Meet the Team

We’re the library workers who make up the LFP community.

Michele Alaniz

City College of San Francisco, CA

Michele Alaniz

City College of San Francisco, CA

Michele is the Distance Education librarian and instructor within the Library Information Technology (LIT) department at City College of San Francisco. She has a Master’s in Library & Information Science and a Master’s in Instructional Science & Technology. In her work, she focuses on distance education, user experience, accessibility, privacy and information literacy.

Frans Albarillo

Brooklyn College, CUNY, NY

Frans Albarillo

Brooklyn College, CUNY, NY

Frans Albarillo is a social science librarian at Brooklyn College. He is interested in applied research methods, digital privacy in higher education, undocumented students, and OER.

Nancy Aravecz Shah

Florham Park Public Library, NJ

Nancy Aravecz Shah

Florham Park Public Library, NJ

Ellie Avis

Multnomah County Library, OR

Ellie Avis

Multnomah County Library, OR

Ellie Avis is the Collection Manager at Multnomah County Library in Portland, Oregon. She works with a team of brilliant library people to provide access to a wide variety of physical and digital resources and improve the diversity and equity of library collections. She is a member of the Oregon Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee and Tech Services Roundtable Steering Committee, is a current MLIS student at San Jose State University, and holds a Master's Degree in City Planning from UC Berkeley. In her free time, Ellie enjoys making and breaking things, DIY music, and riding her bike.

Privacy Specialties: - Advocacy, Protest, and Privacy - Anti-Policing - Anti-Surveillance - Digital Privacy - Harm Reduction - Privacy in Public Libraries

Luz Badillo

Santa Monica College Library, CA

Luz Badillo

Santa Monica College Library, CA

Luz Badillo (she/her/ella) is an Instruction & Reference Librarian at Santa Monica College Library. She holds a B.A. in English Literature and Language and an MLIS. Luz works alongside community college students and is always looking for the best ways to center and meet their information needs. Her interests include critical pedagogy, first-year, first-gen, and transfer student experiences, student research behavior, and assessment.

Patricia B. Ball

Stratton Library (Cobb County), GA

Patricia B. Ball

Stratton Library (Cobb County), GA

Patricia B. Ball is currently the branch manager of the Joanne P. Stratton Library, a branch of the Cobb County Public Library System in Marietta, Georgia a part of Metro Atlanta. She has been a public librarian for many years. She holds a Masters of Media Technology from Alabama A&M University, Masters of Library Science from Florida State University and a Ph.D. from University of Pittsburgh. She has taught library courses at James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia; Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia, Shorter College, College Park, Georgia and Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia. She has also held positions with Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Her motto is to provide library services that impact and change lives. She has a passion for services to special populations, digital literacy, the digital divide and technology. These issues are relevant to privacy and surveillance. She is excited about being accepted into the Library Freedom Project Cohort so that she can help guide her community in protecting their privacy as they engage online. She recognizes the need for the public to be informed concerning issues related to data mining, privacy and about personal data that is collected and stored as they engage online. It will not only help the public but also her colleagues in better understanding issues concerning privacy and surveillance.

Donna Baluchi

University of Utah

Donna Baluchi

University of Utah

Donna Baluchi (she/they) is the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Librarian at Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, University of Utah. They endeavor to create an atmosphere that is accessible, welcoming, safe, and inclusive for all who seek medical information (and knows what is, and isn’t, protected by HIPAA). She has been a devoted health and information literacy instructor since 2017. They are passionate about reproductive justice, DIY ethics, zines, and information liberation. She started her library career as a volunteer dinosaur librarian.

Ari Baum-Hommes

Hennepin County Libraries, Minneapolis, MN

Ari Baum-Hommes

Hennepin County Libraries, Minneapolis, MN

Nicole Becwar

Western Colorado University, CO

Nicole Becwar

Western Colorado University, CO

Nicole Becwar is the Technical Services Librarian & Archivist at Western Colorado University. She teaches primary source literacy, is working with the first cohort of OER grant recipients establishing open education course materials for students on campus, and is an advisor for the Women's Student Lounge committee at Western. Nicole is also a fellow with the Colorado Association of Libraries Leadership Institute.

Carolyn Bennett Glauda

SE NY Library Resources Council

Carolyn Bennett Glauda

SE NY Library Resources Council

Carolyn Bennett Glauda is the Education and Outreach Librarian at Southeastern New York Library Resources Council (SENYLRC), a multi-type library organization with members from New York's Hudson Valley. In this role, she develops and produces professional development for librarians, educators, and library staff in the region. She has an MSIS and an MA in History from the University at Albany. Prior to being a librarian, she was at times a stage manager, a location scout, an insurance salesperson, and a bookseller.

Privacy Specialties: - Community Empowerment - Culture of Privacy - Digital Privacy - Harm Reduction - Philosophy of Privacy - Privacy - Privacy in Academic Libraries - Privacy in Special Libraries

Howard Besser

New York University

Howard Besser

New York University

Howard Besser (he/they) is a scholar of digital preservation, digital libraries, and preservation of film and video. He is Professor of Cinema Studies and the founding director of the NYU Moving Image Archiving and Preservation Program ("MIAP"), a graduate program in the Tisch School. He helps shape Library Freedom Project's curriculum and overall pedagogical approach.

Eliza Bettinger

Cornell University Library, NY

Eliza Bettinger

Cornell University Library, NY

Eliza Bettinger is the Lead Librarian for Digital Scholarship at Cornell University Library in Ithaca, New York, where she helps scholars and students get the hang of digital approaches to research. She works with maps, text, data, images, visualizations, networks, codes, and always, people and their questions. She sees Internet literacy – technical, social, and economic – as the fundamental to the pedagogical work of librarians. Before Eliza was a librarian, she worked as a daily newspaper reporter on the U.S.-Canada border and traveled the country for the national interview project StoryCorps.

Callan Bignoli

Olin College, MA

Callan Bignoli

Olin College, MA

Callan Bignoli is the director of the library at Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Mass. Previously, she worked as the assistant director/CTO at the Public Library of Brookline in Brookline, Mass. and as online communications manager for the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. She inhabits the middle grounds of librarianship, such as those between public and academic, digital and physical, and fear and optimism for the future.

Michelle Biwer

Alexandria Library, VA

Michelle Biwer

Alexandria Library, VA

Michelle Biwer (she/hers) is a children and teen librarian working for the Alexandria Library in VA. She works with kids and teens to create library spaces and programs related to social justice, reading, technology, and now privacy. Michelle loves traveling and watching too much tv.

Andrea Boothby Rice

Washington College, MD

Andrea Boothby Rice

Washington College, MD

Andrea came to Washington College by way of Public Libraries. Her research interests are influenced by her time as a public librarian and activities with the MLA Intellectual Freedom Panel. She explores the ways that libraries create accessible spaces and bridge information access for adults with disabilities in rural communities. When not supporting students in their information literacy and research endeavors she is also committed to information justice and removing barriers to information for all.

Ashley J. Brown

Auburn Public Library, AL

Ashley J. Brown

Auburn Public Library, AL

Ashley J. Brown works as the Public Services Librarian Manager at the Auburn Public Library in Auburn, Alabama, and has worked in various service areas over the course of her career including-- youth services, reference, outreach, special collection, and archives during her 19-year career. Her focus has been on incorporating privacy tips for caregivers during storytime programs and library worker privacy training. She is a two-time PLA Inclusive Internship Initiative mentor, a pre-career program to introduce high school students to library work.

Sara Brown

Sara Brown

I'm a public librarian currently located in Maryland. If you're looking for me in the library, check the 300s-330s or around any speculative/dystopian fiction.

I'm most looking forward to learning how to fight for and build architecture that supports privacy as a basic right rather than a commodity only available to people with the money or specialized knowledge to secure it.

Symphony Bruce

American University Library, D.C.

Symphony Bruce

American University Library, D.C.

Symphony Bruce is a librarian and educator who combines her background in teaching with her interest in information literacy to provide student-centered instruction. She is currently the Resident Librarian at American University Library, where she works closely with the Writing Studies Program to provide information literacy instruction to first-year students. Before arriving at AU, Symphony worked as a reference librarian at Webster University and taught high school English for six years in St. Louis, Missouri. Her research interests include information literacy for preservice teachers, care ethics for librarianship, and online education.

Jennifer Bruneau

Northborough Free Library, MA

Jennifer Bruneau

Northborough Free Library, MA

Jennifer Bruneau is the Director of the Northborough Free Library. She also teaches library leadership development classes in the New England area. She's interested in providing continuing education opportunities that empower library leaders to create safe and welcoming libraries for their staff and communities.

Sam Buechler

Washington State University-Vancouver

Sam Buechler

Washington State University-Vancouver

Sam Buechler (they/them) is the Student Success Faculty Resident Librarian at Washington State University, Vancouver. Prior to their current position, Sam worked in circulation and access services departments at a variety of four-year and community college libraries. These experiences provide the foundation for Sam’s research agenda which centers privacy advocacy and anti-surveillance on college campuses and within communities, queer theory at the intersection of librarianship, and critical information literacy.

Lucia Cedeira Serantes

Queens College (CUNY), NY

Lucia Cedeira Serantes

Queens College (CUNY), NY

Lucia Cedeira Serantes was born and grew up in A Coruña, Spain. Her academic life took her to Pittsburgh, PA (USA) and London, ON (Canada) and she now works as an Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, Queens College (CUNY) where she also coordinates the Certificate for Children and Young Adult Services in Public Libraries. Her main research and teaching lies at the intersection of youth media and reading and public libraries. As a professional librarian, she was honoured to have worked as a young adult librarian and researcher for the (now sadly closed) International Center for Children’s and Young Adults’ Books (Salamanca, Spain).

Increasingly technology plays ubiquitous roles in the daily lives of teens and children, therefore I am hoping that the LFI training will enable me to become a better and more informed advocate for theoretical and practical issues relating to information surveillance and privacy among future librarians and look for ways to instill these issues across the curriculum.

Danielle Colbert-Lewis

North Carolina Central University, NC

Danielle Colbert-Lewis

North Carolina Central University, NC

Danielle Colbert-Lewis (she, her, hers) is the Head of Research and Instructional Services at the North Carolina Central University (NCCU), James E. Shepard Memorial Library. Previously she held the position of Research and Instructional Services Librarian at NC Central University, Reference and Instruction Librarian at the University Library System, University of Pittsburgh with faculty ranking. Librarian expertise includes the following areas: Reference, Information Literacy, and utilizing legal resources, First Year Experience Instructor, the Institution Repository, Scholarly Communications, and Programming.

Prior higher education professional student affairs experience includes serving the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Cross Cultural and Leadership Development and the Office of Student Life as a Coordinator and Advisor for the following organizations: Asian Student Alliance, Black Action Society, Campus Women’s Organization, Freedom Honor Society, Rainbow Alliance, and Strong Women Strong Girls campus coach. Prior to serving the University of Pittsburgh professional experience includes the following: Assistant Director of Reunions and Class Activities at the University of Virginia Alumni Association, Area Coordinator at the University of Richmond Westhampton College, and Assistant Resident Director at Virginia Tech Residence Life. Research, presentations, and professional development focus on the following areas: Personality type theory and librarians, higher education leadership, social justice, information literacy, mentoring, emotional intelligence, teaching and learning.

Maty Cropley

Boston Public Library, MA

Maty Cropley

Boston Public Library, MA

Maty originally studied clothing design and worked in the fashion industry for 15 years before coming to public libraries. Presently, they work as a teen services librarian in several neighborhood branches of the Boston Public Library. Their work has been focused on building library outreach relationships with community partners who work with underserved and marginalized youth, being active in the library's union, and advocating/educating on different surveillance issues in and out of the library.

Amy Dennis

San Angelo, Texas

Amy Dennis

San Angelo, Texas

Amy (she/her/hers) began her library journey as a founding board member with PDX's Street Books in 2011, and I currently serve as the public-relations and programming librarian for the county library in San Angelo, Texas. I'm particularly interested in digital literacy and elevating awareness of privacy rights in small/rural communities.

Angela Dixon

Georgia

Angela Dixon

Georgia

Angela Dixon currently works in digital security. Her research interests include digital privacy issues that directly impact and affect BIPOC communities. Her passion is working with first- and second-generation college students.

Abby Ebach

North Dakota

Abby Ebach

North Dakota

Abby has a background in public libraries and regional program development, and she specializes in policy and planning documents both for internal library use and external advocacy efforts. Abby's heart is for outreach services, community engagement, and mutual support efforts. As a born-and-raised North Dakotan, she understands small and rural communities and the vitality of libraries in these areas. Abby received her MLIS from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and her BA in English Literature from Kansas State University.

Khalil El-Bathy

SOWELA Technical Community College, LA

Khalil El-Bathy

SOWELA Technical Community College, LA

Khalil El-Bathy grew up in Detroit and earned his MLIS from San Jose State University. He has worked in both public and academic libraries and is currently the Reference & Instruction Librarian at SOWELA Technical Community College. In this role, he provides research assistance and teaches his students information literacy skills and concepts. He is very passionate about affordable education and has had the pleasure to support the creation of two Open Educational Resource (OER) courses at his college. Khalil believes that every library should strive to be made over into a "people's university" where all knowledge, culture, and information is free for everyone. Our privacy is not the price we need to pay to create, share, learn, and play.

Katie Elson Anderson

Paul Robeson Library, Rutgers University, NJ

Katie Elson Anderson

Paul Robeson Library, Rutgers University, NJ

Katie Elson Anderson is a reference and instruction librarian at Paul Robeson Library, Rutgers University-Camden and serves as liaison to the Political Science, Social Work, and Anthropology, Sociology and Criminal Justice departments. Her research focuses on social media in libraries, internet culture and misinformation, disinformation and propaganda. Katie received her Master’s in Library and Information Science from Rutgers University and holds a degree in Anthropology and German from Washington University in St. Louis. She is a columnist for Library Hi Tech News providing introduction and insight to mobile and social networking apps for libraries and librarians.

Hebah Emara

Elizabeth Public Library, NJ

Hebah Emara

Elizabeth Public Library, NJ

Hebah (she/her) is a 2020 MLIS graduate and 2019-2020 OCLC/LITA Spectrum Scholar. She is currently an Emerging Technologies Librarian at Teaneck Public Library (NJ). Hebah is interested in the ways libraries and technology interact, services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people, and in understanding how libraries can better serve underrepresented and underserved communities.

Rebekah Eppley

Oakland Public Library, CA

Rebekah Eppley

Oakland Public Library, CA

I’ve worked at the Oakland Public Library since 2010, first as a Government Documents and Reference Librarian at the Main Library and most recently as a Generalist at the Dimond Branch. I’m the author of a collection of prose poems, Purepero Stories, that I co-wrote with my wife Maria del Carmen Cortez. I’m very excited about being a part of the 2018 cohort of the Library Freedom Institute. I look forward to teaching and learning about ways to keep library patrons, our communities, and myself more secure online.

Reanna Esmail

Cornell University, NY

Reanna Esmail

Cornell University, NY

Reanna Esmail is the Lead Librarian for Instruction at Cornell University. Working in Olin Library’s Research and Learning Services Department, she oversees the library’s information literacy program, and serves as the Library Liaison to the Latinx Studies Program and the Asian American Studies Program. Prior to her promotion in July 2021, Reanna was the Outreach and Engagement Librarian at Cornell and previously a Digital Assets Management Intern at the Corning Museum of Glass. She holds an MS in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, an MA in English from the Freie Universität Berlin, and a BA in English from the University of California, Berkeley.

As a library instructor, Reanna is particularly interested in critical pedagogy and providing services for various campus communities, especially those that have historically been underserved and underrepresented. Reanna currently serves as a blogger for the Office of Intellectual Freedom in the American Library Association (ALA).

Meredith Farkas

Portland Community College, OR

Meredith Farkas

Portland Community College, OR

Meredith Farkas is a reference and instruction librarian at Portland Community College where she currently leads the Library's curriculum and learning assessment work. She is Past-President of ACRL-Oregon and a member of the Board. Meredith writes the monthly column “In Practice” for American Libraries, where she gets to rant about issues near and dear to her heart. She was honored in 2009 with the LITA/Library Hi Tech award for Outstanding Communication in Library and Information Technology and in 2014 with the ACRL Instruction Section Innovation Award.

Athanasia Fitos

Miami-Dade Public Library System, FL

Athanasia Fitos

Miami-Dade Public Library System, FL

Athanasia (Athy) Fitos works for the Miami-Dade Public Library System as a Librarian IV/branch manager. She is a recent graduate of the SSLLI and has a diverse background in libraries, having worked as an instructional and reference librarian in academia, special library for a conservatory, schools, and public institutions. She graduated with an MALIS in 2012, and holds undergraduate degrees in Spanish and International Studies all from the University of South Florida. Athy is very much engaged in library professional activities.

Currently, she involved in service to the Florida Library Association, Public Library Association, NNLM, SEFLIN, and DCLA through committees, taskforces, and leadership roles. She enjoys outreach and programming, and always is looking for opportunities to unify her roles in the library community with the work at Hand. She lives in Miami with her all the creatures she care takes for: 6 cats, 2 rabbits, a bird, fish, and the husband.

John Mack Freeman

Georgia Institute of Technology, GA

John Mack Freeman

Georgia Institute of Technology, GA

John "Mack" Freeman is interested in how libraries interact with traditionally underserved parts of their communities. In his day job, Mack is the Head of Public Services Librarian at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Mack is deeply involved with library associations at the state and national level. Mack has been involved with the Rainbow Round Table of the American Library Association (ALA) since he began working in libraries, and he was their first ALA Emerging Leader in 2015.

Additionally, he was the 2018-2019 chair of ALA's Intellectual Freedom Round Table, 2017-2020 chair of the Georgia Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Interest Group, and a former chair of the Stonewall Book Awards. When he's not working, he enjoys destroying his kitchen in baking adventures, listening to queer romance novels, and plotting world domination with his husband. You can find out more at www.johnmackfreeman.com.

Patrick Frownfelter

State Library of Pennsylvania

Patrick Frownfelter

State Library of Pennsylvania

Patrick Frownfelter is a library technician for the State Library of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, PA, specializing in digital collections as well as federal and state documents. Prior to his current position, he was a reference specialist for the Middletown Public Library in Middletown, PA, and Fredericksen Library in Camp Hill, PA. He received his MSLS from Clarion University in 2019. He is a staunch promoter of critical librarianship and works to utilize his knowledge base both in his current position at the State Library and as an activist in his community to promote political education and mutual aid.

In his spare time, he enjoys axe throwing, cooking, reading, time with his partners, and playing with his cats, Sadie and Toasted Marshmallow.

Allie Fry

Massachusetts

Allie Fry

Massachusetts

Allie Fry (she/her) became a public librarian because of the PBS Kids show Arthur and is passionate about building abolitionist futures. She has a background in gender studies and works at a public library in MA, planning free events for adults and multigenerational groups.

Alexandra Furtado

Brockton Law Library, MA

Alexandra Furtado

Brockton Law Library, MA

Alexandra (she/her) is the Head Law Librarian at the Brockton Law Library, one of fifteen Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries that provide legal research assistance to the bench, bar, and public. She holds a BA in English and Theater Arts from Brown University and an MLIS from Simmons College. She advocates for expanding access to legal information to the general public, educating on privacy rights, and promoting diversity and inclusion both as a librarian and also in her everyday life, especially as a 3-Season, Wilderness First-Aid-certified Leader for the Appalachian Mountain Club.

Scarlet Galvan

Grand Valley State University, MI

Scarlet Galvan

Grand Valley State University, MI

Scarlet Galvan (she/her) is a happy warrior, Area Lead for Assessment and Planning, and Collection Strategist Librarian at Grand Valley State University Libraries. At GVSU she leads efforts toward an justice-centered, sustainable collection. Her research focuses on the sociopolitical aspects of library services platforms and resource management.

Recent work includes keynotes at VALA: Libraries, Technology, and the Future, and the North Carolina Serials Conference. Scarlet is currently a member of SPARC’s Executive Steering Committee and an editor for Weave: Journal of Library User Experience. When not doing work things, she enjoys soapmaking. You can find Scarlet on asgalvan.com and @panoptigoth.

Oscar Gittemeier

San Diego Public Library, CA

Oscar Gittemeier

San Diego Public Library, CA

Oscar Gittemeier currently works as the program manager at the San Diego Public Library in California. He received a BA in Sociology and an MA in Women’s Studies from Georgia State University, and a master’s in Library and Information Science with a certificate in Leadership and Management from Florida State University. Oscar is a former Beard Scholarship recipient and a graduate of the Georgia Public Library Service PINNACLE Leadership Institute. Over the last ten years he has worked as a library associate, youth services librarian, and branch manager. Oscar was also formerly the Georgia Library Association Vice-President for Membership. In his free time Oscar enjoys snuggling with his labradane Jasper and hunting for the world’s greatest French toast.

Alexandrea Glenn

University of Pennsylvania

Alexandrea Glenn

University of Pennsylvania

Alexandrea is the student engagement librarian at the University of Pennsylvania. Alexandrea graduated from Wayne State University with an MLIS and a certificate in Information Management. Originally from Michigan (Go Blue!), she brought her 2 cats to Pennsylvania with her and enjoys travelling when there isn’t a global pandemic.

Lena Gluck

Lena Gluck

Lena (they/them) lives on Ramapough Lunaape land (you can donate to the Munsee Three Sisters Medicinal Farm to support Turtle Clan food sovereignty). They currently work with the Massachusetts Coalition of Domestic Workers and have previously worked in public and academic libraries in NY, MA, and NJ. Lena currently organizes in mutual aid projects in Northern New Jersey. They like to design pins, write zines, and spend time with their wife and cat.

Ariel Hahn

Cal Poly Pomona, CA

Ariel Hahn

Cal Poly Pomona, CA

Ariel Hahn is a human animal living on unceded Tongva land. Currently, they work as an academic librarian at Cal Poly Pomona focusing on data and digital humanities. They’re passionate about teaching digital privacy strategies, pushing back against corporate and state surveillance, and encouraging divestment from all forms of predatory technology. Outside of privacy and digital rights, they like to think about analog media, radical queer futures, networks of plant decay, and the transformative possibilities of digital tools. Ariel also enjoys riding bikes, foraging for mushrooms, and smelling flowers.

Leigh Ann Hamel

Pelham Public Library, NH

Leigh Ann Hamel

Pelham Public Library, NH

Leigh Ann is ananishinaabekwe of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, from rural northern Michigan. They're also an Emerging Technologies Librarian, currently based in New Hampshire, a Zine Librarian who has worked with the Forgotten Zine Archive (based in Dublin), and a folk punk enthusiast. She uses both they/them and she/her pronouns. You can usually find them in the forest.

Sam Helmick

Iowa City Public Library, IA

Sam Helmick

Iowa City Public Library, IA

Sam Helmick is the Community and Access Services Coordinator for the Iowa City Public Library in Iowa, the ALA Councilor for the Iowa Chapter, and current chair of the Iowa Governor's Commission of Libraries. As the chair of Iowa Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee, Sam is proud of their colleagues' hard work which was recognized by the 2018 Downs Intellectual Freedom Award. Sam also serves as the Freedom to Read Foundation Bylaws chair for ALA.

Sam was a member of the 2019 RUSA Sophie Brody, 2019 GLBTRT Barbara Gittings, and 2018 Michael L. Printz Award committees. As a 2016 ALA Emerging Leader, Sam helped to develop an evergreen calendar of YALSA content and worked on the ALA Public Awareness Committee for the #LibrariesTransform and Library Card Sign-Up Month campaigns. Her book Mobile Social Marketing for Libraries is available through Rowman and Littlefield Press.

Krista Hoitomt

Hennepin County Library, MN

Krista Hoitomt

Hennepin County Library, MN

Krista Hoitomt she/her/hers) serves as Patron Experience Supervisor at a regional library hub in the Twin Cities metro area. She earned her MLIS from St. Catherine University and her MA in Arts + Cultural Management from St. Mary’s University. Prior to working in libraries, she gained nearly a decade of experience in theater and museum management. Krista lives in the arts district of Minneapolis with her partner and their two very attention hungry cats.

Chloe Horsma

Sacramento Public Library, CA

Chloe Horsma

Sacramento Public Library, CA

Chloe Horsma (she/her) is a librarian in Sacramento, CA. Professionally, Chloe is a passionate advocate for youth and is invested in providing resources and services for all through an equity- and trauma-informed lens. Her perpetual project is to offer technology support to library patrons of all ages in ways that prioritize individual agency and autonomy, particularly for those with limited digital access and/or proficiency. Out in the world, Chloe is also a zealous knitter, printmaker, and book artist, and the proud companion of a wonderful little pug named Fig.

Jodi Jacques

Alaska Library Network, AK

Jodi Jacques

Alaska Library Network, AK

Jodi Jacques (she/her/hers) is the Associate Director of the Alaska Library Network, a nonprofit library consortium whose mission is to strengthen and connect Alaska’s libraries through effective collaboration to better serve their communities. During her free time, she likes to be outdoors running, hiking, biking, camping or reading a book with a glass of wine.

Allison Jones

Burnaby Public Library, BC

Allison Jones

Burnaby Public Library, BC

Allison Jones (they/them) is the Systems Librarian at Burnaby Public Library, located on the ancestral and unceded homelands of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples. They are interested in digital literacy and alternative education. Allison co-hosts the Organizing Ideas podcast with Karen Ng, examining the relationships between organizing information and community organizing. They like to read science fiction and listen to fan podcasts.

Qiana Johnson

Northwestern University Libraries, IL

Qiana Johnson

Northwestern University Libraries, IL

Qiana Johnson is the Interim Associate University Librarian for Collections Strategies at the Northwestern University Libraries and is the subject specialist for Global Health and Public Policy. She has worked at the Northwestern University Libraries since 2004 first as a Reference and Instruction Librarian and later as Collection and Organizational Data Analysis Librarian. Her recent research interests include collection assessment methods at large research libraries and strategic planning for collections. She is a member of the American Library Association's Policy Corps, a group of advocates for libraries and librarians.

Sam Kannegiser

Rutgers University, NJ

Sam Kannegiser

Rutgers University, NJ

I'm Sam Kannegiser (she/her/hers) and I'm a Student Success Librarian for Rutgers University in Camden, NJ. I'm particularly interested in getting students interested and informed about digital privacy rights and issues, especially on campus.

Caitlin Kenney

Western New York Library Resources Council

Caitlin Kenney

Western New York Library Resources Council

Caitlin Kenney is the Engagement and Education Services Coordinator at the Western New York Library Resources Council. She is also the Project Manager of Ask Us 24/7 and represents Academic/Special Libraries on the New York Library Association Council. She received her Master of Library Science degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and she has a decade of experience in various types of libraries. Caitlin loves spending time with her senior dog, hiking, and embarking on creative endeavors, including pottery and film photography.

Sherise Kimura

University of San Francisco

Sherise Kimura

University of San Francisco

Sherise Kimura (she/her) is Head of Electronic Resources & Systems at the University of San Francisco.

Makea King

Johns Hopkins University, MD

Makea King

Johns Hopkins University, MD

Makea King (she/her) currently works in data and information management at Johns Hopkins University. She holds undergraduate degrees in Fashion Merchandising and Business Management and she received her MLIS from the University of Maryland, College Park. In her current role, she is responsible for creating databases and information portals for internal and external clients and being a PDF/InDesign jedi master. She is also an enthusiastic champion of Excel's cooler aunt, Airtable.

As an ethical information professional, she is devoted to creating inclusive and accessible learning environments and believes in equitable access to information. Personal areas of interest are sustainability within the fashion industry, data privacy and ethics in research, the access to information for incarcerated people, and the lasting impact of racial discrimination from The New Deal. When not staring into the void of two laptops, she enjoys photographing her cats, baking tasty desserts, and jotting down random musings and essays that will likely never become the memoir she thinks they will.

Megan Kinney

City College of San Francisco, CA

Megan Kinney

City College of San Francisco, CA

Megan Kinney is a Bay Area, California librarian passionate about working in community college communities. Through her work with faculty and students, together they explore the intricacies of information and privacy – how the search for one impacts the balance of the other, and how these things can feel both powerful and dangerous. Megan engages her LFI experience on a daily basis, and finds her technical expertise and knowledge around privacy issues invaluable to her work with electronic resources.

Wren Kominos-Marvell

Teton County Library, WY

Wren Kominos-Marvell

Teton County Library, WY

Wren is the Web Services Librarian at University of Tennessee Chattanooga, where he contributes to development of the library's Drupal instance. He is interested in open source software and anything that reduces libraries reliance on vendors.

Jessica Krill

Sno-Isle Libraries, WA

Jessica Krill

Sno-Isle Libraries, WA

Jessica Krill has worked at a variety of libraries including public, special, academic, & K-12 education. She is passionate about UX, accessibility, organizational transparency, & advocating for library workers & users alike. Outside of libraries she enjoys participating in the slow fashion community, staying in with her partner & cats, & all things related to music & travel.

T.J. Lamanna

Poughkeepsie Public Library District, NY

T.J. Lamanna

Poughkeepsie Public Library District, NY

T.J. Lamanna is the Head of Community Engagement at the Poughkeepsie Public Library District. His focus is on advocating for both librarian and patron privacy concerns. As past president of the Intellectual Freedom Committee of the New Jersey Library Association, as well as a member of ALA's Intellectual Freedom Committee Privacy Subcommittee, he spends an inordinate amount of time exploring these topics.

doyun lee

doyun lee

doyun lee, they/them

Samantha Lee

Enfield Public Library, CT

Samantha Lee

Enfield Public Library, CT

Samantha Lee (she/her/hers) is currently the Head of Reference Services at the Enfield Public Library. She has worked in libraries for 15 years, first starting off as a page at her hometown library. Sam serves as chair of the CT Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Committee. She holds an MLS from Southern Connecticut State University and a BA in Classics from the University of Connecticut. She is fond of cookbooks, microhistories and cuddle-time with her kitties.

Claire Lobdell

Greenfield Community College, MA

Claire Lobdell

Greenfield Community College, MA

I’m the distance education librarian at Greenfield Community College in Western Massachusetts, and I teach information literacy skills to in-person and online students. I’ve worked for about a decade in libraries and archives. In 2017, I published South Windsor, an installment in the Images of America series of books.

My privacy and anti-surveillance work has mainly focused on classroom-based education about privacy issues, as well as advocating for student privacy at my college and in the local school district. I have also created and taught a professional development course called Interrupting White Nationalism. In addition to privacy work, my research interests include teaching with primary sources and oral history.

Alison Macrina

Founder & Executive Director

Alison Macrina

Founder & Executive Director

Alison is an activist librarian and the director of Library Freedom Project. Alison started LFP in 2015 to organize and build community with other librarians who are dedicated to library values of privacy, intellectual freedom, social responsibility, and the public good.

lawrence maminta

Long Beach, CA

lawrence maminta

Long Beach, CA

lawrence (they/them) is a library worker from North Long Beach, CA. Their work focuses on helping users protect their personally identifiable information (PII) online. lawrence's approach to librarianship is grounded in a liberatory, abolitionist framework and centers communities impacted by incarceration. Their interests include video games and getting 2 on.

Kelly McElroy

Oregon State University, OR

Kelly McElroy

Oregon State University, OR

Kelly McElroy is an outreach librarian and associate professor at Oregon State University. She supports communities seeking to protect their individual and collective privacy, whether they are students, workers, neighbors, or otherwise. Her interests include organized labor and collective bargaining, critical pedagogy, and zines.

Meghan McGowan

Detroit, Michigan

Meghan McGowan

Detroit, Michigan

Meghan McGowan (they/she) is a librarian in Detroit. Their work has primarily focused on adult services in public libraries and academic institutions. Meghan is looking forward to implementing skills developed through librarianship + LFI against the increasingly rampant surveillance in Detroit with Project Greenlight and the city's use of facial recognition technology. She is most excited by work that inches us all toward freedom (and gardening).

Rebecca Moorman

Alaska Anchorage Consortium Library

Rebecca Moorman

Alaska Anchorage Consortium Library

Rebecca Moorman is Head of Technical Services at the University of Alaska Anchorage Consortium Library. A proud union member, Rebecca has worked in academic and special libraries in AK, IL, MO, and OR, and her professional interests include decolonization of library subject terminology, intellectual freedom, and privacy.

Marisol Moreno Ortiz

Marisol Moreno Ortiz

Marisol Moreno Ortiz is a Reference and Instruction Librarian at a community college. She holds a Master of Library and Information Science and Master of Arts in English degree. Marisol also received her Bachelor of Arts in English with a Writing Minor. She is committed to privacy and mental health advocacy, equity, inclusion, and diversity in the library profession.

Bryan Neil Jones

Nashville Public Library, TN

Bryan Neil Jones

Nashville Public Library, TN

I am a librarian at Nashville Public Library. I want to put Tor relays in Tennessee libraries.

Linda Nguyễn

Oakland Public Library, CA

Linda Nguyễn

Oakland Public Library, CA

Linda Nguyễn was born in California to refugee parents and grew up in the queer diaspora of the Internet. Linda currently works as a Teen Services Librarian with the Oakland Public Library on unceded Lisjan Ohlone territory, and is passionate about racial equity, digital safety, and financial literacy.

Bel Outwater

Auburn Public Library, GA

Bel Outwater

Auburn Public Library, GA

Bel Outwater is the Library Manager for the Auburn Public Library in Auburn, GA. She lives with her husband and two spoiled dogs in Barrow County, GA, and is currently working on her Masters of Library and Information Science at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Before libraries, she worked for Borders Books (RIP) for almost a decade. She is this year's recipient of the of the Georgia Library Association's Hubbard Scholarship and a finalist in the 2019 Innovative Librarians Award contest. Working in a library combines her two passions -- reading and helping people.

Dolores Peralta

Dolores Peralta

Dolores (she/her/hers) Philadelphia via Argentina Food and Wine educator, pastry chef, museum and library program developer, MLIS candidate

Camille Peters

Oakland Public Library, CA

Camille Peters

Oakland Public Library, CA

Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, Camille Peters has fond memories of visiting her local public libraries, especially the many serendipitous discoveries she made as a child. She believes this is one of the vital functions of public libraries: they give people the opportunity to browse and discover freely, in an environment free of profit motives, where their privacy and the security of their data can be maintained. She earned her MLIS from San Jose State University in 2016. At OPL, she first worked as a music librarian before becoming the e-resources librarian earlier this year. She lives in Oakland with her partner, their two toddlers, and three cats.

Miranda Pratt

Kansas City Public Library, MO

Miranda Pratt

Kansas City Public Library, MO

Miranda Pratt (they/them) is a library worker, artist, and human from Lawrence, Kansas. Pratt currently works as the Wikipedian in Residence at the Kansas City Public Library in Kansas City, Missouri. They see privacy education as an important part of creating safer online spaces, particularly on open web platforms like Wikipedia. They are excited to share what they learn in the LFP Crash Course with their fellow workers and broader communities. When Miranda’s not working, they enjoy making zines, chopping garlic, reading essays and looking into the sky. They have over 5 years of experience working in art libraries and hold a B.F.A. in Fiber Art and Creative Writing.

Grace Pratte

Lawrence Public Library, KS

Grace Pratte

Lawrence Public Library, KS

Grace Pratte (she/they) lives and works in Lawrence, Kansas as a Youth Services Assistant at Lawrence Public Library. She's particularly interested in helping youth understand the value and meaning of their personal data.

Andrea Puglisi

Andrea Puglisi

Andrea Puglisi has a background in public librarianship and instructing on technology. She worked at Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield's Public Library as the Technology Engagement & Digital Services Librarian, and was a technology workshop instructor at Berkshire Community College. Her experience working in a small town and in a rural, urban library setting has given Andrea a strong understanding of the public's challenges, perceptions and competencies on technology and the issues that surround user data.

Ray Pun

Bay Area, CA

Ray Pun

Bay Area, CA

Raymond Pun is a librarian in the Bay Area. He is an active member of the American Library Association and the Special Libraries Association and is a member of the ALA Policy Corps and the SLA Public Policy Council.

Denise Quintel

Middle Tennessee State University, TN

Denise Quintel

Middle Tennessee State University, TN

Denise Quintel (she/her) works as the Discovery Services Librarian at MTSU. She brings to her librarianship, a focus on user-centered design, a dedication to improving the research journey through resource discoverability and usability, and enthusiastic advocacy for user privacy.

Marisa Reichert

Springfield, MA

Marisa Reichert

Springfield, MA

Marisa has worked in public libraries since 2014, and prior to that, she obtained her MSLIS from Simmons College after completing her Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Humanities from New College of Florida, where she wrote an undergraduate thesis on fairy tales of the European canon as sites of women’s power and subversion. Her interests, academic and recreational, include folktales and storytelling, fandom and fanworks, intersectional feminism and disability studies, and fighting the worldsuck with her heart, her brain, and her calculator. She is also very enthusiastic about speculative fiction (both consuming it and attempting to write it), cats, zines, stamp collecting, and the Animorphs books.

Nikki Rhodes

Nikki Rhodes

Nikki Rhodes works in adult services.

Grace Riario

Ramapo Catskill Library System, NY

Grace Riario

Ramapo Catskill Library System, NY

Grace Riario has more than twenty years of experience working in public, college, and school libraries. Currently, she is the CEO of the Ramapo Catskill Library System (RCLS) in Middletown, NY. She received an MLIS from Queens College, an MPA from Penn State University, and an advanced certificate in Public Library Administration through Long Island University. She worked with the team that developed the New York State trustee education curriculum and supported the Trustee Education Legislation as well as updated the library minimum standards taken effect on January 2021.

These days, her energy is spent engaging community members on sustainable funding for libraries, digital justice for communities, and promoting inclusion among library employees and administrators.

Megan Riley

UCLA

Megan Riley

UCLA

Megan Riley (she/they) is a doctoral student in UCLA’s Department of Information Studies focusing on the political economy and history of US public libraries. They graduated UCLA’s MLIS program in 2020, focusing on labor issues in LIS, special collections, and community archives. Megan is committed to information access for incarcerated people and police- and policing-free libraries, and building non-carceral spaces and practices that support library workers and communities. She currently lives in Ukiah, CA and is enjoying getting to know the local county library system.

Maria Rios

University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA

Maria Rios

University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA

Maria Rios earned her MLIS from the University of South Carolina in 2017 and is currently a Humanities Research Librarian at UMass Amherst. Eternally searching for sunbeams to soak in, this librarian is committed to centering and amplifying marginalized voices, anime + cartoons as bodies of research, restorative yoga, and dismantling all forms of oppression. She lives with her cat in the sleepy mountains of Western Massachusetts.

Eva Rios-Alvarado

Mt. San Antonio College Library, CA

Eva Rios-Alvarado

Mt. San Antonio College Library, CA

Eva Rios-Alvarado attributes her empowerment, spirituality, and beautiful-resistance from Xicana and Black Feminist practice. With a B.A. in Geography and M.S., in Library Information Science, she works alongside community college students exploring and crafting their unique information literacy repertoires.

Currently, she is the Student Equity & Outreach Librarian at Mt. San Antonio College Library. If you ask Eva what is the most powerful force in leadership she would answer love, the power of community, the creativity of local activism, and daily resistance you find in your personal life. Find her on Twitter @EvaRiosAlvarado, #XicanaMLIS #LAallDay #librarianOfColor #LocLA #Decolonize #POCinLIS #FTP

Laura Savage

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, MS

Laura Savage

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, MS

Laura Savage is a librarian of four years at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston, Mississippi. She received her MLIS with a certificate in Archives and Special Collections at the University of Southern Mississippi in 2016. In college, her work was in a public library and the digital lab of a special collection.

Her current work includes teaching information literacy to students, assisting in research, and creating community outreach programs. She was part of teams awarded grants to initiate the Peer-to-Peer Reading program and Listen Up! Listenwise to Improve Listening Skills. Currently, she is a resident of the Mississippi Gulf Coast where she takes kickboxing classes and spends any other free time with her dog and cat.

Megan Shanholtz

City of Frederick Health and Human Services, MD

Megan Shanholtz

City of Frederick Health and Human Services, MD

Megan Shanholtz is a grant manager for the City of Frederick’s Department of Housing and Human Services. She spent the past seven years as a library director in rural Appalachia and deeply loves mountains, libraries, and connecting people to information. Megan has volunteered for both the Association of Rural and Small Libraries and the West Virginia Library Association. She has an MLIS from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

Shelley

Free Library of Philadelphia, PA

Shelley

Free Library of Philadelphia, PA

Shelley is an Adult/Teen Librarian at the Free Library of Philadelphia. In response to the phenomenon of online discussion boards dedicated to stalking and harassing transgender people, Shelley created “Stalker-Proofing 101” a free guide on how anyone can protect themselves from online stalkers. Shelley has previously worked on free and open source software projects with a focus on anti-harassment tools, user privacy, and safety. She graduated with an M.S. in Library and Information Science from Simmons University; and a B.A. from Hampshire College. She uses she/her and they/them pronouns.

Jasmine Shumaker

University of Maryland

Jasmine Shumaker

University of Maryland

Jasmine Shumaker (she/her) is a Reference & Instruction Librarian at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a Master in Library and Information Studies from the University of Oklahoma. In her current position, Jasmine supports Economics, Entrepreneurship, Public Policy, and Visual Arts students, faculty, and staff with research needs. Jasmine’s research interests include the emotional labor of Black women in librarianship, privacy shortcomings in libraries, as well as retaining Black librarians in the field. Prior to joining academic librarianship, she worked as an Adult Services Librarian with the District of Columbia Public Library and was the Business Librarian for the Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center in Baltimore, Maryland. In her spare time, Jasmine enjoys listening to podcasts, hiking, playing the Sims, and traveling.

Frank Skornia

Ferguson Library, CT

Frank Skornia

Ferguson Library, CT

Frank Skornia is the digital librarian for Information & Adult Services at the Ferguson Library in Stamford, Connecticut. Before this he worked in the media archives for a major television network and as a digital archivist for a 9/11-related nonprofit. As digital librarian he spends a lot of his time working with digital services and technology for the library's community and staff. He spends much of his free time gaming and reading.

Michelle Snyder

Buffalo and Erie County Library, NY

Michelle Snyder

Buffalo and Erie County Library, NY

My name is Michelle Snyder (she/her) and I’ve been a public librarian in New York’s rust belt, Buffalo, for the past 12 years. I read, I travel, I garden, and I believe our civil liberties are worth fighting for. Also, since I’m a librarian, I obviously have multiple cats.

Kimberly Springer

Co-Director, Columbia Privacy Lab, NY

Kimberly Springer

Co-Director, Columbia Privacy Lab, NY

Kimberly Springer thinks and creates in the spaces of the surveillance state, Black feminist praxis, digital culture, social movements, and media. Her job-job is curating oral history collections for the Oral History Archives at Columbia (OHAC). She has written/edited these books: Living for the Revolution, Black Feminist Organizations, 1968-1980, Still Lifting, Still Climbing: African-American Women’s Contemporary Activism, Stories of Oprah: the Oprahfication of American Culture and articles for PopMatters, The Atlantic, Activist History Review, and Viewpoint Magazine.

Joshua Stone

Southeast Florida Library Information Network, FL

Joshua Stone

Southeast Florida Library Information Network, FL

I am most excited to get the insight and knowledge necessary to help setup a network of Privacy Advocates in Southeast Florida. The training and connections that this program will provide will go a long way in helping me and my organization achieve our mission.

Josh Stone is the Director of Digital Service for SEFLIN, the Southeast Florida Library Information Network. His role is to work with and assist libraries throughout Southeast Florida with their Digital Projects. Prior to joining SEFLIN, Josh worked as a Collection Development Librarian overseeing the digital collections of a large public library system in South Florida. Throughout his career, Josh has been a strong advocate for Internet privacy and security, and has taught many group and individual classes to patrons on those subjects.

Meagan Stone

Fulton County Library System, GA

Meagan Stone

Fulton County Library System, GA

Meagan Stone is a Youth Services Librarian for the Fulton County Library System at the Central branch in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. She has been in public libraries for over six years with a focus on youth services, outreach, and technology. She is passionate about building community partnerships and connecting children with new, diverse books. She holds an MLIS from Valdosta State University, an MAT in Teaching Secondary Political Science from Mercer University, and a BS in Political Science from Kennesaw State University. Outside of libraries she enjoys going to concerts, cuddling with her two cats, and playing video games with her husband.

Chris Strunk

Boston Public Library, MA

Chris Strunk

Boston Public Library, MA

Chris Strunk has been a children's librarian in the Boston Public Library system for twenty years. Outside of work he is is involved in playing music and promoting concerts, reading and writing, and activism.

Mark Swartz

Queen’s University, Canada

Mark Swartz

Queen’s University, Canada

Mark Swartz is the Scholarly Publishing Librarian at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Mark is also seconded part-time to the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) as a Visiting Program Officer. In this role, Mark supports the work of the CARL Policy Committee in advocating for copyright legislation that is fair to users and workable for libraries.

Currently, Mark is co-ordinating the development of an video based Open Educational Resource that will help educate instructors and staff at Canadian universities about copyright.

Ashley Teagle

Southern Maryland Regional Library Association, MD

Ashley Teagle

Southern Maryland Regional Library Association, MD

Ashley Teagle received her Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Southern Mississippi. Ashley previously worked for Charles County Public Library as a children’s librarian, reference supervisor and branch manager. Ashley was also the Executive Director for Wicomico Public Libraries before returning to Southern Maryland as the CEO of the Southern Maryland Regional Library Association. Ashley’s professional affiliations include: the Maryland Librarian Association; the Public Library Association; and the American Library Association. Ashley’s interests in librarianship include leadership development and training; equity, diversity, and inclusion; and leveraging partnerships to serve the community.

She / hers / her

Junior Tidal

New York City College of Technology, CUNY, NY

Junior Tidal

New York City College of Technology, CUNY, NY

Junior Tidal is the Multimedia and Web Services Librarian and Associate Professor for the Ursula C. Schwerin Library at the New York City College of Technology, City University of New York. As Multimedia and Web Services librarian, he has conducted a variety of tasks including media collection development, reference support for students and faculty, server administration, web development, and supervising College Assistants for the library’s Multimedia Resource Center. His research interests include mobile web development, usability, and web analytics. Originally from Whitesburg, Kentucky, he has earned a MLS and a Master’s in Information Science from Indiana University.

Tracy Treece

Denver Public Library, CO

Tracy Treece

Denver Public Library, CO

Tracy Treece is the Digital Inclusion Manager at the Denver Public Library where she coordinates system-wide efforts to promote and enhance technology access and training for both the public and library staff, as well as overseeing the library's five makerspaces. She has been teaching technology at libraries for over a decade. Tracy is passionate about bridging the digital divide and making sure people have access to the tech tools, skills and info they need to do whatever it is they want to do.

Kimberly Trinh-Sy

Hennepin County Library, MN

Kimberly Trinh-Sy

Hennepin County Library, MN

Kimberly Trinh-Sy works for the Hennepin County Library in Minneapolis, MN. Kim previously worked as a community college librarian and taught English at the secondary level.

Kimberly Villafuerte Barzola

Kimberly Villafuerte Barzola

Kimberly Villafuerte Barzola's work and interests are focused on digital preservation and documentation of non-Western cultural heritage information and expanding public access to it. In addition to her work in libraries, she is an artist and long time multilingual organizer in Boston for racial and economic justice.

James Watson

Bronx Community College, CUNY, NY

James Watson

Bronx Community College, CUNY, NY

James Watson is a librarian at Bronx Community College (BCC), City University of New York. (CUNY). He has been employed within the CUNY system for nearly 20 years: first, as the Electronic Technology Librarian at Lehman College (five years); And now as a member of BCC’s Learning Services group. James has also served as Head of the Library’s Technology Services area.

Prior to becoming a Librarian, James was employed as a software engineer at Unisys (formerly Burroughs) Corporation, a computer vendor for 15 years. He possesses Master degrees in Information Science (Long Island University) and Interactive Telecommunications (New York University).

Nicole Weerbrouck

Bucks County Free Library, PA

Nicole Weerbrouck

Bucks County Free Library, PA

Nicole Weerbrouck (she/they) is a librarian, playwright, and artist with seven years of experience working in public and college libraries. They are currently a Help Desk Specialist for the Bucks County Free Library system in Pennsylvania, where they provide accessible technology support and programming to patrons and staff. Interested in intersections of internet privacy and social justice, Nicole is determined to actively dismantle structures that act as barriers to digital equity and inclusion. You can often find them screaming into a computer the night before a writing deadline.

Ayoola White

Ayoola White

Ayoola White (she, her, hers) is a public librarian originally from the Midwest. She earned a dual library science and history degree from Simmons University. She entered the library field hoping to use librarianship as a means to mobilize social change and social justice. Ayoola has written for the Hack Library School blog, the Radcliffe Institute blog, and the journal /Dósis/. She enjoys reading (duh), cooking, exploring tarot, playing with her cat, and learning to rollerskate.

Jen Wilson

Delaware

Jen Wilson

Delaware

Jen (she/they) is a library worker based in Delaware. They're particularly interested in services to the incarcerated, approaching librarianship through an abolitionist framework, imagining new ways to make libraries safe and welcoming spaces and making information accessible to all.

Tess Wilson

Pittsburgh, PA

Tess Wilson

Pittsburgh, PA

Tess Wilson is a librarian who loves talking loudly about digital literacy, equitable access, and citizen science. Beyond her library work she is an arts educator, mentor trainer, and zine enthusiast. She’s a collector of many things, from small rocks to big books.

Julia Wiswell

Berkeley Public Library, CA

Julia Wiswell

Berkeley Public Library, CA

Julia Wiswell is a Librarian I in the Adult Reference division at Berkeley Public Library's central branch. The specific communities served at her branches are mostly low income individuals with a wide variety of digital literacy rates. On a regular basis, Julia interacts with a range of patrons who understand the need for privacy measures but do not have the skills to implement it. She is excited to develop more technical skills and be able to empower staff and patrons to promote Contra Costa County, privacy in ways that are easy for users of all levels to understand.

Megan Wong

Solano County, CA

Megan Wong

Solano County, CA

Megan Wong has been a public librarian, in various capacities, for nearly twenty years. She lives in unceded Wintun territory with her daughter and feisty, but loving, chihuahua.

Asako Yoshida

University of Manitoba, Canada

Asako Yoshida

University of Manitoba, Canada

My name is Asako Yoshida, my pronouns are She/Her. I am a liaison library in Social Science disciplines at the University of Manitoba in Central Canada. I’m concerned about the prevalent surveillance capitalism and digital platforms that increasingly dominate the realm of our social interactions and shape our society. It’s encroaching into our library domain which commercial information service vendors historically dominate. I am looking foreward to interacting with the ideas, resources, and similar-minded people through the Crash Course.

Deborah Yun Caldwell

Deborah Yun Caldwell

Deborah Yun Caldwell was the 2018-2021 Diversity Resident Librarian at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She also serves on the steering committee for the PEGI Project, advocating to ensure access to public government information. Deborah studied anthropology and Jewish Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and she holds a Master of Information Science from the University of North Texas. Her work explores the intersections of digital preservation, information stewardship, cultural memory, and the justice of information access.