Jane Ellen Carstens was born on April 19, 1922 in New Iberia. She was the daughter of Charles John Carstens, Sr of Shreveport and Marie Blanchet Carstens of New Iberia. First graduating from New Iberia High School, she then received her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Southwest Louisiana Institute (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) in 1942. As a student, she was a member of the Red Jackets pep squad, a group still making its presence known at occasional UL Lafayette sporting events. After graduation she began her extensive teaching career at SLI. Over the years, she continued her education and received her Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Library Science from Louisiana State University and Columbia University in New York City respectively. At Columbia University, she graduated magna cum laude.

Throughout her career, Dr. Carstens served on many committees and enjoyed memberships in numerous organizations associated with her profession. Most significant among these were her membership on the Newbery Award Committee, a panel chosen to evaluate new children’s literature. In 1986, she was honored as one of UL Lafayette’s outstanding alumni for her dedication and service to the University. She taught at the University for 52 years before retiring. After her retirement, she continued her dedication by maintaining a continuing presence in university matters and in the lives of her students.

She loved reading, traveling and visited many countries throughout her lifetime. She spent many summers teaching in Austin, Texas and working as a children’s librarian at the New York Public Library.