Media from Art Center College of Design in Southern CA. I spent a decade working as a Creative Producer for interactive design companies in Los Angeles, which was great fun to work with generous albeit demanding clients, but decided to return to my love of libraries and finally pursue an MLIS degree. I graduated from San Jose State University’s program while working part-time learning Reference and Youth Services skills at Pasadena Public Library, Altadena Library District, Glendale Public Library and completing an internship at Huntington Hospital. More recently, I've served in library leadership positions: - Regional Librarian for Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Pasadena, managing my own flagship library and supporting 14 more physical and online library campuses across the U.S.
- Library Director for Bridgepoint Education in San Diego, overseeing two online college libraries for Ashford University and University of the Rockies with faculty and students around the globe
- Assistant County Librarian for Yolo County Library in Woodland, a system of 7 public libraries, the County Archives, a Historic Museum, and almost 100 permanent and temporary staff members
- And currently, as the Assistant Regional Administrator for LA County Library in West Covina, guiding and co-supervising 17 library locations, plus 2 bookmobiles, and over 200 staff
On a personal note, I enjoy cooking, baking, eating, reading and traveling, though haven’t done any of these in a while. I spend most of my time these days chasing down 8-year old twins! Candidate Statement Being part of the California Library Association is critical at a time when we’re collectively addressing numerous internal and external challenges: an uptick in community book banning, continued budgetary constraints and dwindling support, a demand for more diversity and equity efforts, the safety and well being of library staff, emerging AI technology, outdated library buildings, and much more. Libraries today are facing many pressures, but we’ve also been more powerful in our direct impact, agile with our services, and creative in our approach than ever before. We have an opportunity to affect positive change through this organization, to create a sustainable and cooperative network to advocate for ourselves and each other, and to help shape our profession in the coming years. Our predecessors built an enormous amount of trust and community goodwill and it’s our turn to guide our libraries into the future - with courage, humility, relevance, and dedication. The California Library Association, and its many encouraging leaders, has had a great influence over my career path. It has brought professional development, longtime friendships, and opportunities to work on new initiatives. I’d be happy to give back to this organization and will work hard to uphold what CLA represents, to maintain its financial stability, to engage our membership, and to ensure that the organization continues to responsibly evolve into what we ideally envision. Thank you for considering me! Questionaire 1. How do you define leadership? Leadership is the ability to recognize and draw upon people’s unique skills and characteristics in order to cooperatively work together for a shared goal or purpose. There’s many types and styles of leadership, but some of the best that I’ve been fortunate enough to encounter, are the ones that are rooted in good intentions, kindness, integrity, strategic thinking, and accountability towards everyone involved. 2. Why are you interested in this position? I believe CLA is a valuable organization that supports and facilitates the work we do within our communities. I care about its future and I care about cultivating it as an entity which connects all of us with platforms for collaboration and innovation. I want to celebrate our libraries’ achievements and work with other members to explore its growing potential, while also continuing its remarkable tradition of developing smart thinkers, energetic problem-solvers, and new leaders. 3. How would you describe your personal leadership/communication style? My approach to leadership and communication is to be friendly, professional, organized, and responsive. I make an effort to be fair, inclusive of others and respectful during communications, which helps to build teamwork. I try to always demonstrate good judgement and sensible guidance in order to build trust over time. When possible, infusing some energy and fun into the process also brings a positive dimension to the serious work we do! 4. What strengths would you bring to the position? I have a creative educational background and am not afraid to consider fresh, intriguing, and even zany ideas. I enjoy hearing about and discussing new developments or unusual methods, particularly if it improves our libraries in some way. Rather than relying exclusively upon past systems and structures, I like to keep an open mind about changing what no longer works, recognizing patterns within the big picture view, and giving others support to experiment, share their voice, and follow their passions. 5. What experience do you bring to this position? My cumulative years and depth of library service has helped me to understand the breadth of our library network and to appreciate the richness of our diverse communities within the state. For example, I’ve worked in public, academic, and special libraries. I’ve represented library systems in major metropolitan cities as well as suburban and rural communities. I’ve worked in Northern CA and Southern CA. I’ve shelved books, delivered customer service, conducted reference and research, acquired and catalogued materials, assisted with Storytimes, supported Friends of the Library, managed staff, facilitated Strategic Plans, contributed to building renovations and upgrades, collaborated with city/depts and elected officials, and have gratefully given countless high fives to fellow staff who do this alongside me every day. All of these experiences, these challenges, these memories, and these relationships, have informed my activities with CLA, helped me to better relate to our members, and serve their needs and aspirations. 6. What issues or trends are particularly informing your work at this time? We have consistently delivered excellent services and support for our communities, yet still wrestle with how to position ourselves, shape the perception of libraries, and tell the compelling story of our work as a whole. We’ve made good progress in demonstrating the positive impact we’ve had on our local communities and upon individual lives, and it’s time to take it even further to highlight and raise broader awareness in new ways. Also, as the former Chair of the American Library Association’s Spectrum Scholar Advisory Board, a program that supports emerging professionals of color to pursue careers in librarianship, I acknowledge the tremendous efforts we’ve made to advance Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and there’s more work to be done. Evolving our discussions, continuing to learn from each other, demonstrating our commitment to doing better, and healing past harms on many levels is still important and at the forefront of our institutional priorities. As an organization, CLA has historically attracted interest from library students and early professionals who are looking to CLA for guidance toward finding mentors, employment, and indications of how they can contribute while jumpstarting their careers. We have endless resources in our membership to provide this support and we welcome their insight to help us continue to build connections, implement new revenue streams, and develop avenues for bolstering CLA’s future. 7. Who are the thought leaders (in libraries or in other fields) who interest you? There are many thought leaders in libraries that have inspired me over the years, though lately I’ve been exploring authors and artists to broaden my perspective. For example, to continue improving my management skills, I really like Kim Scott’s book, Radical Candor. For fun, I still enjoy the work of Banksy, who creates provocative, minimalist, and profound visual statements. When I just need some escapism, I’ll read anything by Melina Marchetta and Margaret Atwood. And to expand my thoughts and imagination, I’ve been exploring the numerous articles on Atlas Obscura/Gastro Obscura, which allow me to revel in the impossible beauty and mystery of our world. 8. Who are the regional and statewide stakeholders libraries need to be in communication with? It makes sense for CLA and our libraries to ensure participation in advocacy with our local, regional, and state officials. We are often the cornerstone of our communities, by enriching and supporting the daily lives of those we serve, and being an integral part of its vibrant culture. Along with demonstrating value, we need to convey how we can serve as a viable, reliable, and influential element within our dynamic communities. The evergreen partnership that CLA has developed with the State Librarian and the California State Library has provided layers of support over the years and we can continue to build upon that for more mutually beneficial support in the coming years. We also have robust networks among regional resource sharing cooperatives and affiliate groups, like Califa, Pacific Library Partnership, and Link+, that partner with us and provide solutions to our shared challenges. In addition, I’d like to capture new opportunities to reach out to library associations in other comparable states and share best practices regarding funding strategies, membership drives, networking benefits, and professional services. We can also develop more aligned relationships with organizations inside the library industry, like United for Libraries, and government organizations, like ICMA, where we can help facilitate their development civic leaders who will champion our libraries when they eventually oversee funding in their jurisdictions. 9. Describe your experience serving on Association committees and/or interest groups. I’ve been involved with CLA Committees since 2015 and have been a presenter at almost every CLA conference in various panel sessions and special events since then. I’ve served on the Awards & Scholarships Committee, the Finance Committee, and the CALL Advisory Board, which has provided a realistic view into CLA priorities and operational procedures. I’ve enjoyed getting to know many people from different libraries and working with them to support the organization. Since 2016, I’ve also served as the Chair of the PRExcellence Awards Committee. It’s been such a privilege to lead our Committee members and be able to see the brilliant and effective marketing products and programs that our libraries have capably imagined and produced year after year. It amazes me still. Last year, I was asked to serve as the Co-Chair for the Conference Programming Committee. This year, I was asked to serve as the Co-Chair of the Annual Conference, which is coming up soon in October 2024. Hope to see you there! 10. Describe your network of connections with library professionals and library stakeholders in California. When we were tasked with assembling a group of professionals to help us evaluate conference session proposals, I realized that I’ve been very fortunate to know library staff up and down the state and be able to cultivate relationships across all aspects of our library world. I was able to call on colleagues, co-workers, acquaintances, and even people I never met face-to-face in order to represent different geographic regions, types of libraries, Friends and Foundations, library vendors, and retired Librarians. Our network is vast and collaborating with people at all levels and alliances with libraries can only make us better and stronger. Thanks for taking the time to learn about me. Now I’d like to learn more about you…
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