CALA Northeast Chapter Webinar:
A Library Leaders Virtual Panel Discussion

January 12, 2024 (Friday)

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Eastern Time

Location: Online (Zoom)

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The Chinese American Librarians Association’s (CALA) Northeast Chapter invites you to attend a virtual leadership panel discussion featuring library leaders in academic, public, special, and school libraries. In this virtual panel discussion, library leaders will discuss their thoughts on wellness, promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace, communication strategies, employee engagement, and professional development opportunities. This webinar will be recorded. Bring your questions and ideas! All are welcome to attend!

This event is hosted by CALA-Northeast Chapter. 

Speakers

• Dr. Maria McCauley, Director of Cambridge Public Library, MA
  
  Dr. Maria McCauley is Director of Libraries for the City of Cambridge where she oversees administration, finance, facilities and operations across seven libraries. She leads a team of 170 talented staff members and works closely with three boards and across the City to achieve an inclusive, ambitious vision of library services for all. Under her leadership, the Cambridge Public Library has increased its budget from $9M to $18.9M, expanded its branch hours by 54+ hours per week, opened the award-winning Valente Branch library, launched a STEAM at the Library program including the first free public $1.8M maker space in Cambridge, gone fine free, led a library card campaign shifting from an opt-out instead of opt-in process, resulting in approximately 95% of kindergartener’s having library cards, started a social work program, deepened digital equity work, and prioritized the library’s antiracism, equity and inclusion efforts.  

• Maria began her library career 24 years ago at the Cambridge Public Library in Circulation and Reference Services. Before returning to Cambridge, she served as the Director of Libraries in Santa Monica, Director of Libraries for the City of Somerville, and held several library positions at Northeastern University. She is Past President of the Public Library Association, a major division of the American Library Association (ALA). She served on the American Library Association’s Executive Board and is on the Board of Advisors of Beacon Press.  

• Dr. Martin L. Garnar, Director of Amherst College Library, MA
  
  Dr. Martin Garnar is the director of the Amherst College Library and the editor of the 10th edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual. Prior to his role at  Amherst, he was dean of the Kraemer Family Library at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. His professional activities and speaking schedule reflect a profound inability to say no. A native New Yorker, Martin lives in western Massachusetts with his husband Mark and their impossibly cute miniature dachshunds. 

• Crystal Chen, Digital Educator Support Manager and Archivist, Facing History & Ourselves, New York
  
  Crystal Chen (she/her) is a Digital Educator Support Manager & Archivist at Facing History & Ourselves, a global nonprofit that uses the lessons of history to fight bigotry and hate. She is a 2018 American Library Association Emerging Leader with a decade of experience in public libraries providing (and expanding) services to teens. She also serves as a community admin for We Here (wehere.space), a supportive community for BIPOC in LIS.

• Moderator: Dr. Ray Pun, Academic and Research Librarian, Alder Graduate School of Education
  
  Ray Pun is the academic and research librarian at the Alder Graduate School of Education, a teacher residency program in California. Originally from NYC, Ray is the Past President of CALA and APALA and currently serves on ALA Council. Ray holds a doctorate in education, an MLS and MA in East Asian Studies.