constructed
teen center and makerspace; Archimedes, a teen designed makerspace in
the Fremont Library; and Census and Sensibility, a State Library
sponsored guide to preparing libraries for the 2020 Census. In those
rare instances when he isn’t working, Erik can be found reading
prodigious amounts of manga and trying not to start any more fires while
cooking. Candidate StatementI’ve worked in libraries for over twenty years, doing nearly every possible job, from cleaning the restrooms to meeting with congressmen. During that time I’ve recognized how easy it can be to feel isolated as a library worker in California, even if you are part of a large system. Therefore, my participation in CLA has helped to mitigate isolation by introducing me to new people and new ideas, new ideas that can make your work and your community better. It connected me to mentors and lifelong friends who’ve changed my life. CLA helped to shape me into the librarian I am today by giving me the tools, support, and guidance that I needed to grow. Now, I want to give back, to help CLA do that for librarians across the state.
CLA can be invaluable to library professionals at all levels and in all kinds of libraries across the state. However CLA can do better at letting the library community know what the association offers as well as continuing to develop new opportunities and enrichment programs for its members. We’re an association, but we’re also a community. This is a critical time for CLA. I think I can help bring CLA to more people and make CLA even more relevant for current members. I’ve spent the last eight years working behind the scenes in interest groups and committees supporting the organization from the volunteer side. I’ve helped build systems to prevent committees from redoing the same logistical work year after year, allowing them to focus on developing new programs and initiatives. As chair of the Membership Committee, I’ve started to offer more CLA events throughout the year and given encouraged the interest groups to do the same. By serving as a member of the Board, I’d be able to take that same energy and organizational skill and bring it to the entire organization. Let me show you what I can do.
Questionaire1. How do you define leadership?
Leadership is the ability to refine the ideas, values and goals of team members and stakeholders alike into a vision for the future, create a pathway from where we are to that vision, and then to provide the resources, environment, and support that enables us to reach that goal together.
2. Why are you interested in this position?
CLA helped to shape me into the librarian I am today. It gave me the tools, support, and guidance I needed to grow in my profession. Now, I want to give back, to help CLA do that for librarians across the state. More importantly, this is a critical time for CLA and I think I can help. I’ve spent the last few years working behind the scenes in interest groups and committees, to help improve the organization, building structures where needed, and improving those that already exist. I can do that better as part of the CLA board. Finally, I love being involved with CLA and interacting with its members, and would appreciate the ability to take on new responsibilities as a member of the Board.
3. How would you describe your personal leadership/communication style?
My own leadership style (reinforced by about 20 of those business personality tests I’ve taken in my life) is to put people first. I like to build consensus when making decisions, give my team members individual support to thrive, and check in to make sure they know I am there for them if help is needed and that I care.
I think it’s critical, especially in a volunteer organization like this, to have such soft leadership skills; I’ve learned them first hand. In my current position, I constantly lead groups for projects, however, almost every member in each of my teams reports to different supervisors. There’s no “do it because I said so,” there’s only, “here’s why we need to do it, let’s work together.”
4. What strengths would you bring to the position?
I am a builder. When I see confusion or a gap in how things are designed, I know how to build structures to fix them and improve upon existing structures to make organizations better.
I care about CLA and California Libraries. I’ve spent my entire career working in California libraries across the state and the last eight becoming more invested in CLA itself. I believe in its goals and values and I’m determined to help it succeed.
I’m connected to every part of library operations. In the twenty years of working in libraries, I’ve done pretty much everything you can, from cleaning bathrooms to working with elected officials. In my current job, I serve as a bridge between administration and centralized operations, and individual branches and their staff. This helps me to understand the needs of library staff more broadly, not just our front line librarians, but our pages, our catalogers, and our bookmobile drivers as well. They are all part of our CLA community.
5. What experience do you bring to this position?
In my 20 years of library experience I’ve done about everything you can do. I’ve worked in very rich and extremely poor communities, I’ve worked in rural, suburban, and urban libraries. I’ve managed a single person library and worked in a building with hundreds of employees. I’ve been a page, a clerk, a librarian, and a manager. I’ve been responsible for six storytimes a week, bought collections for new libraries, and built two makerspaces. I’ve written several successful grants to support new library programs. I’ve had the chance to work with the public, with library staff, other library systems, and city and county governments. I’ve written articles for VOYA, and developed a Census guide for the State library, and an online programming manual for my library system.
I’ve been heavily involved in CLA for over eight years, ever since I became Vice-chair for the newly revitalized CLA Youth Service Interest Group. After leaving the interest group, I led the subcommittee responsible for designing the CLA membership booth in Santa Clara and built a process that we've used every year. After that I became the Chair of the CLA membership committee where we’ve been trying new ways to connect to our members.
6. What issues or trends are particularly informing your work at this time?
The effect of COVID on the library and how it has transformed library services can’t be overstated. How can we keep our staff members safe while giving our communities the services that so desperately needed? I’m not sure anyone has the “right” answer but that doesn’t stop us from trying.
If you’d asked me in March, I’d have said the rise of new technologies, especially streaming video and VR technology. I think VR technology will be a huge part of the future of society while streaming video services like TikTok have begun to change how people engage and create media.
That leads directly into the third point. I think it is critical to keep abreast of whatever Generation Z is doing. I’m so impressed by the way that Generation Z using the tools of society, like Twitter and TikTok, to feel their power and organize against the injustices they see in the world. If libraries are community and civic hubs in their communities, we need to engage more strongly with our young people to make sure they have the support and information they need.
7. Who are the thought leaders (in libraries or in other fields) who interest you?
I’ve learned so much from meeting and speaking to librarians across the state, but I think Robert Karatsu has had the most profound impact on my life. He helped shape an introverted kid into the person who, well, decided to run for the CLA board of directors.
Outside of the library community, I’ve learned a lot from John Kao about innovation and how to make the library grow in unexpected ways.
Finally, while I don’t have a specific leader in mind, I’ve been so inspired by the actions of members of Generation Z as they stand against injustice. Sometimes it’s easy to feel hopeless about the world, but spending time with members of that generation is always inspiring, it’s not just that they care so much about the world, but that they are doing something about it.
Maybe that’s part of why I’m running for the board.
8. Who are the regional and statewide stakeholders libraries need to be in communication with?
I think the most important stakeholders for us to engage with are our elected officials. CLA should work more closely with state officials to stay aware of upcoming decisions that will affect us all. On a local level I think libraries need to stay engaged with their local governments, both city and county level. They will have the most direct effect on the health of our libraries, especially in challenging times like this. I’ve always felt like we provide an essential service to our communities but sometimes we don’t do it as visibly as we should. We need to help elected officials see library wins as their wins and our needs as community needs.
9. What do you feel are the most critical challenges and opportunities facing California libraries right now?
COVID is by far the most critical challenge our libraries face, especially as it continues into the new year. Our entire service model is designed to accommodate in person visits and transactions. How can we offer services if we can’t be with our community members? I literally had to write the book on offering online programs for my library. In addition, even the most prosperous communities continue to suffer dramatic economic consequences. This means that more people need our services than ever in spite of sharp reductions in the available funding our communities can share with the library.
However, COVID also provides some unique opportunities. It gives us a chance to examine the way we do things and make dramatic changes (like rearranging the collection and shelving) without affecting core services. It allows us to try new things, to build up online programming, to eliminate the least essential and most time consuming meetings. We’ve changed dramatically at Alameda County, and while we all hope to go back to in-person service when it's safe, some of the changes we’ve made are never going away.
10. Describe your experience serving on Association committees and/or interest groups.
I’ve led the Youth Service interest group from 2013-2018 as Vice Chair and then Co-Chair. I led the Membership Subcommittee as chair, designing and running the 2018 Conference membership booth for the 2018 CLA Conference Planning Committee. I’m currently the Chair of the CLA Membership committee, where I’ve helped to build a multi-year plan to increase membership and increase the number of year-round CLA offerings.
11. Describe your network of connections with library professionals and library stakeholders in California.
I had a chance to meet many librarians, consultants, and directors across the state thanks to my participation in the Eureka Leadership Institute program. Since then, I’ve had the chance to work with even more people across California thanks to my involvement in CLA and with the State Library on the Census and Sensibility project. I’m active in the Bay Area Young Adult Librarians organization and the Youth Service Interest group, connecting me to Californian Teen and Children’s librarians. Finally, I’ve been keeping active on social media, especially through the California Libraries Facebook page and the Library Employee Support Network where I try to be a voice of support and encouragement to new library employees.
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