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Heather_Firchow

Heather Daniels Firchow, LA County Library

Candidate for Board Member at Large

 

 

Candidate for President-Elect

Candidate for Secretary

Candidates for Member at Large
Firchow

Tell us about your background and what made you want to run for the Board of the California Library Association?

I am a library True Believer! From my first Library Page job at Pasadena Public Library when I was 16, through stints as a Library Assistant, Liaison, Librarian (Children's, Teen, Adult, Senior), Regional Administrator, all the way to my current position as a Youth Services Administrator at LA County Library. I have always believed in the power of libraries to change people's lives for the better. I also am keenly aware that the true power of libraries to transform people’s lives is the library staff.

Our teams deserve all of the credit for the impact that libraries have in our communities. 

Having said that, we still have a lot of work to do. I am very interested in having the hard conversations around race, representation, inclusion, and equity. Those challenging conversations that we shy away from because they are uncomfortable and frightening. We don’t want to say the wrong thing or offend someone. As a BIPOC I know that we need to get comfortable having the difficult conversations so that we are empowered to move forward as an organization. This has been a life-changing few years, and I hope to work as a CLA Board Member At-Large to provide assistance, engagement, and a forum for discussions about what is important to California Library Association members. I have long been an admirer of so many of our former CLA Board members and I want to be of service as they have to improve CLA, to improve and enhance our libraries, the lives of the people that work in our libraries, and the lives of people in our communities throughout California.  "

What experience do you have that will serve you while completing your three-year term?

I have worked in Public Libraries of varying sizes, have held different positions, have served diverse communities throughout Riverside and Los Angeles County for over 30 years. I have experience working collaboratively with multiple library systems as a liaison to staff committees (at the Metropolitan Cooperative Library System NKA SCLC) where I had the opportunity to plan staff development training and worked on projects that provided Summer Reading Program resources for hundreds of libraries. I have worked with libraries and library systems on resources for library users and training opportunities for staff. Additionally, I have worked collaboratively with librarians at other libraries to share ideas and resources, collaborate on projects, and to mentor librarians and library staff. As a leader and a member of the Administrative team at LA County Library, I have experience managing system-wide programs and projects and working with community stakeholders to accomplish impactful and innovative work for library users. I've been a CLA member for many years and I understand the importance of the collaborative nature of CLA. I want to bring my unique perspective, my energy, and my experience to the role of Board-At-Large to increase CLA's impact.

What is the most important thing the Board of the California Library Association should do in the next three years, and how will you contribute?

 Increase CLA Membership! As we increase CLA's membership, CLA becomes a stronger and more vital organization that can support California's Libraries more effectively. I would work to promote the benefits and advocate about the importance of supporting CLA by becoming a member. I would work to get the word to non-CLA member how CLA advocates for California's Libraries and library staff and figure out new ways to engage and encourage potential members. 

What has the California Library Association accomplished during the pandemic that should continue, and how will you help make that happen?

Offering a Virtual Conference. Providing virtual access was particularly important for our members that could not travel during the pandemic due to decreased library budgets, decreased staff support, and increased responsibilities. We know that many of those same issues, including continued concerns about travel will affect in-person Conference attendance in 2022. I’d work with the Board and the Conference Committee to advocate for a hybrid Conference that includes engagement opportunities for remote attendees, provides virtual experiences, and ensures that archived content is available for in-person attendees and remote attendees alike.