Ethel Walker School
Library
Collaboration, research, and discovery
The Constance Lavino Bell ’48 Library is a central hub of reading, research, social, and cultural events on campus.
Here, the campus community will convene for a quiet study space, small group work or class to build research and literacy skills. On weekends, the Bell Library is the site for coffee houses, game nights, and other social activities with students from Walker’s and other consortium school members.
A love of reading and lifelong learning are instilled in our students as they are nurtured to grow into being more engaged readers, critical thinkers, and responsible citizens. The Bell Library serves as a center for intellectual exploration by providing tools and training for students to acquire research skills needed to prepare original works for publication.
The Library offers a diverse digital and print collection, ebooks, a sophisticated suite of research databases, including JSTOR and Bloom’s Literary Reference Online, and other online resources for students to use both on and off campus.
Library faculty and staff are available to support the complex research needs of our students through one-on-one support, workshops, and classes. Library staff members collaborate with teaching faculty to weave the building of information literacy skill directly into the curriculum. Through this collaboration, students learn the skills they need to prepare them for college and beyond.
At a Glance
- Diverse collection of over 25,000 fiction and nonfiction books
- 21 databases
- 25 additional resources
- Research and Library Skills Seminar
- Three classrooms
- Group study areas
- Archival room
- Tutoring Center for peers and hired professionals
- Individual study rooms and comfortable nooks to curl up and read
Library Features and Spaces
Who is Constance Lavino Bell '48?
Connie has a long family history with Walker’s; the daughter of Edwin M. Lavino and Constance Muller Hunter, she graduated in ’48. Her daughters, Constance Bell Moser ’72 and Deborah Bell Spoehel ’75, are also Walker’s alumnae. Her granddaughter Ellie Bell graduated in 2012, and her granddaughter Elizabeth Spoehel graduated in 2014. Her son, Stuart Bell, is a former Chair of the Walker’s Board of Trustees. Connie and her late husband, Jim, have been strong Walker’s supporters through the years. In 1987, Connie and Jim gave a leadership gift for restricted endowment to the 75th Anniversary Campaign. Walker’s library was named for the Bells in recognition of this gift. Connie’s commitment to Walker’s is exceptional; she returns to events on campus and understands that an investment in Walker’s is not only the right thing to do, but is a way to support future generations of talented young women.
“My time at Walker’s was the best of my life besides my marriage! I am glad my girls and granddaughters have had the experience I had. Walker’s prepares young women for the future!”
—Constance Lavino Bell ’48, P’72, ’75, GP’12, ’14
Meet the Library Staff
Leila Cancellieri
Librarian
Leila joined Walker’s in 2018 on a part-time basis from Manchester Public Library where she works in reference services and was formerly a librarian in the children’s area. Leila holds a Master in Library Science from Southern Connecticut State University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Connecticut.
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Nishette Isaac
Dean of Students, Dean of Middle School Digital Library Services
Nishette joined Walker’s in 2016 from the Collegiate School in New York where she served as the school’s librarian for three years. She earned her B.A. in anthropology from Hofstra University, her M.S. in teaching from Fordham University, and her M.L.S. from Pratt Institute. Nishette began her career as a librarian for the New York City Department of Education where she served for four years at PS 305 and PS 256. There, she ran the library while being frequently called upon to perform classroom teaching duties. In 2011, she joined Dalton School as a volunteer librarian and spent the 2012-2013 year as a maternity leave replacement librarian at both Chapin School and Brearley School. Nishette was born in Saint Lucia and moved to the United States when she was 10. She is an active member of the Shelflives Book Club and has served as vice president of the Hudson Valley Librarian Association for the past three years.
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