Tim Jones once dreamed of making it big as a comedy writer, studying at The Second City in Chicago—one of the most iconic comedy institutions in America. But when he took a day job as a library clerk at a local high school to “help pay the bills,” he discovered a new passion that changed the course of his life.
Fast forward nearly two decades, and Jones has been named the 2025 School Librarian of the Year by School Library Journal (SLJ).
“I was speechless,” said Jones, reflecting on the moment he received the call from SLJ Editor Kathy Ishizuka. “It was pretty humbling when you consider how many great school librarians there are across the country.”
Jones has worked in school libraries for 18 years. He’s served as the library media specialist at John F. Kennedy Elementary School for the past two years, after a one-year stint as a library clerk at Eastern High School. He served as the librarian at Trinity High School from 2013-2022.
“I just really like helping kids and helping people,” Jones said. “The best part of my job is interacting with kids and seeing the excitement on their faces. I enjoy all the hugs, fist bumps, and also seeing all their growth in literacy.”
This national recognition is just the latest in a string of honors for Jones including being named the 2023 National K-12 Media Literacy Teacher of the Year by the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE). In 2022, he was awarded the Kentucky School Librarian of the Year by the Kentucky Association of School Librarians (KASL).
In addition to his work in schools, Jones is a long-time international presenter and a dedicated advocate for libraries. He has served on the board of KASL, as well as other national, state, and county library boards. Jones is currently writing a professional resource book for educators titled Teaching Media Literacy Using Graphic Novels: Cross-Curricular K–12 Lessons for a Post-Truth, AI World, slated for publication in October 2025.
“Nobody wins an award on their own,” he said. “I’m lucky to be part of a great, collaborative community of librarians. I’m not sure I could have won this award without the invaluable support of JCPS’ Library Services Department and what it adds to the academic mission of our school libraries.”
As part of the award, Kennedy Elementary will receive a full-year subscription to a Scholastic digital program (valued up to $3,500) and a $500 Scholastic Power of Story collection for its school library.