Webcast Speakers
Max Macias
Part-time Instructional Librarian at Portland Community College
Max Macias is an independent librarian who teaches information literacy part time for Portland Community College. He grew up in San Jose, CA, but has lived in the Northwest since 1992. Macias’ love of fiction, philosophy, art and ideas led to him becoming a librarian after working in libraries for more than 20 years as a technician. His intellectual interests include Information and Hip-Hop, Whiteness in Education, Racism in the US, Colonialism, Cannabis Resources for Librarians and Education and Policy Analysis.
Twanna Hodge
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Librarian, University of Florida, George A. Smathers Libraries
Twanna Hodge graduated from the University of Washington in 2015 with her master’s degree in library and information science. She is currently the co-chair of the National Conference of African American Librarians XI Conference Programming Committee, co-chair of the ACRL 2021 Scholarships Committee, and more. Her research interests are diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility issues and efforts in the LIS curriculum and workplace, library residencies and fellowships, cultural humility in librarianship, and the retention of minority library staff in librarianship.
Mimosa Shah
Adult Program Coordinator, Skokie Public Library
Mimosa Shah develops, manages, and evaluates informal learning opportunities for adults at Skokie Public Library. She works in collaboration with colleagues across departments to provide a robust slate of events geared toward cultivating curiosity and growth. Her interests include digital and media literacy, photography, zinemaking and paper arts, and space-making for and with underrepresented communities.
Pamela Espinosa de los Monteros
Assistant Professor, Latin American Studies Librarian University Libraries, The Ohio State University
Pamela Espinosa de los Monteros is an Assistant Professor and Latin American Area Studies Librarian at The Ohio State University (OSU). As a bilingual/bicultural information professional, she has supported international research initiatives, developed award-winning educational curriculum, and served as senior project manager in corporate, private, and higher education settings in the United States and Mexico. She has more than 15 years of experience developing leadership and educational programs that promote global citizenship and intercultural exchange.
Yago Cura
President, REFORMA/LA & Bilingual Outreach Librarian, Los Angeles Public Library
Yago S. Cura is a Bilingual Outreach Librarian with the Los Angeles Public Library and President of the Los Angeles Chapter of REFORMA (www.reformala.org). Cura runs HINCHAS Press, which publishes the Librarians with Spines series, with the help of Max Macias and Autumn Anglin, and the online literary journal, Hinchas de Poesia (www.hinchasdepoesia.com), with the help of Jim Heavily and Jennifer Therieau.
Dr. Ana Ndumu
Assistant Professor, UMD College of Information
Dr. Ana Ndumu is an Assistant Professor at the UMD College of Information. Her research and teaching center on libraries and immigrants and achieving racial realism and representation in LIS. Her forthcoming edited book is entitled, Borders and Belonging: Critical Examinations of Library Approaches Toward Immigrants.
Jamie Lin, MLIS
Jamie Lin is a librarian, educator, and designer living in Southern California. She’s a 2014 graduate of the San José State University School of Information, and has worked as a corporate researcher, as well as an instructional designer in online higher education.
Kiera Vargas
Kiera Vargas is an educator who realizes that one of the key components in life is to love. This same key component is needed to educate children. Within this profession, educators, parents, and stakeholders must realize that this is one of the secrets to improving so many things in education. With her diverse educational background, practical experiences, and most importantly love for students, she has experiences, stories, and tools to assist with the plight of the educational system. Vargas has taught grades K-12 through college seniors.
Emily Drabinski
Critical Pedagogy Librarian and Liaison to the School of Labor and Urban Studies at the Graduate Center, City University of New York
Emily Drabinski is critical pedagogy librarian and liaison to the School of Labor and Urban Studies at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. She sits on the editorial boards of College & Research Libraries and Radical Teacher, and edits Gender and Sexuality in Information Studies, a book series from Library Juice Press/Litwin Books. Drabinski is an ALA Councilor at Large and chair of ALA’s International Relations Committee.
Dr. Valerie Hill
Director of the Community Virtual Library in Second Life, Avacon, and Kitely
Dr. Valerie Hill received her PhD in Library and Information Science in 2012. She served as a school librarian for twenty years and taught language arts and information literacy at all grade levels from kindergarten through college. She is currently an information literacy consultant with a research focus on the intersection of information literacy and libraries with virtual worlds and digital culture and a professor at Peninsula College.
Bethany Winslow
Instructional Designer, San José State University
Bethany supports faculty integrating technology with their teaching and curriculum, including the use of virtual worlds in education. Bethany is a volunteer with the Community Virtual Library and the project lead for their Hypergrid.
Alyse Dunavant-Jones
Independent Digital Curation/Asset Management Consultant
In addition to consultation work, Alyse is a passionate Virtual World Librarian (including VR worlds!). She holds office hours at CVL’s Main Branch in Second Life on Tuesdays and at CVL’s Sansar Branch on Mondays, both at 12 p.m. SLT (Pacific).
Junia Yasenov, MARA
Province of St. Joseph of the Capuchin Order
I am the Director of the Archives for the Province of St. Joseph of the Capuchin Order for the states of Montana, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan. I have worked at their headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, since October 1, 2018. During this time, I have transformed the archives from an unorganized storage unit into a professional vault. Before this, I worked for the state archives in Lansing, Michigan, for three years and volunteered at Michigan State University Archives.
Rebekkah Smith Aldrich
Executive Director, Mid-Hudson Library System
Rebekkah Smith Aldrich (MLS, LEED AP) is the executive director of the Mid-Hudson Library System. She currently serves as the co-chair of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Special Task Force on Sustainability, as an advisory board member for the ALA Center for the Future of Libraries, and is a founding board member of the ALA Sustainability Round Table and the co-founder of the New York Library Association’s Sustainability Initiative.
Dr. Lisa Daulby
Lecturer, School of Information, San Jose State University
Dr. Lisa Daulby is an information/data governance professional with Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). Lisa hold a doctorate/Ph.D. in Information Technology and is a Certified Records Manager (CRM) and Certified Information Governance Professional (IGP). Lisa is also a Lecturer at the School of Information, San Jose State University in both the Master of Archives and Records Administration (MARA) and Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) Programs.
Helen Streck
President and CEO, Kaizen InfoSource
Helen Streck has 32 years of experience in records and information management. She has successfully described and defended her RIM program designs and practices to the U.S. Attorney’s office. She served as director of corporate records and information management for pharmaceutical companies and records manager and consultant for municipal government agencies and law firms. She has crafted information management program strategies for a broad spectrum of domestic and international clients. Streck is active in ARMA International and has presented at international conferences.
Matt Seguin
Curator of Husbandry and Records, Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium
My primary duty is overseeing the health/husbandry of the fish and invertebrate collection. I work closely with the veterinary staff to maintain biosecurity within the aquarium, ensuring that all animals go through proper quarantine treatments before being added to the collection. I also serve as the registrar for the aquarium, securing proper permits and maintaining accurate physical and digital records of the animals in the collection.
Josh Courteau
Training Manager, Species360
I have a background in conservation science and over ten years experience with information technology management and online education. I thrive on collaborative projects that move our world towards sustainability and interconnectedness.
Sunny Kim
Teen Librarian
Sunny Kim is deeply honored to live and work in Seattle as a teen librarian. They love building strong relationships with young people, geeking out over science fiction and comic books, and serving the community. They also recently served on the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association Young Adult Literature Awards Committee during the first year APALA was included in the ALA Youth Media Awards. They have presented at the Washington Library Association conference, ALA Midwinter, and the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color on transgender inclusion and cultural humility.