My professional interests include partnership development, readers’ advisory, community engagement, communications and marketing, change management, and social justice.

I became a librarian to help people find books because I think that sometimes the right book at the right time can change people’s lives.

I don’t believe there’s such a thing as boys’ books and girls’ books. I think graphic novels count as real reading (so do audiobooks). I think people should read what they want, and I think there’s a book out there for everyone. But I still think it’s okay if you grow up to like cartoons more than books, or you climb mountains or untangle threads of DNA in search of stories rather than find them between pages of books.

Books are at the heart of what libraries do: they are the only institutions that collect and organize books and materials for community members to share. Not only that but they are staffed by professionals who help. In today’s world of privatization and late-stage capitalism, that is a radical act. The organized campaign against certain types of books is rooted in hatred, but it also reveals the principle that knowledge should be free. Defending intellectual freedom, access to information, and public funding for libraries is essential work.

However, I also believe that libraries are more than just repositories of books and other materials. They’re community centers and often the last public place where everyone is welcome. They connect people to information and resources no matter what form they take, and they provide the tools that enrich people’s lives. Libraries should be outward-facing, and their strategic planning should be community-driven.

Libraries need to invest in their staff, who are increasingly burnt out, overextended, and underpaid despite the increasingly complex, intricate, varied, and essential work they are being asked to do. I’m a fierce advocate for staff training, empowerment, and advocacy for the profession.

Though I’ve been a manager for a long time, I’m first and foremost a librarian. I want to connect people with books, information, and each other.