Academic Library Division/ACRL-WA Positions

If you're interested in running for one of the following Academic Library Division/ACRL-WA positions, please contact [email protected].

• Vice Chair/Chair-Elect
• Secretary/Communications
• Communications Manager
• Member-at-Large
• Student Representative

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Public Library Division - Chair

Erin Atwater

As a librarian I have led and facilitation multiple collaborative projects. I have strong communication skills, both in person and virtual, and have experience bringing talented individuals together. I am passionate about professional development and am continually looking for new opportunities. I have had the privilege of working with new library staff and students to introduce them to professional resources. I have extensive experience as a reference and instruction librarian, as well as experience coordinating between the library and community organizations.

I am a new member to the Washington Library Association and was instantly drawn to the brilliant and passionate group of library professionals that I met at the 2024 WLA conference in Spokane. The individuals I met there inspired me to become more involved with the association and the important work that is happening. Since moving to Washington, I have sought out any available conference and training seminar to further explore different perspective and opinions within the profession. I am drawn to the WLA because it is a diverse and active organization that is both locally minded and globally aware.

In the future I would like to see the WLA and the Public Library Division grow in numbers and visibility. I believe that the WLA Public Library division is a bridge that connects Public Libraries of all sizes to each other and greater resources, and I hope to help it further connect library staff to share ideas and support on another.

As a leader I believe in encouraging inclusivity for new library professionals in order to develop through exciting trainings and seminars. Inclusivity is a cornerstone of libraries, because they are a safe place for everyone regardless of background. Also, I believe that outreach and open communication are intrinsic to reaching diverse communities, and supporting the libraries that serve them.

 

Public Library Division - Vice Chair/Chair-Elect

Jessica Widmer

I have worked in public libraries in a variety of roles - from circulation clerk to supervising librarian - since 2007. Those experiences have led to my current role as the community librarian of a small branch with Pierce County Library System. In my position, I oversee the staff and operations of the branch and participate in region- and system-wide supervisory workgroups. I excel at defining team needs, facilitating meetings, and enacting steps to reach shared goals. My main priorities are building community relationships, encouraging staff development, and strengthening the presence of the library in people’s lives.

I currently serve as the interim vice-chair of the Public Library Division. I am still learning the position, but in my short time, I created and distributed a member survey to guide the board’s future plans and helped establish the meeting schedule through the end of the year. I look forward to diving deeper into the priorities and processes of the division. I am also a member of the WLA Professional Development Committee. Our group develops application questions, evaluates candidates, and awards scholarships to WLA members for continuing education. We also administer the WLA mentorship program which matches mentors and mentees across the state to provide meaningful relationships for library workers in all stages of their careers in every library field. I co-wrote an article on this subject that was published in the most recent summer issue of Alki: The Washington Library Association Journal.

There are over 2,400 public library workers in Washington State. The Public Libraries Division serves as a valuable connection point that provides networking and learning opportunities for everyone in the field. I would like to see the division expand member participation by offering desired training sessions on a regular basis and supporting library workers from all backgrounds with meetings and casual drop-ins offered at different days and times to accommodate workers’ schedules.

As a long-time public librarian, EDI values are embedded in everything I do. The library as an institution is centered on inclusivity and equity. In recent years, libraries have taken steps to increase diversity, but there is always more work to be done. I am committed to making the necessary changes to advance that work whenever possible. My goal for any group I am involved with is to uphold and reflect EDI values in everything by offering a safe space that welcomes everyone.

 

Public Library Division - Secretary/Communications

Amanda Donovan

As a board member of WLA, I would bring strong communication skills honed through years of experience in leadership roles in libraries as well as corporate America. I excel in clear, concise, and collaborative dialogue, ensuring all voices are heard while driving discussions toward actionable outcomes. My professionalism is reflected in my commitment to ethical decision-making, accountability, and fostering a positive organizational culture.

I presented at the WLA Conference in Spokane in 2024.

I'd love to be a part of driving change that aligns with WLA’s mission. In my role at Spokane Public Library I focus on innovative strategies and transformative initiatives that advance our goals, and could bring that experience to WLA as well.

I have led the DEI Committee at Spokane Public Library for the past four years. From leading monthly DEI book clubs with staff to working with DEI consultants to enhance our our DEI focus organization and working on my personal anti-racism work, DEI is a major focus of my personal development and also my organizational strategy. I would bring this same lens to my work as a leader within WLA.

 

Poppy Louthan

I am the acting chair of the Library Council of Washington State, I am part of the Intellectual Freedom Committee at King County Library System, and I am an Adjunct Professor for Syracuse University iSchool and Professor of Record for IST 612: Youth Services in Library Centers. I have experience as a K-8 school librarian and as a Public Services Librarian. This variety of work experiences are among many that I am able to combine and draw from in order to bring a well-rounded perspective to this position. I like to stay active in my field as a way to keep up with emerging knowledge, and also as a way to share that knowledge out.

WLA Conference Planning Committee - Wenatchee 2023; Alki Editorial Committee 2022

I like the idea of being part of the growth and evolution of what's happening in libraries. I want to be part of what keeps WLA active within that evolution as well as how we push forward and stand out as leaders in the field. We do great work in our state, and I want to see where that work will take us.

As a white, cis/hetero woman, I come to EDI work with humility: I will always have more to learn and I am committed to continual growth. Since I do not have the direct experience of being part of a frequently marginalized community, I use my voice and positions of leadership as a platform to center and uphold other people's voices and stories. And, when those voices and stories are being left unheard, I rely on the volume of my own voice and the place of my own privilege to amplify and advocate, ally myself and educate. I am unafraid to point out places where intentions and plans need to be reconsidered and shifted in order to ensure that we are doing all we can to uphold the EDI values. I a founding member of the DEIB committee at a previous workplace in an independent school. I had success working with the teaching faculty to adjust their curricula to reflect more honest and accurate depictions of history while maintaining the educational integrity of fostering critical thinking skills by providing contrasting points of view and inspiring living discussions that continue beyond the classroom walls. I bring this commitment with me as a leader in the field, just as I bring this commitment with me as a member of society at large. The work isn't finished, so I'll keep working.

 

Rachel Musgrove

I am excited to apply my current experience at the City of Puyallup Public Library as well as my MLIS and BASW degrees. I believe that this makes me an ideal candidate for the position. Having been born and raised in King County, I am extremely passionate about, and committed to, Washington’s communities and the array of cultures that define us. I have gained invaluable experience volunteering, interning, and working alongside the diverse individuals that make up our region. I have a deep desire to build relationships with community members, better understand their needs, and actively work toward providing those needs. I strongly believe that public libraries are an incredible resource and want to work toward ensuring that they are accessible for all Washington state residents. I genuinely enjoy organizing, meeting the needs of patrons, and am dedicated to ensuring that the library is a positive light. I currently work for the City of Puyallup Library and am confident that I am a very good fit for the Washington Library Association. I am detail oriented, dedicated, and would be a reliable committee member as secretary in the Public Library division.

I am a new member, having been recently sponsored by my place of employment. However, I am eager about my future with WLA and look forward to taking part.

I am interested in diligently applying my skills as the secretary. These include note taking, attending all meetings and recording minutes, maintaining all files and records for which the secretary is responsible and ensuring that all files and records get into the hands of WLA in a timely manner. If given the opportunity to support the public library division, I will do my best to understand and implement the division’s bylaws.

I am deeply committed to every member of the community my library serves. This looks like encouraging programs and catalog items that reflect community wants and needs, greeting patrons by name and participating in the ongoing work of making the library a welcoming and positive space. While performing UX research for Oakland Public Library System’s website redesign, one of my primary goals was to ensure that the site was a reflection of the community of Oakland. Because libraries don’t keep demographic data on their users, I relied on the demographics of the schools located near to OPL’s libraries, census data for the county, and literacy level recommendations from the state of California. I heavily advocated for unrepresented populations to stakeholders, utilized the data in many user personas, and ensured that research participants reflected the diversity of Oakland. The research I performed helped to identify that the website needed to be: written at a 7th grade reading level, translated by humans rather than relying on the Bibliocommons AI translations, and needed to rely heavily on the use of icons rather than text-based links. OPL whole-heartedly agreed with my research findings, and works to ensure that the website enables community members rather than hinders them. As the secretary, I will uphold my values and advocate for each and every community member.

 

Hanna White

I have been involved in several internal committees for my employer at the branch and district level. This included being part of a communications sub-committee where I regularly took meeting notes and wrote all-staff reports based on these notes. I have also had a leadership role in smaller reference and programming workgroups/committees.

I was previously involved with WLA as a member of the finance committee in 2023. I was the Co-Chair of LISS in 2020.

I would like to see the Public Libraries Division continue to do great work in connecting library workers from around Washington state to share our ideas, challenges, and best practices. In addition to sharing information at regular gatherings, I would love to find ways to help the division engage with members who are not yet actively involved.

I was previously involved in the equity committee for my district and remain committed to upholding EDI as part of my everyday work as a librarian. I have brought up EDI concerns in my work under multiple contexts when planning programs or doing other work such as readers' advisory. As a secretary, I would make sure that accessibility was a consideration in all PLD communications.

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School Library Division - Vice Chair/Chair-Elect

Erin O'Connor

I have been a school librarian for 5 years, I am able to attend meetings as they occur, I am an organized person who is good at taking notes etc., and I am comfortable starting a meeting if the Chair or Vice Chair are not available.

I attended the OLLI conference in July, in Olympia.

I am at the beginning of my career as a librarian, and the pandemic and our district budget crisis have prevented me from attending a WLA conference, thus far. I would like to see how WLA is run through the School Library division (if elected), and would like to attend a conference before I say how the vision could move forward.

I have been a leader in my school district when it comes to DEI. I was a district Equity Lead for 3 years, where I attended a large amount of professional development activities facilitated by our district equity director, and co-lead meetings and professional development for staff with our school administrators. I am also an Ethnic Studies Fellow in our district. As a white person, I have personally read a large amount of books to further my development (and unlearn some things) as it pertains to race and equity. I am a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, and have strived to make my library as equitable as possible for all groups.

 

School Library Division - Secretary/Communications

Mia Roberts

I am skilled in a variety of technology and library applications and issues. I love and want to support the library and WLA in any capacity I can.

This is my first time helping beyond being a member.

I am happy to help and look forward to learning and growing the position and the information shared to all.

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Special Library Division - Secretary/Communications

Nina Karagounis

Like many of you folks, I frequently compile and share information with patrons of my library to promote resources and aid with learning. I am eager to use those same skills with this community of learners to keep our information available and easy to understand. I'm a relatively new WLA member (joined for the first time in 2021). I participated in the WLA mentorship program as a student while getting my MLIS. As a current librarian, I've mostly been observing, but I'm excited to take a more active role.

I'd like to see us continue to connect. My goal is to contribute toward additional opportunities for shared projects and shared moments through communication. It can sometimes feel isolating, especially as a newer librarian in this area of librarianship, and I'd like to leverage what we all have in common to make connections across different types of special libraries.

As a leader, I will use my seat at the table to keep EDI as a first and continuous thought, to build on what we already have and to seek out and share perspectives and needs that we can meet better.

 

Special Library Division Positions

If you're interested in running for the following Special Library Division positions, please contact [email protected].

• Vice Chair/Chair-Elect (serves as chair in 2026)

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Section Candidate Statements

Children & Young Adult Services (CAYAS) - Secretary/Communications

Sara White

I have been serving in the CAYAS Secretary/Communications position for the last year, and have significant experience with note-taking, social media, and publicity. I am a great multi-tasker (I can listen in a meeting and also take notes with great aplomb!), I love talking to people, and it is already a part of my job to get the word out about opportunities to Youth Services folks. I have been on the CAYAS board for the past few years, and last year served as the Secretary/Communications Officer. In my position at the Washington State Library, I work with WLA to offer Clock Hours to the WLA Conference and other professional development opportunities.

I would love to work with CAYAS to create more partnerships with other Divisions and the Washington State Library to work together toward our goal of giving Youth Services folks a vibrant and creative community of practice. I believe I can use my powers as Secretary/Communications Officer to make sure everyone in Washington State knows about the opportunities that are available to them for enrichment, collaboration, and idea-sharing.

I believe our profession (and all professions, and the world) work best when a variety of viewpoints, lived experiences, beliefs, and backgrounds are given equitable footing. As a leader, I would prefer to use my power to lift up someone else's voice rather than center my own. I try to live this value in my work and personal life.

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CLAWS (College Libraries Across WA State) - Co-Chairs

Linda Keys

21+ years in the SBCTC system as a Librarian. Past service as CLAMS Vice President and President (twice). A love of the organization and a deep understanding of the need for us to support each other through CLAWS.

I helped to plan the 2024 WLA Conference held in Spokane. I helped migrate/evolve the CLAMS organization into CLAWS.

I'd like to see CLAWS find ways to support us in our daily work. So many of the challenges we have are shared, and because we are already stretched to the peak of our capacity, I'd like to find ways to reduce the duplication of services. I'd like to see us share information more transparently. I'd also like to see us regenerate interest and enthusiasm for CLAWS.

I am an anti-racist and trauma-informed Librarian committed to the role Librarians have in addressing historical inequities and promoting diversity and inclusion. That said, I am perpetually learning and growing, and for me, this begins with awareness. We all need to be heard, to have our concerns validated, and to have input into the solutions presented to us. Sometimes, the best thing a leader can do is listen, and other times, they can guide and advocate. My leadership style begins with listening and learning.

Heather Newcomer

I am collaborative and enthusiastic about college libraries. I've worked at a college library for 7 years and value the unique perspectives and challenges faced in this role. I would love to find ways for CLAWS to facilitate information sharing and other mechanisms to provide a sense of community support for CLAW members.

I've been a member of the MarCom committee for several years.

I would like to see CLAWS revitalized and am looking forward to collaborating with Linda and other community college librarians who built CLAMS and kept it running for so long. I am also looking forward to the opportunity to bring new voices into Section and take full advantage of remote connections as well as the additional support available within WLA.

Acknowledging that harm is the result of both active and implicit biases in action was foundational in motivating me in learn, unlearn, and seek to incorporate equity and inclusion in every aspect of my library work. I uphold these values internally by continuing to learn and then translating my learning to action. I uphold these values externally in my work in my library, as well as with campus group such as our Diversity Advisory Council, which I served as co-chair for 4 years.

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Intellectual Freedom Section (IFS) - Secretary/Communications

Keyth Sokol

I have served on several committees throughout my 20 years of service in libraries, and for a few of those I have served as either a Chair, Secretary or Treasurer. Committees have included but are not limited to: Collection Development, Long-Range Planning, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. I am well-versed in committee and meeting protocols and also adept at adapting to standards put forth by the organization. For this particular Section-the Intellectual Freedom Section-I have experience in defending choice of materials both of my own selection or that of librarians I have led. I also was the voice that exposed the censorship of library materials at a former workplace that ultimately led to the firing of a library employee and a public outcry on both sides of the censorship issue (keywords to search: League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Jessamine County, KY). When working in a group, I have always listened more than I have spoken, but I have become even more adept at doing so over the years as I have examined myself as a White male. I enjoy brainstorming and then putting solid objectives into place with a group of individuals who have a vision in mind.

My involvement up to now has only been to have been a member.

The Intellectual Freedom Section must remain true to its purpose of opposing censorship in all its forms and supporting librarians around the state in performing their jobs for selecting library materials. In this effort, I would like to ensure that librarians are given as much training possible to fortify them in the coming years ahead to ensure they are equipped to withstand the growing pressure from outside influencers who would take from our collections.

These three values are ones by which I strive to live daily. The acronym is now in the common vernacular, but we have an incredibly long way to go as a society before we have balanced the scales out for everyone our communities serve. I learned to study my position as a White cis-Male while working for Renton Technical College where they strategically focused on DEI. It was there that I ultimately led a campus-wide discussion on the book So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo and read in depth other material to examine my own hidden biases and ways to fill the void my own privilege leaves in its wake. I am compelled to examine every task I undertake with others or alone-be it a meeting, a document, a long-range brainstorm session-with a lens on everyone we are serving to try to be certain that we are not excluding anyone's ability to bring their best of themselves to the table. All of this for the ultimate goal of serving our patrons.