Stopher Elementary Library: About Our Library

The mission of the Marie E. Stopher Library Media Center is to promote literacy through appropriate, varied, and engaging literature, to increase student achievement through active collaboration, and to create effective, lifelong users of information. This mission will be accomplished by:

• Providing students with access to a well-maintained collection that meets students' interests and instructional needs.
• Planning and implementing high-interest literacy activities and events.
• Facilitating and modeling strategies to access pertinent information.
• Providing students with strategies and opportunities to evaluate, collect, organize, and share information.
• Maintaining active communication with classroom teachers and parents to foster effective collaboration. 

• The Stopher Library Media Center opened in August 2007 with an outstanding collection of new books.
• In March 2010, we proudly renamed and dedicated our library to Marie E. Stopher.
• Currently, our collection contains over 12,000 items.
• Students have access to books, magazines, reference materials, audiobooks, Nook e-readers, e-books, and other online resources.
• Teachers also have access to class sets of iPads for classroom use.
• Our library is well-equipped with student computers for independent or group work, as well as wireless Internet access.
• Students (kindergarten through fifth grade) visit the library about once a week with their classes as well as have twice daily flexible access.
• Our library features abundant natural light and table seating for whole classes and small groups, as well as a story area for listening to literature read alouds.
• Our students use a designated broadcast studio within the library to produce a daily school telecast.
• Contact the library media specialist at jennifer.owen@jefferson.kyschools.us.

As the top two students in their class, Marie E. Stopher and Joseph E. Stopher met in the first grade at Stephen Foster Elementary School.

After college, Marie became a librarian, accepting a job through which she created and established over 200 libraries in 18 states throughout the Southeastern United States. Meanwhile, Joe attended law school.

After finishing law school, Joe was invited to dinner by his pastor, who just happened to be Marie’s father. It was there that Joe and Marie were reacquainted. The two found they had much in common: a love of reading and learning, a passion for children and education, a desire to serve others and make a difference in their home state of Kentucky, as well as their faith.

Joe and Marie were married by her father in September of 1942, and together, they worked to improve everything from literacy and education to Kentucky law and the saddlebred horse industry.

Additionally, Joe and Marie raised three children (Ed, Ann and Bob). They also helped raise six grandchildren, all of whom knew that a trip to Joe and Marie’s house meant a trip to the library, too—and Marie made that trip to the library a truly magical adventure.