Meet the 2013 APALA Election Candidates!

MARIA TAESIL HUDSON CARPENTER

Maria Taesil Hudson Carpenter is Director of Libraries for the City of Somerville, MA, overseeing three libraries for a diverse community of 76,000. In her role she operates a 1.7M budget and manages a team of 41 staff members. With collaborators, she won an 18M provisional grant for a new Central Library building; expanded branch hours to weekends; raised funds and opened a new Teen Room; led successful ALA/IMLS Storycorp and ALA/NEH Muslim Journeys grant award applications; and partnered with Harvard Library Innovation Lab on the Awesome Box project. Formerly, Maria was Director of Advancement and Marketing for Northeastern U. Libraries. She completed her MLIS at U. of Pittsburgh and her BA at Ohio Wesleyan. Maria is a member of Phi Beta Delta and an ALA Spectrum Scholar. She is a doctoral candidate in Simmons’ MLIP program, studying managerial leadership and service to diverse populations. She is the recipient of many awards including a partner award from Northeastern’s Asian American Center and U. of Pittsburgh’s Jay Daily Award. Maria has served on many committees including: R. Steven’s Presidential Frontline Fundraising Task Force, 2010-2012; ACRL Racial & Ethnic Diversity committee, 2006-2009; ALA Spectrum Scholar Interest Group (Chair) 2006-2007; ALA Spectrum Institute Planning committee, 2004-2006; and ACRL Spectrum Scholars Mentors committee, 2003-2005. She co-authored ACRL’s cultural competencies guidelines. She is also a yoga teacher and a Reiki healer.Personal StatementIt is an honor to run for APALA Vice-President/President-Elect. As a member of APALA I have observed the organization’s growth and development over the years. I am impressed by the collective work produced by APALA colleagues, from producing events such as David H.T. Wong’s talk about being an Asian/Pacific American and frog activist, to promoting memberships, to acknowledging and giving voice to Asian/Pacific American library staff, writers, and activists, through APALA literature awards, travel grants, and spotlights. I have learned a lot about leadership—as one who practices it and as one who studies it. I feel I am ready to now step up and serve in this leadership position and put my heart and soul into representing APALA and working alongside members. If I am elected, I will bring members together to discuss issues and opportunities for APA librarians, recruit and provide professional development and networking opportunities to APA librarians, and to work with ethnic caucuses and partners on joint projects. I believe in living a life of joy, service, and love and will bring this philosophy to my work with APALA.Maria has been a long-term member of APALA beginning when she was a graduate student in Pittsburgh’s School of Library and Information Science. She has participated in APALA programs, volunteered on membership drives, promoted the important work that APALA does, and Co-Chaired APALA’s Marketing Committee, 2007-2008. Namaste. Thank you for your consideration!

Treasurer

DORA HO

Young Adult Librarian/Program Specialist, Los Angeles Public Library, Youth ServicesEducation: M.L.S. with specialization in Special Libraries, UCLA 1992.Membership: ALA, California Library Association; APALA Life member; CALA Life memberALA Activities: ALA Councilor at large, 2003-2014; ALA Executive Board, 2011-2014; ALA Budget Analysis Review Committee, 2012-2014; ALA Membership Committee, member 2002-2006, 2009-2010, chair 2007-2008; ALA Scholarship Committee 2004-2009, 2012-2013; ALA YALSA, Membership Committee, member, 1999-2004; New Members Round Table, President 2001-2002Other Library Activities: Chinese American Librarians Association, President, 2007-2008; Chinese American Librarians Association, Treasurer 2001-2006; Chinese American Librarians Association, Organizational Manual Committee,Chair 2010-12; California Library Association, Scholarship Committee, member 2008-2011,2012-2013; National Conference on Asian Pacific American Librarians, Webmaster; Asian Pacific American Librarians Association – Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Committee, Chair 2002-Present; JCLC 2012 Steering Committee, CALA Representative, and Finance Committee ChairPast and Current APALA ActivitiesI have been chair/co-chair of the APALA’s Literature Award Committee since 2002. It has been a very rewarding experience for me to coordinate books from publishers for committee chairs. I am proud to be part of the Literature Award Team that helps promote Asian/Pacific cultures and heritage. Additionally, I served as a mentor for the APALA Mentoring Program. Moreover, I am especially honor to be part of the APALA’s 35th Anniversary Committee. This will be another milestone for APALA and I am eager to participate and to move forward with APALA to bigger and better things.Personal StatementHaving served on the Literature Award Committee for over ten years, I am seeking other opportunities to serve APALA. Being extremely interested in finance planning, I have decided to run for the treasurer position. I hope to bring a new perspective and fresh ideas to the Executive Board on budget planning and increase our investments. As a team player, I am eager to learn as well as to contribute back to APALA. Previously, I served as the Chinese American Librarian Association (CALA) treasurer for five years. I have extensive experience with budget, finance planning, and tax form filing (Form 990). As the Finance chair of JCLC, I was able to maintain our budget and kept spending to a minimum in order to achieve a high profit margin for the conference. In addition, with the experience I had on the ALA/BARC (Budget Analysis Review Committee), I am confident I can ensure APALA is financially sound and stable. I hope to be a Treasurer who will assist with moving APALA forward in many projects that will not only benefit our members, yet continue with the mission of the association. Thank you for your vote!!

Secretary

JANET H. CLARKE

Janet H. Clarke is the Associate Director for Research and Instructional Services at Stony Brook University Libraries, where she has worked since 1999. She is a selector for Asian American Studies. She has an MLS from Queens College and a Ph.D. from Stony Brook University. She is a member of APALA, ACRL, SUNYLA, and ALA.

Personal Statement

I am running for Secretary. I am currently serving as a member-at-large in APALA, and have served on the Literature Awards Committee and contributed articles to the newsletter. It has been my privilege to be a part of APALA since 2000. APALA has been a generous professional home to me. I am proud to be part of an organization that supports and encourages dialogue about APA library issues and promotes vital library services to APA groups and communities. More than ever, APA librarians in all types of organizations need to be strong advocates for our communities and constituents. I strongly support APALA’s social and community activism and feel this engagement is enhanced by its partnerships with other organizations and ethnic caucuses. If elected, I will do by best to further APALA’s goals.

Member-at-Large (2012-2014)

ANNA MALA COATS

Anna Mala Coats is the children’s librarian at East Rutherford Memorial Library in New Jersey. She works with ages 0 – 18 and creates programs that celebrate the community’s diversity. Anna is herself multiracial and understands the importance of having everyone’s culture celebrated. “I am half East Indian / West Indian, and half Eastern European / Western European. My maternal great-grandparents emigrated from India to Guyana and my mother immigrated to the United States in the 1970s. My father’s mother was Hungarian and his father was Dutch, Welsh, and Cherokee, and could trace his ancestry in this country back to the 1500s.” Anna received her M.A. in English from Rutgers University in May 2011 and her M.S. in Library & Information Science from the University of Illinois in December 2011. She completed both on campus degrees in two and a half years. Anna is currently one of the New Jersey Library Association (NJLA)’s Emerging Leaders. She is also involved with REFORMA (The National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking) and the Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS)’s Youth Services Committee (YSC).

Personal Statement

The APA community and libraries are central to me, which is why I am running for APALA’s Executive Board Member-at-Large. As a member of the South Asian Diaspora community, I understand what it like to be a minority within a minority group, and want to better serve marginalized communities. APALA does this by providing a forum for the exchange of ideas by APA librarians; supporting and encouraging library services to APA communities; and more. I am eager to be more involved with APALA because it champions missions important to me. My leadership training in the NJLA Emerging Leaders and experience serving a diverse community have prepared me for this position. As Member-at-Large, I will work closely with the Executive Board to represent the needs of APALA members and the APA community.

Past and Current APALA Involvement

Anna first learned about APALA while waiting in line for Sherman Alexie’s signature at the 2012 ALA Anaheim Conference and has been involved ever since. She serves on the Family Literacy Focus Committee, which promotes Talk Story, a joint literacy project between APALA and AILA (American Indian Library Association) that reaches out to Asian Pacific American (APA) and American Indian / Alaska Native (AIAN) children and their families. “I work with a team of creative and insightful librarians on the Family Literacy Focus Committee. The supportive atmosphere encourages innovative ideas.” Anna is working to re-envision marketing of Talk Story to non-member/non-minority librarians as well as communities that no longer relate to ancestral languages by using her background in marketing and current community outreach efforts.

PAOLO P. GUJILDE

• Sagittarius
• Loves coffee
• Likes long walks on the beach
• Former “archaeologist” and Now, an “awesome” librarian
• Graduated from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Library Coordinator at Robert Morris University in Chicago, IL
• Co-chair, APALA Program Planning Committee; Member, APALA Local Arrangements Task Force

Personal Statement

In the past three years as a librarian, I have learned a lot about the field of librarianship and our (librarians) impact to our students, patrons, and society. As Member-at-Large, I will bring my experiences working with the program planning committee and other task forces within APALA and other organization to further discourse and awareness of our contributions to librarianship. Additionally, as Member-at-Large, I would help expand the mission of the organization through working with the executive board in fulfilling goals that will impact the future of the group.

Past and Current APALA Involvement

I would like to be considered for the Member-at-Large position with APALA. I am the co-chair of APALA’s 2013 Program Planning for the Chicago annual as well as a member of the Local Arrangement Task Force. Additionally, I am involved with GLBTRT as a volunteer for local arrangements and as a member of the round table. I became an APALA member after the annual conference in New Orleans, Louisiana and since then, I expanded my role through committees and task forces in the organization. As co-chair and member of the program planning committee, I am delighted to be involved in bringing two great programs at this year’s annual conference in Chicago. These two programs highlight our roles as librarians in promoting and educating ourselves and others about diversity within our communities. I am definitely excited about it!