Celebrate National Library Workers Day with the Region 6 Movers & Shakers

Posted by Miles Dietz-Castel on April 9th, 2024 Posted in: Blog
Tags: National Library Week, National Library Workers Day

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Tuesday, April 9th is National Library Workers Day, a day for everyone to recognize the valuable contributions made by library workers. We wanted to help celebrate some librarians from Region 6 who have received a 2023 Movers & Shakers recognition from Library Journal.

Katie Clausen | Movers & Shakers 2023—Educators
In addition to being a beloved story time leader and early childhood literacy advocate, Katie Clausen—“Miss Katie” to her youngest stakeholders—holds a professional certification in Adverse Childhood Experiences. When she realized that families in her community needed age-appropriate mental-health resources, she and colleague Elizabeth Forkan created a circulating collection of Resiliency Kits—books, games, activities, and information for adults and children on themes of grief and loss, divorce, addiction, emotions, and bullying. “Therapists have mentioned using them with their clients,” says Clausen. “Even if one family is helped through a book or activity in a kit, that’s a success.” Mental health is an ongoing issue, and she expects that the collection will grow. Read more!

Willa Liburd Tavernier | Movers & Shakers 2023—Educators
“Life is so unpredictable,” says Willa Liburd Tavernier, reflecting on her career path. “I’m an accidental librarian, in a sense.” She was an attorney in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) when she entered the MA program at the University of Iowa, aiming to lead knowledge-management initiatives at her law firm. Toward the end of the program, hurricanes Irma and Maria ravaged the BVI. Unable to return, she applied to U.S. academic library residency programs and received an offer from Indiana University–Bloomington (IU), where she’s been ever since. Read more!

Amy Kyung-Eun Breslin | Movers & Shakers 2023—Educators
“Literacy justice is critical to social justice,” insists Amy Kyung-Eun Breslin, whose days are spent out in her community spearheading branch-style literacy programs at schools and other stakeholder venues—and busting through access barriers. “We bridge the transportation barrier by bringing programs and services to community members where they are,” she says. Read more!

Sara Elisa Proaño-Motta | Movers & Shakers 2023—Community Builders
When Sara Elisa Proaño-Motta arrived in Michigan in 2008, she worked as a translator and interpreter serving communities that faced barriers to services or resources. “This led me to recognize the library as one of the most important resources for case managers, advocates, and community navigators,” recalls the Ecuadorian native. “The work humbled me, informing my understanding of the many cultures represented in Kent County.” Read more!

Kathy Zappitello | Movers & Shakers 2023—Change Agents
“Sometimes others see leadership in you before you feel or see it within yourself,” says Kathy Zappitello of her library career. She grew up in a small, rural town across the street from the public library, and her best friend’s mom was the head librarian. After she moved back as a young adult, the library reached out to ask her to step into the interim director role, and she never left the field. “The profession chose me,” she says. She’s been active in the larger library world as well, serving as 2020–21 president of the Association for Small and Rural Libraries. Read more!