Professional Development

I am always looking for new ways to continue my education and expand my professional skills.

Memberships & Committee Work

American Library Association, 2015 – present

  • Member, Ethnic & Multicultural Information Exchange RT
  • Member, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender RT
  • Member, Graphic Novel and Comics RT

Association for Library Services to Children, 2016 – present

Ohio Library Council, 2016 – present

  • Children’s Services Division Action Council, January 2019 – present
    • Member, 2019-2020
    • Secretary, 2021-present (Leadership Track)
  • Service for All Conference Planning Committee, Secretary 2019 – present
  • Member, Children’s Services Division and Young Adult Services Division 2016 – present

Public Library Association, 2018 – present

Young Adult Library Services Association, 2016 – present

Evaluation & Award Work

2021 Audies Judge, July-December 2020

School Library Journal, Reviewer, January 2020 – present

ALSC Notable Children’s Recordings, March 2017 – January 2020 (also listed above)

Publications

60 Ready to Use Coding Projects
I contributed three sections to the upcoming book edited by Ellyssa Valenti and published by the American Library Association, expected to publish in 2019.

Book Cart Queens Blog
Each week, I post 2-3 posts related to children’s library services including book recommendations, storytime outlines, and program plans.

Bookmarks Column 
I contribute youth titles matched to a theme to Westerville Magazine every other month.

Presentations & Webinars

Beyond Virtual Storytime Webinar: 30+ No-Contact Program Ideas for Children and Teens,
Ohio Library Council Webinar (February 2021)
Co-presented with Sarah Cramer and Kate Knotts.
Feeling burnt out with virtual programming? Maybe you aren’t seeing large audiences at virtual events, or you are just out of fresh ideas? Refresh your planning with more than 30 no-contact programs designed for children or teens. Discover new virtual event ideas, pick-up kit topics, and larger services your library could start that may continue after in-person programming resumes (such as story trails and dial-a-story phone lines). You’ll learn first-hand from library staff who have already implemented these programs. Plus, you’ll come away from this webinar with a list of resources and tools to help you discover even more program ideas on your own.

Baby Time Boredom, 2019 Ohio Library Council Expo (October 2019)
Co-presented with Sarah Simpson.
Babies’ brains double in size during their first year of life. While babies learn faster than older children and adults, many libraries offer little programming for this age range. Take baby time beyond traditional storytimes by thinking outside of the box. Join Westerville Public Library to learn about special programming for ages 0-3 such as babywearing dance, STEM baby play, and sensory exploration, and discover tips on how to cultivate a cost-effective baby toy collection focusing on specific developmental stages. After the presentation, you will get some hands-on playtime with baby-friendly STEM and sensory toys.

Certifications

Certified Youth Mental Health First Aid, Mental Health First Aid (National Council for Behavioral Health), 2021-2024

Certified American Heart Association Heartsaver CPR AED Program, 2020-2022

Certified Public Librarian, Ohio Library Council, 2017 – present

Professional Development Courses &
Continuing Education

Project READY: Reimagining Equity & Access for Diverse Youth, February 2020-present (co-facilitating youth librarian cohort)

Collection Management With An Antiracist Lens, February-March 2021: University of Wisconsin, Madison

Babies In The Library, February-March 2021: University of Wisconsin, Madison

Storytime: An Opportunity For Social Justice, February-March 2021: University of Wisconsin, Madison

Developmentally-Appropriate and Diverse Books for Storytime, April-May 2020: Library Juice Academy: Explored diverse and inclusive books and materials for storytimes for ages 0-5.

Building Your Management Toolkit, March-April 2020: University of Wisconsin, Madison: Explored management theory and developed library management skills such as planning a schedule and creating a budget.

Identifying Community Needs for Public Library Management, January-March 2020: This online University of Michigan course focused on getting to know your community through a deep data dive, surveys, and interviews.

Bystander Intervention Training, August 2019: Hollaback! hosted an online Bystander Intervention Training for current ALSC committee chairs. We focused on five different methods to assist someone who is being harassed.

Grant Writing and Crowdfunding for Public Libraries, March-April 2019: The University of Michigan’s online course Grant Writing and Crowdfunding for Public Libraries focused on applying for large grants (typically $50,000+) and other fundraising and crowdfunding opportunities.

Supercharged Storytimes, January-March 2019: I completed the online Supercharged Storytimes self-paced course through WebJuncton in early 2019 along with an in-person learning circle with my peers at Westerville Public Library.

Ohio Digital Media Training by the State Library of Ohio, November 2016:  I attended an all-day Media Mentorship training sponsored by the State Library of Ohio at Worthington Libraries in November 2016. Throughout 2017, I trained my fellow youth librarians on the concepts I learned and implemented media mentor techniques throughout my department through programming and reference services.

ALSC Mentoring Program, Class of 2016 (Mentee): As a mentee in the ALSC mentor program, I met virtually with my mentor, Megan Egbert once a month. We set specific program goals that involved reviewing the responsibilities of each ALSC committee, interviewing various youth librarians about their jobs, and creating a shared list of resources for continued education.

Blog Posts

Follow my blog at bookcartqueens.com.

Robot Obstacle Course, Jbrary, April 16, 2019

Press

Librarian-Approved Tech Tools
Columbus Parent | Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

Central Ohioans find plenty of ways to bid farewell to a year filled with strife
The Columbus Dispatch | December 29, 2020

Making ugly art is the task for young artists at Westerville library
The Columbus Dispatch | April 8, 2019

Westerville Public Library Will Be Transformed Into A Wizarding Wonderland For Wizards & Wands Festival
The Columbus Navigator | October 2018

Community Involvement

Member, Friends of the Columbus Zoo