James LaRue is the director of the Garfield County (Colorado) Public Library District. Author of “The New Inquisition: Understanding and Managing Intellectual Freedom Challenges,” (2007) and “On Censorship: A Public Librarian Examines Cancel Culture in the US,” (2023) LaRue has been a public library director for many years, as well as a weekly newspaper columnist and cable TV host. From January of 2016 to November of 2018, he was director of the Freedom to Read Foundation, and ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. He has written, spoken, and consulted extensively on intellectual freedom issues, leadership and organizational development, community engagement, and the future of libraries.
Janette Derucki joined RAILS in January 2022 as part of the SLATE (School Library Advocacy Through Education) Project before transitioning to her current role as Data Research Specialist. She is a second-career librarian, earning a Master of Information degree with a concentration in Data Science from Rutgers University in 2021. The use of data for advocacy and to support advancement in the field of library and information science is one of her many interests, and she endeavors to work with library professionals to make a positive impact.
Grant Halter is the Data Analysis Manager at RAILS and has been there for 4.5 years helping steadily grow the Data Analysis Department. Grant joined RAILS after a short stint at the Oak Park Public Library as their Data Analyst, where he learned the ins and outs of the library world and how data can best impact the industry. His background is in applied mathematics, which he utilizes to uncover useful insights that help guide RAILS staff and members with data. His favorite chart is a scatter plot, and his favorite part of his work is developing formulas to equitably distribute grant funding.
Ashley is an avid reader who pretty much has an interest in all types of genres and has recently become a big fan of manga/comics. She runs a blog at BookishRealmReviews also makes YouTube videos – all related to books!
Thomas Maluck is a Teen Services Librarian for Richland Library. He has worked in public libraries, including youth services and readers advisory, for over thirteen years. He was the 2019 recipient of the F. William Summers Outstanding Alumni Award from the University of South Carolina. He co-presented the keynote address with Kristin LaLonde at the Quebec Library Association about graphic novel collections and their impact on readers. He has been a panelist and moderator about graphic novels and library programming at American Library Association, New York Comic Con, Toronto Comic Arts Festival, Dragon Con, and C2E2 conferences. He has served on YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels For Teens book selection committee as well as School Library Journal’s Best Graphic Novels team. He currently reviews for Kirkus and contributes to features for No Flying No Tights. He also uses his Accredited Personal Finance Instructor ℠ credential to provide financial education.
Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty is the director of the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives. The recently integrated Smithsonian Libraries and Archives contains nearly 3 million library volumes and over 44,000 cubic feet of archival materials chronicling the history of the Smithsonian. Evangelestia-Dougherty oversees 137 employees, a national advisory board of 15 members, an annual budget of over $16 million and 22 library branches and reading rooms located in Washington, D.C., New York City, Maryland, Virginia and the Republic of Panama.
Previously, Evangelestia-Dougherty was an associate university librarian at Cornell University where she initiated Cornell RAD, a new research hub for rare and distinctive collections. She is also a faculty member of the UCLA California Rare Book School. As director of collections and services at New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture from 2013 to 2014, Evangelestia-Dougherty led collection and programmatic development of five curatorial divisions. At the University of Chicago’s Black Metropolis Research Consortium, she served as executive director from 2011 to 2013 and as consulting archivist from 2007 to 2011. There, she successfully led initiatives to discover and make accessible archives related to the African American diaspora.
In addition to her extensive work with rare and distinctive collections, Evangelestia-Dougherty is a published author and public speaker who has presented nationally on topics of inclusivity and equity in bibliography, administration and primary-source literacy. She currently serves on the boards of Digital Scriptorium and the American Printing History Association.
Evangelestia-Dougherty holds a Master of Science in information science from Simmons University’s School of Library and Information Science in Boston and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Houston.
Tracie D. Hall was the American Library Association’s 10th executive director in its 143-year history, and the first African American female in the role. She resigned in October 2023. Her work in library and arts administration has been recognized with the National Book Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award and by Time magazine. Hall was the 2023 recipient of the medal for Freedom of Speech and Free Expression by the Franklin D Roosevelt Institute.
Kerri Maher is the USA Today bestselling author of The Paris Bookseller, The Girl in White Gloves, The Kennedy Debutante, and, under the name Kerri Majors, This Is Not a Writing Manual: Notes for the Young Writer in the Real World. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and lives with her daughter and dog in a leafy suburb west of Boston, Massachusetts.
What is your school library’s brand? This book will help school librarians improve their practice and strengthen their influence within their learning communities, increasing positive perceptions of school libraries through developing a brand in alignment with the AASL Standards.
Sara Kelly Johns (l.), Susan D. Ballard (r.)
A former Director of Library, Media and Technology, Susan D. Ballard guided her district to AASL National School Library of the Year Award recognition. She has served as an adjunct professor and lecturer in various school librarian preparation programs, published numerous articles in professional and scholarly journals and edited and contributed to several books. A Past-President of AASL, the New Hampshire School Library Media Association, and the New England School Library Association, Susan served on the Standards and Guidelines Editorial Board for the National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries.
Sara Kelly Johns, an online instructor at the Syracuse University iSchool and a long-time school librarian, is a past president of AASL, the New York Library Association (NYLA), and the Section of School Librarians of NYLA. She received the NYLA Lifetime Achievement Award and the first AASL Social Media Superstar Advocacy Ambassador Award. Active in ALA Council and ALA committees, Johns was a member of the Implementation Task Force for the National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries. She has written articles for several school library publications and contributed chapters for various books.
Alyssa Weesis the acclaimed author of The Waking Forest and Nocturne. She grew up writing stories about her Beanie Babies in between ballet lessons. She earned a BA in English from Creighton University and an MFA in fiction writing from Columbia College Chicago. Currently she works as an assistant librarian in youth services at an awesome public library. She lives in the Chicagoland area with her husband and their two cats.
Dr. Steve Albrecht has trained thousands of library employees in 28+ states, live and online, in service, safety, and security. In 2015, the ALA published his book, Library Security: Better Communication, Safer Facilities. His new book, The Safe Library: Keeping Users, Staff, and Collections Secure, was just published by Rowman & Littlefield.
Steve holds a doctoral degree in Business Administration (D.B.A.), an M.A. in Security Management, a B.A. in English, and a B.S. in Psychology. He is board-certified in HR, security management, employee coaching, and threat assessment.
He has written 26 books on business, security, and leadership topics. He lives in Springfield, Missouri, with six dogs and two cats.
Circulating Ideas 