYP Coordinator Principal@plkis.edu.hk 
 
 
   
 
 
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