About

Work experience

Adult Services Manager ▪ February 2022 - Present

McCracken County Public Library ▪ Paducah, KY

I supervise the circulation and reference staff in the Adult Services Department of the McCracken County Public library. I plan, promote and lead programs for adults and families. I work with the management team to ensure excellent library service to the community. I maintain the online public calendar of events and I create and schedule content for the library social media accounts and for the library webpage. 

Youth Services Librarian ▪ July 2017 – February 2022

McCracken County Public Library ▪ Paducah, KY

Under the direction of the Youth Services Manager and the Library Director I train and supervise youth services staff. I work with the Youth Services Team to provide excellent library service to families and the community at large. I coordinate and manage teen volunteers. I plan, promote and lead fun and educational programs for children and teens in the library and I go out into the community to promote these programs. I manage the children's and young adult video collections, and video game collections. I provide customer service to children, parents, and young adults in recreational and academic use of the library, including help with access to our online services and available technology. I maintain the online public calendar of events and manage public use of the community rooms in the library. I create content for the library social media accounts and for the library webpage. 

Library Assistant ▪ 2009 – June 2017

McCracken County Public Library ▪ Paducah, KY

I planned, promoted and led fun and educational programs for teens in the library and went out into the community to promote these programs. I managed the children's and young adult video collections, and video game collections. I provided customer service to children, parents, and young adults in recreational and academic library use, including help with access to our online services and available technology.  I maintained the public calendar for staff and public use of the community rooms in the library. I trained and supervised part time library clerks. I worked as a member of a team to collectively ensure excellent service to families and the community at large.

High School Art Teacher ▪ 2002 – 2008

American YouthWorks Charter School ▪ Austin, TX

I worked with at-risk youth ages 16 to 21 in the dropout recovery charter school program. I designed and implemented curricula for art electives, grades 9-12, based on state curriculum standards for secondary fine arts courses. I co-taught projects with other teachers, and implemented service-learning methodology to incorporate community outreach and authentic learning into the curriculum. I coordinated a teen docent program with an art gallery near the school in which my students led tours for elementary school classes. I planned community art shows at the end of each semester, curated these shows of student and local professional artists’ work, and coordinated silent art auction fundraisers for the classroom art supplies budget.

Caseworker ▪ 2001–2002 

Southwest Key Program ▪ San Antonio, TX

I worked with youth on parole who had been recently released or who had violated their parole within the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance program. I helped youth to make positive decisions, complete their assigned community service hours, initiate job searches, and implement their resocialization training. Community service projects I coordinated included mural painting, and adopted highway clean up. This position required comprehensive documentation and accountability.

After School Program Leader ▪ 1998 – 2000

Children of the Future/Greater Columbus Arts Council ▪ Columbus, OH

As a member of a team, I designed and executed a curriculum for the after school arts program that blended arts activities with self-esteem building, conflict resolution, and positive choice making skills for youth ages 5-12. I worked on community outreach in the neighborhood around the recreation center. I helped launch an after school program at a new site. I completed comprehensive daily documentation.

Presentations 

2023 

Let’s Move in Libraries Cultivating the Relationship-Driven Library Conference  

Online Presentation “Institutionalizing Collaboration: Small and Rural Perspectives” 

2022 

American Library Association Social Responsibility Roundtable Homelessness Summit Online "Community Partnerships"

2021 

Kentucky Library Association Online Webinar "Wordless Picture Books"

2020

Tech on Tap Sponsored by Sprocket at Dry Ground Brewing Company, Paducah, KY

“Library Tech Variety Show”

2018

Kentucky Library Association Annual Conference in Louisville, KY

“We’re ready to Code and you can be too!” (Co-presented with staff from Kenton County Public Library) 

Google Interactive Booth at American Library Association Conference in New Orleans, LA

“Coding Programs for kids- creating Websites”

Google Interactive Booth at American Library Association Conference in New Orleans, LA 

“Block Coding: how it works”

2014

Kentucky Public Library Association Spring Conference in Bowling Green, KY 

“Teen Collections 101: Building and maintaining a popular teen collection” (Co-presented with staff from Jessamine County Public Library) 

2011

Regional Workshop for the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives Paducah, KY 

“Teen Summer Program Ideas for One World, Many Stories theme”