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BiographySince 2014, Derek Wolfgram has been Director of Redwood City Public Library, where he focuses on community collaborations, equity and inclusion efforts, and creating experiences to help people share the joys of literacy and learning. Since earning his Master of Library Science degree from Kent State University, Derek’s 25-year career in public libraries has also included management and administrative roles at Denver Public Library, Butte County Library, and Santa Clara County Library District. Derek and his wife Robin live in Redwood City with their dog Izzy, a Whippet / Carolina Dog / Border Collie / Rat Terrier mix, who was rescued from Caborca, Sonora, Mexico.
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Candidate Statement:
Coming out of the pandemic, CLA is facing significant revenue challenges from both conferences and membership. As the current CLA Treasurer, having been appointed to serve from September 1 until the 2022 election following Mark Fink’s resignation. and having previously served as Treasurer from 2017-2020, Derek is intimately familiar with CLA finances and can bring that experience to making recommendations for stabilizing and growing the organization’s budget. Innovations that moved forward during Derek’s previous term as Treasurer included the establishment of a lifetime member category and a reduced paraprofessional membership rate, the creation of multiple tiers of enhanced institutional memberships, institutional membership dues increases for the libraries with the largest budgets, a business membership dues increase, creation of a group registration process for conference, and the restructuring of asset allocations for CLA investment accounts. Derek also increased CLA’s financial transparency by ensuring that all key current financial documents were posted on the website.
With over 15 years of California Library Association membership and engagement since moving to California in 2006, Derek has a deep understanding of the structure, governance, finances, and capabilities of the California Library Association. In addition to Derek’s current and past terms as Treasurer, he has also served as CLA President, and he chaired the 2016 Annual Conference in Sacramento. He is a lifetime member of CLA, and he currently chairs the Ursula Meyer Fund Steering Committee and serves on the Bylaws & Governance Committee. He has also been a member of the Conference, Finance, Intellectual Freedom, Leadership Development, Legislation & Advocacy, and Membership Committees. Derek won the CLA Outstanding Librarian in Support of Literacy award in 2009.
Derek is also deeply involved in other work on behalf of libraries and his community. He is chair of the Public Library Association Leadership Development Committee, a member of the Redwood City Chamber Education Committee, a Community Advisory Board Member for the San Mateo County Pride Center, a member of the Welcoming Redwood City Working Group of Redwood City Together, and Treasurer for Redwood City International.
1. How do you define leadership?
Leadership entails the translation of vision to action. Leaders develop a compelling vision for the work of an organization, passionately communicate it to both the people to be served and the people who will do the work in order to develop a sense of urgency and excitement, and provide the necessary guidance and resources to support the people who make the vision a reality. Leadership is proactive, positive, and participatory – leaders invite the engagement and contributions of others not only by listening to their ideas and solutions, but by facilitating opportunities for people to play a meaningful part in achieving the desired outcomes.
2. Why are you interested in this position?
My favorite part of my 15 years of CLA volunteerism has been the opportunity to work with amazing, creative, passionate, dedicated colleagues throughout the state who made even the most challenging work an absolute pleasure. CLA's success comes from the combined impact of the contributions of a diverse team of hundreds of engaged members, supported and directed by the guidance of the CLA Board, and serving in multiple leadership roles on the Board is one of my proudest professional accomplishments. I enjoy contributing to the success of the organization that has given me so many opportunities to learn and grow professionally. I have a particular interest in the financial sustainability of CLA, having seen firsthand a number of approaches to organizational structure and staffing over the last decade and a half.
3. How would you describe your personal leadership/communication style?
In many ways, I view leadership as a facilitation activity – I don’t need to be the one whose ideas are implemented, as long as I’m comfortable that my colleagues and I have engaged in a process that results in the best ideas being the ones implemented. I am very open and collaborative, seeking to actively involve others and give them opportunities to contribute to the organization’s work while simultaneously growing and developing as professionals. In each library system for which I’ve worked, I’ve received accolades from front line staff for my positive and proactive communication to keep people informed about what’s happening and maintain focus on the organization’s vision, as well as authentically listening to their ideas. I also think it’s very important to bring an element of fun and humor into work situations whenever possible.
4. What strengths would you bring to the position?
My work in CLA and California public libraries has demonstrated my leadership abilities, and I’ve also served as a mentor for four years of California’s statewide leadership development institutes. I think my positive, proactive communication and active listening ability are great strengths. I’m also very focused on data-driven decision making and very comfortable with a variety of statistical and outcome measurements. I’ve always prided myself on my ability to foster experimentation and innovation in libraries for the benefit of their communities while keeping focused on core mission and strategies. I also have a deep background in creating, delivering, and designing professional development activities, from conferences to staff development days to individual workshops on a variety of topics, and this work continues to dovetail with CLA’s priorities and activities.
5. What experience do you bring to this position?
With over 15 years of California Library Association membership and engagement since moving to California in 2006, I have a deep understanding of the structure, governance, finances, and capabilities of the California Library Association. In addition to my current and past terms as Treasurer, I have also served as CLA President, and chaired the 2016 Annual Conference in Sacramento. I am a lifetime member of CLA, and I currently chair the Ursula Meyer Fund Steering Committee and serve on the Bylaws & Governance Committee. I have also been a member of the Conference, Finance, Intellectual Freedom, Leadership Development, Legislation & Advocacy, and Membership Committees. Serving as President and Treasurer, as well as having been Conference Chair, has given me a lot of insights into the finances of CLA. From a broader financial perspective, I’ve successfully managed a variety of library budgets ranging from $3 million to $22 million. I also serve as the Treasurer of Redwood City International, a 501(c)3 organization that sustains Redwood City’s relationships with its sister cities in China and Mexico.
6. What issues or trends are particularly informing your work at this time?
Redwood City Public Library’s service priorities have been primarily focused on equity and inclusion since a series of community conversations in 2016 told us that’s what our community aspired to. We are right in the middle of a new series of community conversations, in which we have been more proactive and intentional about inclusion, working with community partners with whom we’ve built relationships to schedule specific listening sessions for BIPOC residents, LGBTQ+ folks, people with disabilities, unsheltered folks, and other historically marginalized segments of our community. Our Library Takeover program series worked to provide an opportunity for a diverse group of community partners to co-create library programs and services alongside our staff, and this is an approach we will build upon in developing our new service priorities for 2023 and beyond.
7. Who are the thought leaders (in libraries or in other fields) who interest you?
The humanism and humor of Kurt Vonnegut, the empathy and pragmatism of Barack and Michelle Obama, the inclusivity and kindness of Todd Parr, and the social activism and curiosity of Henry Rollins.
8. Who are the regional and statewide stakeholders libraries need to be in communication with?
The California library community is blessed with a number of organizations that contribute to different elements of our success as a community – the California State Library, regional library systems, Califa, California Public Library Advocates, and CLA, to name just a few of the larger entities. Facilitating connections among public, academic, school, special, and law libraries and the organizations who serve them creates opportunities for collaboration and amplified messaging. Open communication and coordination among all of these groups is crucial to making sure we highlight what’s important about libraries to the broader community. But we can’t stay focused inward within the Library community – communication with Federal and State legislators, as well as regional and local elected officials, is essential to ensure that library priorities are heard by the people who drive policy and funding decisions. There are other statewide entities that share many of our priorities, including, but not limited to, labor unions, educational nonprofits, and faith-based organizations – our work would definitely be strengthened by deeper and broader connections with groups from other disciplines but whose philosophies overlap with ours.
9. Describe your experience serving on association committees and/or interest groups.
I currently chair the Ursula Meyer Fund Steering Committee and serve on the Bylaws & Governance Committee. I have also been a member of the Conference, Finance, Intellectual Freedom, Leadership Development, Legislation & Advocacy, and Membership Committees. At some point, I hope to serve on the Awards and Scholarships Committee and the Interest Group Committee so I can complete my CLA Committee member bingo card.
10. Describe your network of connections with library professionals and library stakeholders in California
Largely thanks to my experience with CLA and the fact that I haven’t missed a CLA Conference since moving to California in 2006, I have a robust network of trusted colleagues and friends throughout the State that I can count on for guidance, support, or just great conversations when we get together. As someone who has served as a leader in three different California public library systems in addition to my deep experience with CLA and the mentees (and mentors!) with whom I connected in the Eureka Leadership Institute and the subsequent California Library Leadership Institute, I feel like there are relatively few degrees of separation between me and many California library workers. I really enjoy learning what other libraries are up to and helping connect colleagues who are looking for a change to library employers who seem like a great fit. I have also presented nearly 40 workshops or talks in California for the CLA Annual Conference, California League of Cities, California Special Districts Association, CALTAC/CPLA, Eureka Leadership Institute, Pacific Library Partnership, CENIC Conference, California Center for the Book, and more. Each of these has introduced me to new colleagues or stakeholders in the California library universe.
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