ALSC selects Tori Ann Ogawa as 2017 Emerging Leader

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced Tori Ann Ogawa of the Darien Library in Darien, Conn. as its representative in the 2017 Emerging Leader program.

Ogawa is the Harold W. McGraw Fellow at Darien, where she works as a Children’s Librarian. In December 2015, she graduated with her Master in Library and Information Science (MLIS) from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hawaii. In her undergraduate days, Ogawa worked as a Circulation Desk Attendant and a Reference Desk Attendant at her academic library at Linfield College. She also brings a wealth of teaching experience, from working as a part-time ELL/ESL teacher in Hawaii to earning a Master of Education in Learning Design and Technology in May 2016.

“Effective leadership takes a balance of leading and listening. I believe a leader is someone who will guide and direct a team, not boss members around and impose only their ideas on the team” said Ogawa. “Leadership is about taking ideas from everyone, listening to what the group has to say, and encouraging everyone to participate and have a voice.”

“We are proud to welcome Tori as our 2017 ALSC sponsored Emerging Leader,” said ALSC President Betsy Orsburn. “With her experience in academic, school, and public libraries, we are confident that she will bring a fresh perspective to her work at ALSC. We are very excited to watch her grow and build new skills in the Emerging Leaders program and beyond."

As ALSC’s representative for the 2017 Emerging Leader program, Ogawa will attend the 2017 Midwinter Meeting in Atlanta, as well as the 2017 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.

The Emerging Leaders program enables newer librarians from across the country to participate in workgroups, network with peers, gain an inside look into ALA's structure and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity. Emerging Leaders receive up to $1,000 each to participate in the Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference, and each participant is expected to provide years of service to ALA or one of its units.

ALSC, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. With a network of more than 4,000 children’s and youth librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty, ALSC is committed to creating a better future for children through libraries. To learn more about ALSC, visit ALSC’s website: www.ala.org/alsc.