Prelims

Half Title

Volume 42

CELEBRATING THE JAMES PARTRIDGE AWARD: ESSAYS TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MORE DIVERSE, INCLUSIVE, AND EQUITABLE FIELD OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE

Advances in Librarianship

Editorial Advisory Board

Editors

Paul T. Jaeger, University of Maryland, Series Co-Editor

John Carlo Bertot, University of Maryland, Series Co-Editor

Karen Kettnich, University of Maryland, Series Managing Editor

Editorial Board

Denise E. Agosto, Drexel University

Wade Bishop, University of Tennessee Knoxville

John Buschman, Seton Hall University

Michelle Caswell, University of California Los Angeles

Sandra Hughes-Hassell, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

R. David Lankes, Syracuse University

Don Latham, Florida State University

Jerome Offord, Lincoln University of Missouri

Ricardo L. Punzalan, University of Maryland

Brian Wentz, Shippensburg University

Lynn Westbrook, University of Texas

Title Page

Volume 42

CELEBRATING THE JAMES PARTRIDGE AWARD: ESSAYS TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MORE DIVERSE, INCLUSIVE, AND EQUITABLE FIELD OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE

Advances in Librarianship

Edited by

Diane L. Barlow

University of Maryland, USA

Paul T. Jaeger

University of Maryland, USA

United Kingdom • North America • Japan India • Malaysia • China

Copyright Page

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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First edition 2017

Copyright © 2017 Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-78635-933-9

ISSN: 0065-2830 (Series)

Series Editors’ Introduction

Through a combination of economic changes, political forces, and technological changes, libraries now find themselves in a position of meeting ever-increasing community needs and filling roles that otherwise would go unmet in key areas of economic and workforce development, health and wellness, education, civic engagement, and fostering and supporting open governments, among much else. Despite often decreasing financial support, the growing political pressures to reduce support for public goods such as libraries, and the voices claiming that Google has made libraries obsolete, libraries of all types—public, school, academic, and special—have never been more innovative, more community-focused, and more in demand than they are now.

Libraries play significant roles in digital literacy and digital inclusion, online education, provision of social services, employment skills, and even emergency response. They are creating partnerships with local government agencies and non-profits to address local needs. They adopt and innovate with new technologies and expand their services and materials through new channels provided by emerging technologies, from online reference to the curation and management of digital resources. At the same time, libraries serve as primary support structure for social justice and human rights, fostering and promoting inclusion, access, and equity for individuals, for their communities, and for society as a whole.

The Advances in Librarianship book series offers a completely unique avenue through which these major issues can be discussed. By devoting each volume—often in the range of 100,000 words—to a single topic of librarianship, the series volumes devote a great amount of consideration to a single topic. By including contributors who are library professionals, administrators, researchers, and educators from many different places, the series volumes bring an unparalleled range of voices to these topics of librarianship. And by exploring these topics as broad issues with a wide range of societal impacts, these volumes not only inform those within the library profession, they inform community members, policy makers, educators, employers, health information professionals, and others outside of libraries who are interested in the impacts of libraries.

The ability to address current and future issues from both practice and research perspectives at great depth makes this series uniquely positioned to disseminate new ideas in libraries and to advocate for their essential roles in communities. To ensure the most current and future utility, each volume includes contributions in three areas: (1) the current best practices and innovative ideas; (2) the future issues and ways in which they might be prepared for and addressed; and (3) the large-scale societal implications and the way in which the focus of the volume impacts the libraries as a social institution.

This volume focuses on issues of race, diversity, and inclusion through the lens of the James Partridge Award for Outstanding African American Information Professionals. This award is presented annually by the Citizens for Maryland Libraries and the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland. The chapters in this book provide a bounty of first-person reflections on issues of race in the field, both from past winners of the award and from other scholars, educators, and researchers who have devoted their careers to exploring diversity and inclusion in library and information science. Ironically, diversity has been a long-running challenge for this field that has done so much to help so many diverse communities that information professionals and information institutions serve. There is much wisdom to be found in this book’s unique mix of personal experiences and scholarly insights. It is an invaluable resource for all libraries and other information organizations, library and information science education programs, professional organizations, and information professionals concerned about making the field more inclusive.

Ultimately, volumes in this series share innovative ideas and practices to improve overall library service and to help libraries better articulate their vital and myriad contributions to their communities. The range of library impacts can be seen in the recent volumes in the series, which will explore such important topics as library services to people with disabilities, libraries as institutions of human rights and social justice, and libraries as providers of access to and education about government information and services. Forthcoming volumes will be devoted to libraries serving rural communities, new approaches to the education of future librarians, and socially innovative programs in libraries. As fewer venues publish materials related to library practice, education, and research and many of the journals formerly devoted to library research have shifted their focus more to information issues, the Advances in Librarianship book series is an unwavering venue devoted to documenting, examining, exchanging, and advancing library practice, education, and research.

Paul T. Jaeger and John Carlo Bertot, Series Editors

Karen Kettnich, Managing Editor

University of Maryland

About the Contributors

Linda Ueki Absher <absherl@pdx.edu>, Professor and Humanities Librarian, Portland State University, has worked as a librarian since 1993. Professor Absher received her Master’s degree in Library & Information Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and is the author of the blog, The Lipstick Librarian!

Denice Adkins <adkinsde@missouri.edu>, Associate Professor at the School of Information Science & Learning Technologies at the University of Missouri, was a Fulbright Scholar to Honduras in 2008 and the President of REFORMA (The National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking) in 2012–2013. She currently serves as Councilor-at-Large for the American Library Association and Secretary-Treasurer for the Association of Library and Information Science. Her research interests include Latino information needs, library services to diverse audiences, and public libraries. With the help of her colleague Dr. Jenny Bossaller, she is administering the Public Library Leadership Fellows Program, a grant-funded educational program for master’s students in library and information science funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program.

Diane L. Barlow <dbarlow@umd.edu>, Affiliate Faculty, iSchool, University of Maryland, College Park, recently retired from active employment at the University of Maryland, where she served as Associate Dean until 2011. In that position, she assisted Ann Prentice in planning the Outstanding African American Information Professional Award, now known as the James Partridge Award. Her areas of expertise include education for the information professions, curriculum development, and management. In addition to this book, she is currently a member of the Lilead Project team and is working on a book related to school libraries in the United States. She is Executive Director of Citizens for Maryland Libraries, a state-wide advocacy group that works for libraries of all types.

Thomas Battle <agyekum3@verizon.net>, Director, Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Howard University (Retired), Winner of the James Partridge Award, 2006, graduated from Howard University (BA 1969), the University of Maryland (MLS 1971), and The George Washington University (Ph.D. 1982, American Studies). He is an historian who has worked professionally as a librarian, archivist, curator, and academic administrator. A specialist in the history and culture of peoples of African descent, Battle has participated in numerous public history and humanities projects, including “Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah, From Slave Ship to Pirate Ship” (2007) and “America I Am: The African-American Imprint” (2008); he is coeditor of “Legacy: Treasures of Black History” (2006). Battle serves as a member of the Executive Council of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History and is a recipient of its Carter G. Woodson Scholars Medallion (2004) and Council Award of Special Recognition (2011). He is also a Fellow of the Society of American Archivists (2005), and a recipient of the Association of African American Museums’ John Fleming Lifetime Achievement Award (2012).

Renate L. Chancellor <chancellor@cua.edu>, Assistant Professor at the Department of Library and Information Science at the Catholic University of America, Ph.D., is the Director of the Law Librarianship Program of Study and the University’s Pre-Law Advisor. Dr. Chancellor’s research focuses on legal information seeking behavior, social justice in LIS, and multicultural library and information services. She is widely published and has presented her research at international and national conferences. Dr. Chancellor is recipient of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) Leadership Award in 2012 and the ALISE Excellence in Teaching Award in 2014. She received her Master’s and Ph.D. in Information Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Clara M. Chu <cmchu@illinois.edu>, Director of the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs, and Mortenson Distinguished Professor at the University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign, Ph.D., specializes in understanding the information needs, uses and barriers faced by multicultural communities in order to further the equitable access to information. Dr. Chu publishes, presents, and consults internationally in English and Spanish, and currently serves on the editorial boards of Libri and Library Trends. She is co-author of the “International Insights” column, published in College & Research Libraries News. Active in professional associations, Dr. Chu served as 2014/2015 President of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) and on the 2013–2015 Governing Board of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). She received her Master’s and Ph.D. in Library Science from the University of Western Ontario in Canada.

Sarah E. Crest <screst@towson.edu>, Research and Instruction Librarian, Towson University’s A. S. Cook Library, Winner of the James Partridge Award, 2007, is the Library’s User Instruction Coordinator and Health Professions Librarian. Professor Crest is also adjunct faculty with the College of Health Professions where she teaches a Towson Seminar (freshmen) course she co-developed—Mass Media and Medicine. She has guest lectured at Maryland’s iSchool. Crest has been a staff development trainer and an invited speaker at national and state conferences. She is the current chair of the Maryland Information Literacy Exchange—MILEX.

Wayne Crocker <wcrocker@ppls.org>, Director of the Petersburg (Virginia) Public Library, Winner of the James Partridge Award, 2015, is a graduate of Virginia State University, holds an MLS earned at Atlanta University, and has been a librarian for 36 years. Mr. Crocker worked for more than a decade to realize his vision for a new Petersburg public library to replace the 1859 residence that was the library’s home, a library that would serve the community from children to adults while meeting strict standards for promoting renewable, clean energy. The new facility fulfills this vision with its healthy family fitness and its status as the first LEED-certified building in the City of Petersburg. In addition to the Partridge Award, Mr. Crocker has received the Distinguished Service Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, the Rotarian of the Year Award from the Petersburg Breakfast Rotary Club, the Community Leaders Award from Virginia LISC, and the Dr. F. Nathaniel Gatlin Award from the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the American Library Association, Virginia Library Association, and the Virginia Public Library Directors Association. He co-chaired the Fourth and Fifth National Conferences of African American Librarians.

Karen E. Downing <kdown@umich.edu>, Head of Social Sciences at the University Library at the University of Michigan, received her Ph.D. in Education in 2009 from the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the U-M. Her entire professional career has been dedicated to building collections and services to enhance institutional diversity. In past positions she coordinated the nationally renowned Peer Information Counseling program (a retention program for underrepresented minorities), she was Assistant to the Dean for Cultural Diversity, and her dissertation research examined the impact of social identity in role performance among academic librarians. In 2009, she received the ALA Equality Award, and in 2010 she was named the first Diversity Research Center Visiting Scholar at Rutgers Newark. She has published extensively on issues of diversity, especially issues relating to interracial/biracial individuals and families.

Claudia J. Gollop <gollop@ils.unc.edu>, Associate Professor and Summer School Director at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, holds a B.A. from the City University of New York, an M.L.S. from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh, and joined the faculty of the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in fall 1994. She spent well over a decade as a library professional holding positions in public, special, and academic libraries. She teaches in the areas of resources and services, health sciences information, and library/information services to diverse populations. Her current research interests revolve around issues of consumer health information acquisition and dissemination.

Michelle Hamiel <michelle.hamiel@pgcmls.info>, Chief Operating Officer for Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) in Prince George’s County Maryland, Winner of the James Partridge Award, 2012, has spent the last few years helping to position PGCMLS as a national leader in the library world. As a servant leader, Michelle believes in working to develop policies, procedures, and services that enrich the lives of individuals, provide access for all, and tear down barriers that prevent others from realizing their full potential. Michelle believes her work in libraries equalizes the playing field for the underserved. Embracing the core value of libraries: access, democracy, diversity, education, and lifelong learning, Michelle consistently embraces and implements new ideas, innovations, and programs that transform libraries and those who use them. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Library Science. Michelle keeps her finger on the pulse of library innovation by actively participating on ALA, PLA and MLA committees. She also receives inspiration from her students at the University of Maryland iSchool where she serves as an instructor.

Renee F. Hill <rfhill@umd.edu>, Senior Lecturer and Director of the School Library program at University of Maryland’s College of Information Studies, teaches courses and provides guidance that prepare graduate students to become librarians in K-12 school settings. Renee earned a Bachelor’s degree in Exceptional Student Education at Florida Atlantic University. Both her Master’s and Ph.D. were earned in Library and Information Studies at Florida State University. Renee is passionate about and committed to researching and teaching about issues that involve examining methods for increasing understanding of diversity issues in Library and Information Studies. Her research focuses on examining information needs and information access as they relate to diverse populations (e.g., members of various racial/ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities).

Sandra Hughes-Hassell <smhughes@email.unc.edu>, Professor and Coordinator of the School Library Media Program in the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ph.D., in her current research, focuses on social justice issues in youth library services, diverse youth literature, and the role of school library media specialists in education reform. She has written and presented extensively on culturally relevant pedagogy, critical race theory, and the role of libraries in serving diverse youth.

Paul T. Jaeger <pjaeger@umd.edu>, Professor, Diversity Officer, and Director of the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program of the College of Information Studies and Co-Director of the Information Policy and Access Center (iPAC) at the University of Maryland, Ph.D., J.D., in his teaching and research, focuses on the ways in which law and public policy shape information behavior, with a specific focus on issues of human rights and social justice. He is the author of more than 160 journal articles and book chapters, as well as more than a dozen books. His research has been funded by the Institute of Museum & Library Services, the National Science Foundation, the American Library Association, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, among others. Dr. Jaeger is Editor of Library Quarterly and Co-Editor of Advances in Librarianship, and Associate Editor of the International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion. He is founder and chair of the Conference on Inclusion and Diversity in Library and Information Science (CIDLIS), and co-chaired the first UMD Disability Summit in 2016. In 2014, he received the Library Journal/ALISE Excellence in Education Award, the international educator of the year award for the field of library and information science.

Shari Lee <lees2@stjohns.edu>, Assistant Professor at St. John’s University, Division of Library and Information Science, earned an MLS with a concentration in youth services at St. John’s University; she received her Ph.D. at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research considers the changing notions and physical structures of the public library as place and space. Primarily, Dr. Lee is concerned with how architecture and design elements affect human behavior and how this applies to the public library setting—specifically to teen spaces. This was the focus of her dissertation, for which she won the 2011 Eugene Garfield/ALISE Doctoral Dissertation Award.

Johnnieque Blackmon (Johnnie) Love <jlove1@umd.edu>, Special Projects Librarian, Collection Development Department of Collection Strategies and Services Division, the University of Maryland Libraries in College Park, Maryland, Winner of the James Partridge Award, 2012, has 50 years of service in the library profession and has served in several positions within the University of Maryland Libraries. Johnnie has also served as adjunct faculty for the College of Information Studies.

Bharat Mehra <bmehra@utk.edu>, Associate Professor in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Ph.D., focuses in his research on diversity and intercultural communication, social justice in library and information science (LIS), critical and cross-cultural studies, and community informatics or the use of information and communication technologies to empower minority and underserved populations to make meaningful changes in their everyday lives. Mehra has applied conceptual frameworks in LIS with interdisciplinary approaches to expand the profession’s traditional definition, scope, extent, representation, and relevance in the 21st century. He has conducted action research with racial/ethnic groups; international communities in the diaspora; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender populations; low-income families; rural librarians and small businesses; amongst others, to shape the design and development of various community-based information systems and services. Mehra integrates community engagement and diversity/social justice concerns in his teaching activities for courses on public library management, collection development, grant development for information professionals, resources and services for adults, and reader’s advisory.

Ann E. Prentice <aeprentice@slis.ua.edu>, Professor and Interim Director in the School of Library and Information Studies, the University of Alabama, was dean of the College of Information Studies, University of Maryland from 1993 to 2001, where she created what would become known as the James Partridge Award in 1998. Dr. Prentice has taught online courses for the University of Maryland’s College of Information Studies since 2006 and has taught, lectured, and consulted in four countries, including 10 trips to China from 1984 to 2010. She is an Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) Past President and was awarded the ALISE Award for Professional Service in 2013. Dr. Prentice has published extensively in the areas of leadership and education for the information professions. Her recent publications include 21st Century Librarianship, Public Libraries in the 21st Century, and Managing in the Information Age.

Jacquelyn Nixon Purnell <jpurnell1946@yahoo.com>, Assistant Chief of Neighborhood Services/Branch Coordinator of the Southeast Anchor Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library (Retired), Winner of the James Partridge Award, 2009. Growing up in a military family, Jacquelyn lived in many parts of the United States and Europe. She graduated from the Frankfurt Germany American High School, and later Morgan State College. Graduate work at the University of Maryland, College Park lead to receiving a Masters’ degree in Library Science in 1976. A 40-year career with the Pratt Library lead to her serving in a variety of roles in both small and large extension agencies.

Greg L. Reese <gregreese87@yahoo.com>, Director, East Cleveland Public Library (Retired), Winner of the James Partridge Award, 2000, received his MLS from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and his Bachelor of Arts, History, from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Reese is a member of the American Library Association, the Public Library Association, the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (past president), the Ohio Library Council, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He is credited with numerous presentations and publications including “Stop Talking & Start Doing: Attracting People of Color to the Library Profession”, published by The American Library Association. He was selected Ohio’s Librarian of the Year and has received numerous library and music promoting awards. Mr. Reese also successfully spearheaded a $4 million capital campaign to construct a new addition to his library. He currently resides in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and serves as a Library and Performing Arts consultant.

Howard Rodriguez-Mori <howard.rodriguez-mori@cci.fsu.edu>, Assistant Professor, School of Information, College of Communication and Information, Florida State University, Ph.D., has been a faculty member at Florida State University since 2011. He earned a Master’s in Library Science (1996) from Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico and a Ph.D. in Information Studies (2009) from Florida State University. His dissertation explored the use of Puerto Ricans’ information behavior patterns and the use of reference groups to solve their information needs. Evolving from this theme, his overarching research goal is to explore factors that help the information behaviors of underserved populations. This led to research on diversity services in libraries, and on word-of-mouth communications as information behavior. More recently, his research explores theoretical and practical parallels between the information behavior, multicultural marketing, and intercultural communication fields. This interdisciplinary approach seeks to identify cultural factors and best practices that promote effective communication interactions between multicultural groups. To further his research objectives, Dr. Mori earned a graduate certificate in Multicultural Marketing Communication in 2015, and a Master’s in Integrated Marketing Communication in 2016.

Nettie Seaberry <nettie.seaberry@nmsdc.org>, Director, Strategy and Services, National Minority Supplier Development Council, Winner of the James Partridge Award, 2002, earned a BBA in Business Administration with a Minor in Marketing and a Master’s degree in Library Science from Pratt Institute. She held a membership in SLA a professional organization; served on the SLA Board of Directors 2009–2011; and was president (elect and past) of the New York Chapter 1997–2000. Ms. Seaberry is also the NMSDC Volunteer Coordinator and orchestrates the entire volunteer process for its annual conferences. She previously worked at Reader’s Digest as a Research Librarian for the General Books Division, 1974–1994. She is listed in the Cambridge Who’s Who Registry of Executives, Professionals and Entrepreneurs 2009–2012 and the Empire Who’s Who Registry of Executives and Professionals 2004–2005. She has earned a number of awards and is a member of Beta Phi Mu and Sigma Alpha Delta.

Glennor Shirley <glennorloy@gmail.com>, Coordinator, Maryland Correctional Education Libraries (Retired), Winner of the James Partridge Award, 2008, emigrated from Jamaica where she worked as a public and broadcast librarian, settling in Maryland, USA. Her various positions in the Maryland Library community, included branch manager of the East Columbia and Randallstown Branch Libraries, coordinator of library services for all Maryland prisons, and past president of the Maryland Library Association. Glennor has a Master of Library Science degree from the University of Maryland, College Park and a Master of Administrative Science (Human Resource Management) from Johns Hopkins University. She gives presentations and writes articles on diversity and library services to incarcerated individuals in books, magazines, and her blog, Prison Librarian: http://prisonlibrarian.blogspot.com

Simmona E. Simmons <simmons@umbc.edu>, Outreach and Special Projects Librarian at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), James Partridge Award Winner, 1999, holds a B.A. in American Studies, an M.L.S., and an M.A. in American Studies. She provides library instruction and workshops for students and faculty. She is a former adjunct faculty member at College of Information Studies at University of Maryland College Park and UMBC. In addition, she is a contributor to several scholarly publications including Handbook of Black Librarianship, Notable Black American Women, I & II, Writers of Young Adult Multicultural Fiction for Young Adults: A Bio-Critical Sourcebook, Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music. She is Associate Editor for Bibliography for the Dictionary of African-Architects: A Biographical Dictionary 1865–1945. She also authored the article, “It’s a Personal Thing” in Library Mosaics. Simmona E. Simmons also serves on several boards, including the Library Board for the Anne Arundel County.

Janet Sims-Wood <simsjl@pgcc.edu>, Assistant Chief Librarian for Reference/Reader Services, Moorland-Spingarn Research Center (MSRC), Howard University (retired) and Associate Professor/Adjunct Faculty Librarian at the Prince George’s (MD) Community College Library, Winner of the James Partridge Award, 2014, has served as a consultant to several publishers and agencies and was a founding Associate Editor of SAGE: A Scholarly Journal on Black Women (1984–1994). She received a Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities in 2013. She won an Honor Book Award (2015) from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association for her book, Dorothy Porter Wesley @ Howard University: Building a Legacy of Black History (History Press, 2014). Dr. Sims-Wood is a commissioner on the MD Commission for African American History and Culture. She is a life member of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History and the Association of Black Women Historians.

Beth St. Jean <bstjean@umd.edu>, Assistant Professor in the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland, an Affiliate Faculty member of the Herschel S. Horowitz Center for Health Literacy in the School of Public Health, the Assistant Director of the Information Policy & Access Center (iPAC), and a Senior Fellow of the Center for the Advanced Study of Communities and Information (CASCI), received her MLS (Library and Information Services specialization) and Ph.D. in Information from the School of Information at the University of Michigan. She also holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Smith College. Beth’s research focuses on consumer health information behavior, which encompasses the ways in which people become aware of and able to articulate their needs for health information, as well as the ways in which they seek (or do not seek) and make use of (or do not make use of) this information. More specifically, she focuses on the crucial interconnections between people’s information behaviors and their health behaviors. She has published articles in Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology (JASIS&T), Library Trends, Library & Information Science Research, Journal of Documentation, Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) Research Protocols, New Library World, Portal: Libraries and the Academy, Library Hi Tech, Journal of Information Literacy, College & Research Libraries, Journal of Academic Librarianship, First Monday, and D-Lib Magazine.

Touger Vang <tougervang@gmail.com>, Programming and Outreach Librarian, the Arthur F. Turner Community Library in West Sacramento, CA, Yolo County Library, holds a master’s degree in Library and Information Studies from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Mr. Vang is a refugee from Laos and came to the United States at the age of 10 to resettle with his family in Mobile, Alabama. He has worked with refugees and first generation college students in North Carolina for over 15 years before moving to northern California. His experience and research with underrepresented populations informs his community-engaged approach in delivering library and information services. Raised in the Hmong tradition and growing up in the United States, he is aware of the value of preserving traditional cultural heritage and the need to provide multilingual information access in today’s culturally diverse communities.