As a girl who pretended to be afraid of the dark so I could use my night light to read past my bedtime, working at a library sounded like the best job in the world. My youthful passion for books has only continued to grow, alongside a desire to create a love of learning in children and teenagers. I achieved this goal every day through my work as a Youth Librarian at Westerville Public Library and am now tackling new challenges as the Youth Manager at Upper Arlington Public Library.
As a children’s librarian, I created programs and educational resources for ages 0-18. I particularly enjoy promoting diverse voices through readers advisory and programming, presenting storytimes for all ages, leading technology programs for school age kids, and sharing book talks with all ages both virtually and in local classrooms. In addition to programming, I trained fellow librarians on media mentor concepts, created reader’s advisory resources, and worked collaboratively across library departments to create large-scale programs like the Wizards & Wands Festival.
Outside of the library, I am an active member of ALSC and the Ohio Library Council (OLC). Currently, I am a member of the 2023 Caldecott Committee, a member of the ALSC Education Committee and the ALSC Research Agenda Taskforce, and Assistant Coordinator of the OLC Children’s Services Division Action Council.
My pronouns are she/her/hers.
Follow my adventures at my blog, Book Cart Queens.
(On pause while I am on the Caldecott committee.)
Annamarie Carlson 