A Celebration of Life — JoAnn Jonas

JoAnn Jonas, left, with Mary Schultz

Please join us for A Celebration of Life — JoAnn Jonas, on Sunday May 17. The celebration will be held via an online Zoom Meeting, at 3:00 p.m., Eastern; 2:00 p.m., Central; 1:00 p.m., Mountain; and 12:00 p.m., Pacific time.

On April 25, 2020, JoAnn Jonas, librarian, active ALSC member, Kerlan Board Member, early childhood education advocate, mentor to many of us, left this world. She had been diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer last fall.

JoAnn was being cared for by her brother, Jeff, and sister-in-love Brooke. Her dearest friends Kim and Norma were by her side. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Larry Jonas.

JoAnn Mooers Jonas was an alumna of the University of Minnesota (’73, BS), an MLIS Librarian with a Children’s Librarian specialization, and a member of the Kerlan Friends Board of the University of Minnesota Libraries. She had worked at The New York Public Library’s Central Children’s Room, and as director of its Early Childhood Resource and Information Center (ECRIC).

JoAnn also was Youth Services Librarian/Manager at Carlsbad and Chula Vista Public Libraries, and selector of youth books and materials for the San Diego County Library System. She also reviewed children’s books, wrote teacher and discussion guides, and served on the Newbery, Caldecott & Wilder Award committees. She contributed to EarlyWord: The Librarian/Publisher Connection, as moderator of the monthly Young Readers Author Chat, and was on the Board of the Children’s Reading Alliance.

JoAnn was a volunteer at the Children’s Literature Research Collections of University of Minnesota’s Children’s Literature Research Collections, project managing Children’s Book Art: Techniques and Media and The ABC of It: Why Children’s Books Matter.

Please join JoAnn’s friends from the University of Minnesota and from across the country for A Celebration of Life — JoAnn Jonas.