Meet a Member

Kimberly Knight

VLA President-Elect

What is your current position? Deputy Director

Where do you work? Alexandria Library

When did you first know that you wanted to work in the library field? When I moved to the state of California with my toddler daughter over two decades ago, the library was a welcoming place. I brought her to the toddler story-times and we immediately made friends, felt welcomed, and discovered so many free activities for our young family. I loved the way all were welcome, it was an active learning place for everyone, and helped me connect and learn about my new community. Also, the Children's Librarian told me about an open position in the library that fit with my college major and opened my eyes to a career in librarianship.

What is your favorite part of librarianship? I love that we work to transform lives through offering information, materials, services, tools, and programs. We are open to all and strive to be a resource for those seeking educational, entertainment, and referral services. There is always something new going on and we strive to stay relevant by embracing change. We are sometimes quiet and sometimes uproarious during programming!

What was your first library or library related job? I was a Library Assistant at the African American Museum and Library at Oakland in California. It was a small museum, archive, and library that time.

What projects or programs are you currently working on at your library?  We are rolling out circulating mobile hotspots and Chromebook to help customer who don't have access to internet or computers at home. I'm leading the refresh of our 5-Year-Plan. We are conducting an equity audit of our collections to ensure our collections represent the diversity of our community and their interests. Also, we are doing outdoor programming to engage with customers while it has not been safe to hold programs indoors due to COVID-19.  Now we are planning for our "New Normal" in the New Year. 

What issue or topic in librarianship are you most interested in? I am mostly interested in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion with a special interest in Digital Equity.  As a former children's librarian, Early Literacy and Family Literacy will always be close to my heart. Advocacy and Intellectual Freedom are also very important me.  

Why are you a member of VLA and what is the most important reason to you for being a member of VLA? I'm a member of VLA because it is a dynamic organization that provides opportunities for professional development, networking, and throws the best parties (I mean conferences)!

Contact Kimberly Knight at [email protected]