Elizabeth Shadix does a lot more than lead the media center at Bright Star Elementary School. 
She’s an instructional leader, mentor, innovator and servant-hearted professional who consistently elevates the entire school community, Principal Heather Fields said.
Shadix was recognized on March 5 as the 2026 Douglas County School System Library Media Specialist of the Year. Superintendent Dr. Trent North, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Dr. K’Asha Davis and Fields surprised Shadix with celebratory flowers and a card.
Shadix has added popular programs like Reading Goats who come into the media center and listen to students read — never interrupting or judging. Her media center is also home to a special Zen Room where teachers can come to relax and visit the coffee and water stations.
Last year, she added an Ag Day where people from the community bring in their animals, giving students a chance to interact with them.
The school also has chickens that Shadix takes care of. Her media center even has axolotls that just laid eggs last week. Second-grade classes are learning about life cycles, “so the timing just worked out perfectly,” she said.
“She doesn't say no,” Fields said. “She is always thinking outside the box, going above and beyond. We now have Reading Goats, and no other school has that. So we feel like she's always looking out for what is best for our kids and our staff, and there's no boundary for that.”
Shadix has served her native Douglas County for 22 years in education. She started out as a language arts teacher, where she spent the first 18 years of her career. She has been a media specialist for the past four years.
Shadix said she was worried she would miss the classroom when she left. But she said she loves
all of the different ways she can make a difference for her school community in her role as media specialist.
She gets joy from watching students come into the media center, find a book they really like, and read independently. And she loves supporting the teachers at Bright Star.
“They're still in there reading to me, hugging on me, listening to stories, clapping, laughing and giggling,” she said. “It's just a happy place. I have a lot of resources to share, a lot of different ideas that have worked and haven't worked throughout the years. So I feel like that's a plus for the kids and for the staff members.”
“It's the best of both worlds,” she added, “because I can do the teacher side of it, and I get to enjoy the kid part of it, too.”
Shadix will now advance to compete at the regional level for the Georgia School Library Media Specialist of the Year.