- Yonkers Public Schools
- Meet the Team
Library Services
- Welcome to Library Services
- Meet the Team
- Summer Reading 2022
- Yonkers Public Library Summer Reading
- DashBoard for NY Reads
- YMA Readers are Leaders
- Follett Destiny Library Catalog and Digital Resources
- Library How to Videos
- Culturally Responsive Reading List and Resources
- Resources for anti-Asian Racism
- Library Lessons Grades Pre-K - 12th
- Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Internet Resources
- English Language Learner Internet Resources
- College and Career Readiness Resources
- Regents Preparation Resources
- Standards Crosswalk
- AASL Standards Framework for Learners
- Universal Library Vocabulary
- Typing Resources to Prepare for Computer Based Testing
- Yonkers Public Library
- New York Public library
- Queens Public Library
- Brooklyn Public Library
- District Initiatives, Goals, and Foci
- Digital Citizenship & Netiquette Guide
- Student Service Learning Projects
- Annual Report 2021-2022
- Challenged Materials Policy and Forms
- Empire State Information Fluency Continuum
- Steps to Become a School Library Media Specialist
About Us
Phone: 914-376-8181
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Ms. Tracey Wong
Tracey Wong is the Director of Library Services for the Yonkers Public Schools. She has been in education for 19 years as a classroom teacher, a Reading Recovery teacher, a Collaborative Team Teacher, a Leveled Literacy Intervention Specialist and as a School Library Media Specialist. Tracey is a 2018 Library Journal Mover & Shaker, a 2017 Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam awardee and a 2016 ALA Scholastic Publishing recipient. She has written for Library Media Connection, School Library Journal and School Library Connection. Her libraries have been featured in HSBC , UFT , SLJ and she has presented webinars on grant funding and Supporting English Language Learners Remotely. For fun, she enjoys DIY projects, creating things and pushing around weights.

Phone: 914-376-8445 ext. 2380
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Ms. Jacklyn Aurich
Ms. Aurich has worked for the Yonkers Public Schools for six years. For the past four years, she has worked as a School Library Media Specialist at School 23. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and is presently enrolled at Mercy College in a Master's program for Early Childhood, Childhood Education, and Special Education with a bilingual extension. Ms. Aurich attended the Yonkers Public Schools including Mark Twain Junior High School, and Gorton High School. She truly enjoys her job as a librarian because she is able to educate the students at School 23.

Phone:
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Ms. Eliana Castillo

Phone:
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Mrs. Tia L. Knuckles
Palisade Preparatory School has a new library media specialist, Tia Knuckles. Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, Tia spent most of her childhood in Yonkers, NY beginning with Scholastic Academy in 4th grade. She graduated from Saunders Trades & Technical High School. Tia went on to Monroe College, where she received her bachelor’s degree. She received her Master's of Library Science with a specialization in School Libraries from Long Island University. Tia has worked for the Yonkers Public Schools as a teaching assistant for many years and is thrilled to start her new career as a school librarian. She enjoys the diversity of the students and community and she is excited to be able to give back to the school district she grew up in.

Phone:
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Mrs. Brenda Francis-Knowles
Brenda Francis-Knowles is the School Library Media Specialist at Gorton High School.

Phone:
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Mrs. Ann Marie Levy
Mrs. Levy has been a School Library Media Specialist in the Yonkers Public Schools for many years. She is the Media Specialist at Roosevelt High School. She teaches grades 9 through 12th grade. Prior to that, Mrs. Levy was a 3rd grade teacher. She enjoys teaching all aspects of library skills, especially research. The students in Mrs. Levy's classes have been learning about and participating in the New York State 3 Apples Book Award, which is the only book award in NYS that is based solely on student votes. This activity is a highlight that the students look forward to participating in year after year.

Phone:
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Mrs. Karen Loia
Karen Loia is the Library Media Specialist at Lincoln High School. Born and raised in Yonkers, she is thankful she is able to give back to the community, in the city that she will always think of as home! She attended P.S. #28 (Kahlil Gibran School), Walt Whitman Junior High School (Robert C. Dodson School) and Roosevelt High School (Roosevelt High School-Early College Studies).
Karen holds a Bachelor's Degree in Interior Design, with a Minor in Art History from Marymount College and a Master's Degree in School Library Media Science from Queens College. She has worked as a Library Media Specialist in Yonkers for many years, teaching students in the elementary, middle and high school settings.
She is a lifelong learner who is motivated by a passion to help others and pave the way, eliminating struggle and opening doors to a world of information and technology that is available for all. She loves to enhance self esteem in others and is passionate about educating our students and helping them to reach their full potential. She believes that knowledge is power and together and we can do this!
In addition to teaching students and promoting literacy, Karen takes pride in sharing her expertise with colleagues during her professional development workshops and on her Ed Tech page. She is also the school website editor and AP Testing Coordinator at Lincoln High School. At Palisade Prep she created the Read2B initiative to promote literacy and independent reading. She enjoys posting on Twitter for the YPS Library Media Specialists @ YO_Library Media!
Phone:
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Mr. Robert McDonald
In 2017, Robert McDonald began his career as an educator in the Yonkers Public School District. Mr. McDonald has served various aged children spanning from pre-kindergarten - high school. Robert enjoys instructing the younger grades with library skills and integrating multimedia within his lessons. Robert is currently assigned to Montessori 27, Scholastic Academy, School 9, Cesar Chavez, and Hostos as the Library Media Specialist.

Phone:
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Mr. James Riley
Mr. Riley is currently the Library Media Specialist for Saunders HS. He has worked as a Media Specialist for the Yonkers Public Schools in elementary, middle, and high schools for over 20 years. He has over 25 years of experience as an educator. He holds a BA from Colgate University; an MLS from Queens College; and a Certificate in School Administration from The College of St. Rose. Mr. Riley enjoys reading; skiing; swimming; and participating in book clubs. He is also serving as the President of the Yonkers City School Library Council.

Phone:
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Dr. Daniel A. Sabol

Phone:
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Mr. Peter Sieh
Peter Sieh began working as a librarian in Yonkers Public Schools in 2006. He worked at Enrico Fermi for four years, and he now works at School 13 and Martin Luther King Jr. Academy. He teaches students in Pre-Kindergarten up through the 8th grade. Besides teaching students how to enjoy reading print books and online books, Mr. Sieh enjoys showing students how to search for information online. He also takes great pride in filming events that happen in his two schools, and posting those videos on his two schools’ websites. He is heavily involved with S.T.E.A.M. instruction in his schools, and has helped facilitate many different computer coding activities at both School 13 and Martin Luther King Jr. Academy.
Phone:
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
*Bachelors in Elementary Education *Masters in Special Education *Masters in Instructional Technology *Masters in Library Media Science Professional Certification- Teaching Pre-K -6th Grade Professional Certification-Library Media Science K-12th
Ms. Mariana Sugrim
Ms. Mariana Sugrim holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, a Master's Degree in Special Education and a Master's Degree in instructional technology from Grand Canyon University, Arizona. Additionally, Marian

Phone:
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Ms. Ingrid Sutherland
Ingrid Sutherland is the elementary school librarian for Paideia 15, Khalil Gibran, Pulaski, Family 32 and Boyce Thompson this year. She has been 20 years in education, starting as a high school English teacher in Washington Heights. She is looking forward to sharing her love of reading and the magic of literacy with all of her students.
Phone:
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
B.S. in Elementary Education M.S. in Library and Information Science
Ms. Nicole Wernham-Taylor
Nicole is the School Library Media Specialist at Yonkers Middle High School! She was born in New York City and raised in the Bronx. Nicole attended catholic elementary school in the Bronx before moving to Yonkers. She attended and graduated from Roosevelt High School before starting her career as a librarian-in-training at The New York Public Library on Fordham Road in the Bronx. She later left the NYPL to follow her dream of being a School Library Media Specialist for Yonkers Public Schools. She have been working as a Media Specialist for over 20 years.
After starting at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia, Nicole completed her Bachelor of Science degree at City College of New York. She received a Master's Degree in Library and Information Science from Long Island University and has permanent certifications as an Elementary Teacher, a School Library Media Specialist and also a Public Librarian.
Nicole is honored to serve the learning community of YMHS and looks forward to assisting in all their learning needs.
Phone: 914-376-8425 x4880
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
*BA in Elementary Education - Iona College *MS in Special Education - College of New Rochelle *St. Nicholas Training Centre for the Montessori Method of Education *MS in Library and Information Science - LIU- CW Post Campus
Mrs. Carol Westphal
Carol is a certified School Library Media Specialist with over 25 years experience in the Yonkers Public School District. She spent 15 years at Emerson Middle School, 5 years at Cross Hill Academy and PEARLS Hawthorne, and 5 years at Riverside High School and Yonkers Montessori Academy. Currently, she teaches at Yonkers Montessori Academy.
Besides teaching students she provides Professional Development at: Parent Workshops, Faculty Meetings and Districtwide Workshops. For the last few years she has also taught for the Yonkers Richard Gazzola Teacher Center. In this course she instructs and shows colleagues how to use the Instructional Technology Resources offered through the District and the Yonkers City School Library System in their curriculum with their students. In addition, she encourges all participants to share this information with parents, colleagues, and administrators. She is also a member of the Yonkers City School Library System Council.