Your name, current work place and position (for students, please tell us what school you’re attending and if you have chosen a specialization):
Candice (Wing-yee) Mack, Los Angeles Public Library, Managing Librarian – Young Adult Services
Where did you attend school for your MLIS degree?
UCLA
How long have you been an APALA member? Why did you first join? Are you currently involved as an officer/committee member/other volunteer?
14 years. I joined for free as a Spectrum Scholar in 2005 and APALA was the most friendly and welcoming association I encountered. I became an APALA Life member ($400) because I did the math and was like “Am I planning on being an APALA member for at least the next 10 years (yearly membership is $35)?” The answer was a resounding YES, so it seemed like the most practical and supportive choice.
I am currently APALA’s Vice President/President-Elect. In the past, I have served as a Board Member-at-Large and a member of the Adult Literature, Young Adult Literature and Picture Book Award Committees.
What aspects of librarianship are key to your personal satisfaction at work? Please share some of your professional goals and interests.
Helping to support and advocate on behalf of all marginalized communities, especially teens, youth, folks of color, and LGBTQIA youth and their families. I firmly believe that when they come for one of us, they come for all of us, but, also, that all boats rise in high tide. My library work comes from my activist work and I strive every day to work with and for all of our diverse communities. I’m very interested in raising the profile of our association and communities– according to the Pew Research Center, the U.S. Asian population grew 72% between 2000 and 2015 (from 11.9 million to 20.4 million), the fastest growth rate of any major racial or ethnic group— and yet, we still get asked “Where are you from/really from?” I would like the work that we do through, with and for our association this year to celebrate our 40 years of surviving and thriving and to celebrate our continued support of ourselves and others in our diverse communities.
