The VLA 2022 Election of Officers is open August 3 - September 15

Professional associations are a constant inspiration for Kimberly. She has been active with the Virginia Library Association for many years. In 2013, she co-presented on the Book Dating for Singles program at conference in Williamsburg.  Additionally, Kimberly served twice on the Conference Planning Committee; chaired the Conference Planning Social Media sub-committee; attended the Presenters Pre-Conference, presented a webinar for VLA called, Reimagined: Tips & Tricks for New Managers, served on the Officer’s Nominating Committee, and most recently chaired the sub-committee that drafted the new Librarians of Color Award.  Formerly she served on the DC Library Association’s Board. At the national level, Kimberly is Chair of the Public Libraries Magazine Advisory Board and serving her second term as an ALA Councilor-at-Large. She previously served as Co-President of the California Librarian’s Black Caucus, ALSC Great Websites for Children, on The ALA Century Scholarship Award Jury, PLA Conference Planning Subcommittee, and member of the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA). 

Kimberly has more than 20 years of experience in library leadership. She has completed continuous formal leadership training including the ALA and PLA Leadership Academies, and Toastmasters. She trained other library professionals by presenting on management and leadership at local and national conferences, in webinars, and has written for library journals. 

 A recent direct report described Kimberly as, “a librarian’s librarian” in that she is passionate about libraries, active in professional associations, and has a vast network of contacts in the profession while remaining open, engaged, and inspired by the work we do in libraries of all types. She looks forward to the opportunity to serve the Virginia Library Association as Vice-President/President Elect and to get to know you!  

Candidate Statement

Libraries speak to so many driving forces in my life: caring, fairness, sharing, diversity, advocacy, celebrating each other, and making a space for all at the table.  After graduating from UVA with a degree in African American Studies, I cast about for what to do next.  I wanted a meaningful profession, that helped others to achieve personal and professional goals, helped with vital information, and celebrated everyone’s membership in a dynamic and diverse community—sometimes quiet, sometimes a party, and always making a difference.  

The first time I saw that possibility was when I moved to Oakland, CA and began taking my toddler to the children’s story times at the Lake Merritt Branch Library.  We met a welcoming children’s librarian who re-introduced me to the library: a dynamic place for information, entertainment, and free events that highlight diverse history, cultural, and celebratory moments in our communities. The librarian told me about a Library Assistant opening at the African American Museum and Library at the Oakland Public Library. When I began working there, my career was born!  

Throughout my rewarding career in libraries, I’ve worn many hats: children’s librarian, young adult librarian, storyteller, reference librarian, magician’s assistant, branch manager, advocate, accessibility manager, part-time university librarian, community leader, and leader of managers in IT, finance, branches, training, a law library, and a local history/special collections branch.  I’ve welcomed new Americans, braided hair with teens, trained parents on early literacy, lobbied state and national elected officials, and hosted cultural programs such Latin dance, opera, ballet, African dance, theatre, tap, gospel, and historical re-enactors. I’ve advocated for the profession, users, and diverse literature.  I’ve served on panels discussing diversity and inclusion in libraries as well as advocated for intellectual freedom. I’ve shared my growing knowledge on management and leadership in libraries locally, statewide and nationally.  I’ve performed outreach in schools, senior centers and in unexpected places like public parks, public health clinics, and even at an Ikea.  During the COVID-19 Pandemic, I led a small team in creating the Outdoor Computer Café to ensure library customers could have computer access even when our doors were closed.  All of my work in libraries has been driven by my passion for people, literature, stories, and thriving communities.   

One of my proudest moments in librarianship was speaking up for the Resolution on Monetary Library Fines as a Form of Social Inequity, 2018-2019 ALA CD#38 (Rev. 1/27), as an ALA Councilor in 2019,  http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/economicbarriers . In my 2.5 years on Council, I’d never addressed the group at any council meeting. This time, I shared one of my saddest experiences had been hearing parents tell their children they could not borrow from the library because they could not afford to pay fines. While the resolution had been aspirational, I am so proud every time a library can announce they’ve received the support from their jurisdiction to go fine free!  I think that resolution represents the best of who we are, caring advocates for our users who ensure equal access to information across socio-economic and other barriers.

As described in my biography, I’ve served in VLA in several capacities over the years and have been very active in many local, state, and national associations. My long and varied career in libraries inspires my vision to help our great organization continue finding new and innovative ways to make room under the VLA umbrella for a diverse, growing membership. Together we can accomplish this through our programming, continuing education opportunities, advocacy, committees, and wide variety of forums. Thank you for the opportunity to share my passions about libraries with you.  I look forward to the opportunity to serve as Vice-President/President Elect of VLA. Please honor me with your vote. 

Candidate for Second Vice-President (2-year position): Zachary Elder

Biography

I hope to use my wide range of experience across Special Collections and Academic and Public Libraries to assist library professionals and the communities they serve across Virginia. 

My love for libraries dates back to my childhood in Ohio. It’s thanks to the Fairfield County District librarians not strictly enforcing the unattended child policy that has helped make me the person I am today. My first work in libraries came as a student assistant in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at the Ohio State University. After graduation and several years in the software profession, I started my career at Duke University’s Rare Book and Manuscripts Library (now named after David M. Rubenstein) while attending North Carolina Central University’s School of Library and Information Science. 

Following graduation, I took my first management position, at the George Washington University Libraries. There, I helped improve access through creating a “service for fines” initiative for students and helped guide a major renovation of our public services floors. Later, as Acting Director of the Eckles Library, on the Mt. Vernon campus, I advocated for Open Educational Resources and textbooks. I also developed a safety and wellness fair with partners from across the University, as well as D.C. 

After years in academic libraries, I felt called to public service. I went on to serve in branch management roles with Newport News Public Library and Chesapeake Public Library (CPL). Currently, I serve as Assistant Director of CPL. I am proud of how our staff continue to go above and beyond—despite the pandemic - innovating, assisting other city departments, and adjusting services, all while keeping a strong public profile and maintaining the safety of customers and other staff. 

Candidate Statement

For those of you who have been at a recent VLA conference, I’m one of the smiling volunteer blurs you might see rushing by in-between sessions, or pestering you all to moderate or pass out box lunches. I can only promise that if selected I will bring that energy and positive attitude to the Executive Committee. 

And we’ll need it. We are at an important inflection point for our profession. The pandemic has tightened our budgets, yet Virginians need library services more than ever. We must retain and grow the trust of the public while simultaneously fighting disinformation in an increasingly divisive environment. We must advance diversity, equity, and inclusion while educating and communicating the benefits, even to groups that may be hostile to that advancement. 

Fortunately, now more than ever, people are aware of the services libraries provide. They know about the lives we enrich and the gaps we bridge. As libraries reopen and continue providing resources, services, spaces, and ourselves to our communities, we have and will need a strong association committed to advocating for our mission, our workers, and our customers. As Vice President, I will help Virginia libraries campaign for those needs that have been deferred or denied in the past. 

We must do this by matching our marketing to our audience. For economic developers and fiscal conservatives, we’ll demonstrate the Return-On-Investment ratio of 5:1 or higher and show that building a library branch raises property values around it so much that it more than pays for itself. For those concerned with quality-of-life, we’ll demonstrate libraries as the hubs of thought, culture, and art that make them the center of their community. For the Chamber of Commerce, we’ll point out the positive outcomes of library work in skills development and entrepreneurship. In academic libraries, we’ll point out to leaders that well-resourced libraries lead to higher student success, improved acceptance ratios, increased faculty retention, and positive accreditation outcomes. We’ll tailor our message and hammer it home. Because, as we have all learned from the pandemic, from the social justice movement, and from the ongoing struggle with disinformation that led to the Capitol insurrection, lives are at stake. 

Candidate for Second Vice-President (2-year position): Cynthia Hart

Biography

With varied experience in administration, supervision and programming, Cindy has worked as a public librarian for more than 30 years in progressively responsible positions with the Virginia Beach Public Library. For more than a decade, she managed the Library’s intranet and Internet sites including all virtual resources, services, and digital collections.  In addition, she established and managed the Library’s social media presence, coordinated gaming and multimedia projects as well as developed and implemented web 2.0 training and tools. Working with TagWhat, she led the Library to be the first in the nation to use augmented reality to boost local history collections and provide rich location-based storytelling.

She was responsible for planning and support for the Library Department’s integration of innovative technology initiatives and equipment. She recommended, designed, and implemented new programs system-wide. She was a trend-watcher and strategic planner, identifying and writing about emerging technologies, presenting analysis and proposals to guide planning and decision making.  In addition, she managed technology and technology programming, as well as shared daily responsibility for the TCC / City Joint-Use Library, a collaboration library between Tidewater Community College and the City of Virginia Beach.

Currently, she is the branch manager of the Oceanfront Area Library, located in the resort beach area of Virginia Beach.  Well versed in strategic planning and operations of both public and academic libraries, her qualifications are a unique combination of technological competence with managerial experience. She holds an B.S. in Business Administration / Economics from Old Dominion University and a M.S in Information Science from University of Tennessee at Knoxville. 

Candidate Statement

As a young child, I spent a lot of time in libraries. I was enchanted with words, books, and stories.  While I admired librarians, I never imagined that I’d be one when I grew up.  I chose the profession because it offers me an on-going opportunity to make a positive impact in my community.  Helping people thrive is an honorable vocation. It’s what libraries and librarians do.  I have a proven track record of delivering on the promise of preparing great plans for now and the future.

I want to work with each of you to create a vibrant future for libraries and the communities we serve.  How we do that depends on us.  We’re a strong profession that supports inclusion and diversity within our communities. I promise to work to reframe challenges into opportunities, and cultivate the necessary mindset and skill sets to move the profession forward in a changing world.