Patrice Green, 2020 Emerging Leader

“After starting my first job in the field, I thought to myself ‘What better way to get involved with the American Library Association than through the Emerging Leaders program?’” Green says.

A 2019 graduate, Green earned an MLIS and a master’s degree in public history. She also held positions in several library departments while working toward her degree.

As one of this year’s named leaders, Green has collaborated with the Association of College and Research Libraries’ instructional diversity and inclusion task force on a project to improve accessibility for their members. She likens the profession to social work. “For me, library science is all about being a resource to people and helping them find the things that they need,” she says.

Liana Bayne, 2020 Emerging Leader

Liana Bayne spent years as a journalist but decided to pursue a career in library and information science after working as a circulation manager. She realized that both jobs require an eagerness to work with the public, which allows her to explore the intersection between the two fields.

“At the core of it, you’re helping people find information,” Bayne says. “Then, you’re taking that information and translating it into a format that they can understand.” In the program, she’s strengthening her leadership skills while working with another ACLR division on a project focusing on early career librarians.

Jade Geary, 2019 Emerging Leader

Librarian Jade Geary has been a part of the Thomas Cooper Library’s staff for six years. Her social justice advocacy steered her toward a project created by the ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom, where she and her peers produced a series of explainer videos covering topics like censorship, prison libraries and fake news. She views the effects of information literacy as being a type of liberation.

“I look at information literacy as a social justice issue because not everyone has access to the same information,” Geary says. “That’s why I believe it’s important for people to be able to access information.”

She emphasizes the importance of her experience as an Emerging Leader by explaining the networking and skills she was able to improve while in the program. “Being able to come together as a profession and not only share our challenges and successes, but our thoughts on how we can better serve people gave me a broader view of the profession and useful resources.”