Erica Gudiño and Keirstin Winslow: 2022 Joint Conference of Librarians of Color Travel Grant Recipients

VLA is pleased to announce the recipients of 2022 Joint Conference of Librarians of Color: Erica Gudiño and Keirstin Winslow. They each receive $1,500 to help with travel expenses for attending the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color, October 5-9, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Congratulations to Erica and Keirsten. We can't wait to hear about your experience.

Erica Gudiño

Originally from Middleburg, Va., Erica Gudiño is passionate about serving community members through librarianship, preserving Virginia's complex histories, and providing access to resources for Spanish-speaking patrons. She currently works as a Library Assistant at the William R. and Norma B. Harvey Library's Peabody Special Collections at Hampton University.  Erica will pursue her MLIS at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., this Fall. After completing her degree, she hopes to continue her career in librarianship at a community college library in Virginia to help patrons from all walks of life continue their education.

"I am extremely excited to have received the JCLC Travel Grant from the VLA! As a library professional new to the field, I look forward to attending the JCLC Conference to better serve my patrons. With this opportunity, I plan to learn how other HBCU libraries, and other predominantly minority serving libraries, are working to better connect with their patrons and expand their collections. I am primarily interested in any new outreach initiatives for more user engagement, both digitally and in person, since the pandemic has drastically impacted our patron traffic."

Keirstin Winslow

Keirstin Winslow currently serves as a Library Services Coordinator for the Suffolk Public Library. She has worked in a variety of areas within librarianship, including programming, outreach, student engagement, and volunteer management. She has a MLIS. from Kent State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree  in Hispanic Studies from the College of William and Mary. In 2016, she was awarded the esteemed ALA Spectrum Scholarship.

Keirstin has worked in libraries since she was a teen and is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. In previous roles, she has managed a tutoring program for children in underserved areas, provided outreach services to populations impacted by incarceration, and developed an online Community Resource Guide for the public.

“I am excited and grateful for the opportunity that the Virginia Library Association has given me to attend the 2022 Joint Conference of Librarians of Color. I am seeking innovative ways to serve the diverse communities that comprise the Hampton Roads area. It will be a time to reflect and problem solve current DEI topics in librarianship with experts in the field. Inclusion is at the heart of all of the work I have done in libraries. This conference will help me continue the rewarding work of creating inclusive programming and services for the public!”