| Tell us about your background and what made you want to run for the Board of the California Library Association?I currently serve as the director of the City of Glendale’s Library, Arts & Culture Department, an eight-branch library system, and as adjunct faculty for the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California’s Master of Management in Library and Information Science (MMLIS) program. Prior to working for the City of Glendale, I was an Assistant Dean at USC Libraries and headed the USC MMLIS program and the USC Center for Library Leadership and Management. In addition to Glendale and USC, I have worked for the Los Angeles County Library as a
reference and administrative librarian, and at the
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Sacramento Public
Library as their director of marketing and outreach. I have also worked
in libraries outside of California. I started my library career as a
Public Urban Library Service & Education fellow/trainee at the
Brooklyn Public Library while in library school. And from 2011-2016, I
was the CEO/Library Director of the Tulsa City-County Library, an
award-winning 24-branch library system located in northeast Oklahoma.
I have authored two books and co-edited a third: 1) Emotional Intelligence & Critical Thinking for Library Leaders, 2) Creating the Sustainable Public Library, and 3) The Sustainable Library’s Cookbook. The latter was co-edited with Dr. Ray Pun. I received my Ph.D. in Managerial Leadership in the Information Professions from Simmons University in Boston and my MLIS from the Pratt Institute in New York City. I also hold masters’ in professional writing and intellectual property law. I am proud to have been twice-elected to the PLA board and I also served on ALA Council. I was named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker while still in library school. Prior to working in libraries, I worked in advertising on large Fortune 100 accounts.
In addition to my ALA and PLA roles, I have gained board experience serving as Vice Chair of the Southern California Library Cooperative and as Treasurer of Califa. I have also been fortunate to be chosen to advocate for copyright reform for libraries and archives at the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva, Switzerland and to represent U.S. libraries in Taiwan and China. I believe all this experience allows me to understand these connections from local to international and how they might all work better together to achieve their shared goals.
I feel California libraries are stronger when they act together. Thus, I believe in associations like CLA. My connections to CLA run deep. I interviewed for my first professional job as a librarian at the annual CLA Conference. I wish to run for CLA President-Elect as I feel my marketing, fundraising, partnership-building, and fiscal management skills are the skills CLA needs right now. I will detail more about these in my next response. What experience do you have that will serve you while completing your three-year term?When a past CLA President asked if I would stand for CLA President, I enthusiastically answered, “Yes!” The reason: the experience I possess is a great fit. They include: marketing, fundraising, partnership formation, and strong fiscal management.
Marketing- In Sacramento, my team and I reimagined the marketing of a library system for residents. We launched our Better Every Day campaign, including a new website, marketing pieces, and branding. We touted improvement to service and the benefits that service could have on their lives. I believe CLA and all libraries could benefit from improved marketing. I would like to share my years of marketing experience to improve the public perception and use of our collective libraries and CLA.
Fundraising- At the Tulsa-City County Library, my team and I raised over $33 million for our library's 501(c)(3) in order to remake our Central Library. We also convinced our non-affiliated City Council and voters to give us an extra $10 million towards our effort. We turned a complaint call from a donor into a $750,000 donation for a new bookmobile. It took hard work and preparation, but in the end all we did was ask. CLA is also a 501(c)(3) organization; eligible for charitable contributions and grant support. I would like to bring my fundraising prowess to bear for CLA.
Partnership Formation- Throughout the years, my colleagues and I have partnered with Dave Eggers’ 826 organization to provide an after-school site at a public library in Brooklyn that still operates today and has served over 8,000 youths to date. We partnered with the Cherokee Nation and Mango Learning Languages to place the first indigenous language on the Mango app, making it available to over 2,000 public libraries. We partnered with Starbucks Corporation to put the first library-owned and operated Starbucks in a public library in the U.S. These are just three of the many library partnerships on which I worked. When I started working in libraries, all I saw was strategic partnership potential. I would like to share these skills with CLA to improve our statewide community standing.
Strong Fiscal Management- Shortly after beginning my tenure at Tulsa, usage increased because of our new marketing, but a law passed with potential to impede property tax collections. We trimmed the budget so no layoffs were necessary. We worked to become more efficient in every way. We were transparent with staff and got everyone pulling in the same direction. Today, as vice chair and finance committee chair of the Southern California Library Cooperative (SCLC), I am proud to have worked with my fellow board members to make SCLC more financially sound and sustainable. Should you choose me as your CLA President-elect, I will work with the CLA Finance Committee and Treasurer to help improve CLA and our libraries statewide reputation and use via marketing and partnerships and to make CLA more financially sustainable. 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 most important thing the Board of CLA should do in the next 3 years is ensure the association’s and California libraries’ sustainability for the future. Another is assisting libraries with Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Antiracism (IDEA) initiatives.
Sustainability- My primary area of scholarship is institutional sustainability. The three parts of sustainability are social (people), economic (financial/performance), and environmental (planet). While environmental sustainability is important, if an organization is not financially sustainable, it cannot survive. I have helped raise much funds for my library systems through grants and private foundation gifts. I am fiscally conservative yet innovative with budgets. I have lobbied locally, statewide, and nationally for libraries. I see lobbying the state legislature and working hand-in-hand with the State Library on behalf of all libraries as a big role for a CLA president. I also believe that CLA membership (people) needs to grow. I would use my marketing skills to help in this area. I believe I can be of the best value to CLA in helping it and California libraries become more sustainable.
Inclusion– Diversity – Equity – Antiracism - At my library, much of my time is spent on IDEA initiatives. Last fiscal year my colleagues and I hosted a panel on racism, past and present. We also conducted all the research to help our city become the first city in California to pass a sundown town resolution acknowledging, apologizing, and atoning for our contributions to systemic racism. In working towards this effort, my colleagues and I hosted a 10-month long series titled Be the Change: Inclusion – Diversity – Equity – Antiracism. This series was convened to help build a collective understanding of systemic racism, elevate the voices and stories of Black, Indigenous and People of Color, and inspire our community members to be the change. Because this issue was (and remains) bigger than our city, it was presented to the membership of the Southern California Library Cooperative (SCLC) who enthusiastically agreed to participate in and promote it. We also negotiated with, and received free advertising support from, a local newspaper group, which publishes in six SCLC communities. This year, we are continuing this initiative and will even feature one of the author’s books as our one-book community read.
It is wonderful to talk about diversity, but another to live it. If a workforce is not diverse then we are not truly embracing diversity. At my library, we take a broad view of diversity. We have consciously set about recruiting a diverse workforce and I am proud to say my colleagues and I represent a library where 73% of staff identify as diverse.
Should you choose me as your CLA President-elect, I would pledge to work towards making CLA sustainable and put great effort towards helping CLA help our libraries statewide with their IDEA initiatives. What has the California Library Association accomplished during the pandemic that should continue, and how will you help make that happen? This last year CLA has done an excellent job with advocacy, lobbying, training, interest groups, awards, scholarships, and conference.
Advocacy- Several times I have received notice from CLA asking me or my stakeholders to write to our local assembly or U.S. Congress members. I have ghost-written letters on behalf of my foundation and tweeted my thanks to statewide officials. CLA has been keeping me apprised of national and statewide happenings. I would welcome the opportunity to advocate on behalf of CLA in any forum.
Lobbying- CLA is doing a great job lobbying the legislature, the State Library, and Congress, as evidenced by the amount of dollars currently being put towards California libraries. CLA should continue to retain long-time lobbyists Mike Dillon and Christina DiCaro, given their effective efforts. I would be honored to represent CLA to the legislature, the State Library, or any other body necessary.
Training- The Ursula Meyer Advocacy Fund Training Series should continue as its training is invaluable. Through such CLA efforts, I was able to offer a CLA workshop on sustainability to members for Spring Fling 2020. Additionally, CLA should continue to make institutional discounts available for its conference. Such training opportunities are invaluable and should continue when sustainable. I would advocate for such training to continue.
Interest groups- From Academic libraries to Youth Services, CLA offers something for every member. Especially important is the work being done by the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion interest group. CLA would be well served to bolster this group in any way it can, so that it may better assist librarians across the state with their IDEA initiatives. I would advocate hard for all Interests Groups, and would advocate for an LGBTIQ+ Interest Group too.
Awards and Scholarships- Providing people with recognition for their accomplishments and students with opportunities to earn scholarships is an important role of CLA. Awards help inspire others to contribute to society and help us to celebrate our successes as an organization, a profession, and as individuals. Being able to sponsor a scholarship helps CLA with planned giving (fundraising) and helps students defer the costs of their studies. I would advocate reinvigorating our awards and scholarship efforts to provide even more recognition and highlight how they can by noteworthy fundraising tools.
Conference- The annual conference helps support CLA financially year round. I applaud CLA leadership for successfully holding the last conference virtually. By pivoting to this, CLA was not only able to hold the conference, but also take advantage of the virtual nature by welcoming attendees and speakers from across the country. If we are unable to hold the conference in 2022 in person, pivoting to a digital offering is better than no event at all. I will support the annual conference in any way I can to make it the best it can be during my presidential term.
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