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Rosemary_Medina

Rosemary Medina, Los Angeles County Library

Candidate for Board Member at Large

 

 

Candidate for President-Elect

Candidate for Secretary

Candidates for Member at Large

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

I want to run for the Board of the California Library Association because I want to give back to the larger library community. I have been the President of the UCLA LIS Alumni Association for the last two years, and feel confident that I am ready to move into a bigger role.

To put it simply, I am dedicated to the public library. I have been working with LA County since 2007, working at several branches,

including Marina del Rey, View Park, Topanga, Culver City and West Hollywood. In 2018, I earned my undergraduate degree at UC Davis, majoring in Gender, Sexuality and Women’s studies. Throughout my education, I interned at the Otis College of Art and Design, The Museum of Jurassic Technology, The Center for the Study of Political Graphics, UCLA Special Collections and UCLA Powell Library as a librarian and archivist. I earned my Masters in Library and Information Science from UCLA in 2020 where my main research centered on Children’s Librarianship in public libraries, with an emphasis on providing services for LGBT children and families.

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

During my time at UCLA I joined multiple student organizations such as the Horn Press, The ALA chapter at UCLA and the Student Government Board. These roles helped me prepare for my Presidential role for LISAA. As president, I conducted regular meetings, hosted happy hours via Zoom and Discord, and organized a virtual Annual Spring Awards dinner for UCLA LIS Alumni during the pandemic.

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?

The Board of the California Library Association should continue to build the bridge between current MLIS students and the professional field. As the current president of the UCLA LISAA, I have helped to sustain the mentorship program and have joined UCLA’s iSchool to expand mentorship opportunities with UCLA librarians. This is an important program that allows current LIS students to connect with professions, get help with picking classes and internships and to learn more about the field. I know that CLA has a mentorship program but I would like to help it to continue to grow.

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

The CLA has created great opportunities and content for professional development during the pandemic. The listserv shared a lot of opportunities for growth, career opportunities, courses and more during the pandemic that was useful for me, and I would like to see it continue. I can help by collaborating with different organizations, libraries and individuals to keep them going.