Andrea J. Catania-Stephenson: Four Decades of Excellence in Education and School Librarianship

Andrea J. Catania-Stephenson, a distinguished National Board-Certified Teacher Librarian, has leveraged more than four decades of excellence in education and library and information science. Her career, which spanned over 35 years until her retirement in 2021, was marked by her commitment to enhancing student learning through the strategic selection and integration of library resources into the curriculum. Collaborating closely with content area teachers, she ensured that the library materials she curated supported and enriched the educational experiences of all students, regardless of their post-secondary aspirations.

Ms. Catania-Stephenson began her career by earning an Associate of Arts degree in Law-Related Occupations as a paralegal from Skyline College in 1984. She then graduated from San Francisco State University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies, subsequently entering their teaching program. Completing her credential program in 1989, she also studied in Italy at the Università Italiana per Stranieri in Perugia to enhance her Multi-Subject Teaching and Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development credentials.

She furthered her education with an M.Ed. in Educational Technology from San Diego State University in 1994, which included a credential in Computer Concepts and Applications. In 1996, she earned a Teacher Librarian and Library Services credential from California State University, Chico, and later, an MA in Curriculum and Instruction along with a Reading Specialist Credential from Sacramento State University in 2007. Her qualifications were further solidified with National Board Certification as a Teacher Librarian in 2013 and a Specialized Credential in Digital and Information Literacy from California State University, Long Beach in 2014. Finally, she completed a Master’s in Library and Information Science specializing in Library Administration from the University of North Texas in 2018.

Among her many professional accomplishments, Ms. Catania-Stephenson is proud to have received the American Library Association’s Innovative Reading Grant in 2016. This national grant supports the planning and implementation of unique and innovative methods to encourage and motivate students to read, especially targeting struggling and reluctant readers.

Throughout her career, Ms. Catania-Stephenson has been an active member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Library Association (ALA) and its chapter, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), the California School Library Association (CSLA), where she served as President of the Northern Region, the Curriculum and Standards Integration Committee, and the Governmental Relations Committee. She has also been involved with CUE, serving as the Capital Area affiliate President for three years and as the regional conference chair for two years. Additionally, she is a member of the International Association of School Libraries (IASL), the International Society of Technology Educators (ISTE), and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation team, where she has served as a chair for the last two years.

Looking to the future, Ms. Catania-Stephenson intends to continue working with WASC teams, remain active in her professional library organizations, and advocate for school libraries by consulting and assisting districts or County Offices of Education in improving library services for students in California. She is dedicated to emphasizing the importance of providing library services to schools and communities and creating sustainable cultures of library engagement.

Ms. Catania-Stephenson attributes her success to her intrinsic passion for education and the support of her professional community. She aspires to make continued positive contributions by giving back through her consulting work, ensuring that local county offices receive the support they need in library services, and advocating for the critical role of libraries in education.