[PL-Directors] Introducing upcoming new Library Support team members!

[NIELSEN Buzzy * SLO]

Hi folks,

I am very, very, very excited to announce that the Library Support division at the State Library of Oregon will have two fantastic new people joining our team in the coming weeks.


Gesse Stark-Smith - Virtual Reference Coordinator
Gesse will join the State Library on June 5 as our Virtual Reference Coordinator. In that position, Gesse will coordinate our 24/7 online library chat reference program Answerland<https://answerland.org/>, which connects people with librarians from around Oregon and the country to answer their questions. Gesse will work with partner libraries, volunteers, and others to ensure Answerland continues providing great service in English and Spanish.

Gesse comes to us with a background as a school librarian and over ten years' experience in various roles at Multnomah County Library, including School Corps librarian, Spanish/English bilingual youth librarian, community outreach librarian, and supervisor and manager of various programs including adult learning and culturally-specific programming. Gesse also served on and chaired our Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Advisory Council<https://www.oregon.gov/Library/libraries/Pages/lstaac.aspx>.

Many thanks to the Virtual Reference Coordinator search committee: Tamara Ottum and Natalie Brant from the State Library and Michele Burke from Chemeketa Community College.


Ericka Brunson-Rochette - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant
Ericka joins the team on July 15 as our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Consultant. This brand new position was created in response to strong interest from all of you in the library community! In the role, Ericka will provide training, consulting, and resources to support libraries to better serve communities that are historically and currently underserved and under-resourced, as well as help libraries on their path to becoming more equitable, diverse, inclusive, and antiracist.

Ericka likely is a familiar name for many of you, as she is currently the president of the Oregon Library Association and has been active in OLA's Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Antiracism (EDIA) Committee. In addition to her on-the-ground DEI experience, Ericka has training and holds certifications in DEI from the University of South Florida, Rice University, and Cornell University. She also joins the team with over 15 years' experience in children's services at the Manhattan Public Library (Kansas), Kitsap Regional Library (Washington), and most recently Deschutes Public Library here in Oregon.

Thank you to the search committee for DEI Consultant: Greta Bergquist and Wren Kominos from the State Library, Christina Fuller-Gregory of Fuller Potential Consulting, and LaRee Dominguez at Albany Public Library and co-chair of OLA's EDIA Committee.


You can expect to hear more from both folks after they start their jobs. Please give them a bit of time to settle in!

In Library Support, we are continually trying to evolve our services to better serve you and your libraries. Gesse and Ericka will bring experience, wisdom, and fresh perspectives to help Library Support continue being responsive to your changing needs. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me and ask.

Cheers!

Buzzy Nielsen, MPP, MSI (he/him/his)
Program Manager for Library Support and Tribal Liaison
State Library of Oregon
buzzy.nielsen at slo.oregon.gov<mailto:buzzy.nielsen at slo.oregon.gov> | 971-375-3486
www.oregon.gov/library/libraries<https://www.oregon.gov/library/libraries>
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