United for Libraries Virtual: Trustees – Friends – Foundations

Registration Now Open

Programming runs from 11:00 am Eastern to approximately 4:00 pm Eastern daily with scheduled breaks. Registrants may participate in some or all program sessions live, and/or watch recordings on-demand. 

Themed days offer focused programming. Register for a single day, multiple days, or the full conference.

• Trustee/Board Member Day - Tuesday, July 28, 2026
• Foundations and Fundraising Day - Wednesday, July 29, 2026
• Friends of the Library Day - Thursday, July 30, 2026

Download a schedule in your time zone

• Full Conference:  Eastern  |  Central  |  Mountain  |  Pacific
• Trustee/Board Member Day:  Eastern  |  Central  |  Mountain  |  Pacific
• Foundation and Fundraising Day:  Eastern  |  Central  |  Mountain  |  Pacific
• Friends of the Library Day:  Eastern  |  Central  |  Mountain  |  Pacific

Scroll down to the bottom of this page for program descriptions and speaker bios.

Wednesday, July 29, 4:30-5:15 PM Eastern

Join ALA’s Chief Advocacy Officer Lisa Varga as she examines and celebrates the profound current set in motion through the civic act of joining a library board, Friends Group, or Foundation—and what that means for libraries and our communities in this moment. United for Libraries President Lauren Trujillo will join Lisa and open the conversation to audience questions and reflections.

Microlearnings are 15-20 minute presentations. All attendees receive free on demand access to microlearnings, regardless of the day presented live.

• Data-Driven Library Advocacy Messaging
• March Meowness: A Viral Campaign Redefining Library Engagement
• Love Letters to a Library: A Ready-to-Run Community Campaign That Generated More Than 1,200 Stories of Library Impact in 10 Days
• Hosting a Friends Book Swap
• Celebrating National Friends of Libraries Week with Friends of the Moorhead Library 

Download a schedule in your time zone

• Full Conference:  Eastern  |  Central  |  Mountain  |  Pacific
• Trustee/Board Member Day:  Eastern  |  Central  |  Mountain  |  Pacific
• Foundations and Fundraising Day:  Eastern  |  Central  |  Mountain  |  Pacific
• Friends of the Library Day:  Eastern  |  Central  |  Mountain  |  Pacific

The Zoom room opens at 10:30 am Eastern. Programming runs from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm Eastern with scheduled breaks.

Register for Trustee / Board Member Day

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Be the BEST Public Library Trustee You Can Be

Leanne Furby, Project Manager and Developer of the iLEAD (Leadership, Empowerment, Accessibility, and Development for Public Library Trustees) initiative at the Illinois Heartland Library System

This program is built specifically for library Boards of Trustees, focusing on the topics that matter most to them. Whether you’re just starting out or have years of board experience, this session is packed with practical insights to strengthen your leadership. We’ll dive into ethics, proven strategies for running effective board meetings, and how to structure your board for success. You’ll gain a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities, especially the key differences between the library director and trustee roles. Plus, we’ll share innovative ways to bring this training to your trustees through online learning, making it easier than ever to build strong, informed boards.

Breaking Down Silos: Building Stronger Partnerships Between Boards and Library Leadership

Jaketha Farmer, Assistant Library Director, DeSoto (TX) Public Library

Libraries depend on strong relationships between leadership, staff, and governing bodies to effectively serve their communities. However, many organizations experience internal silos that create barriers to communication, alignment, and shared decision-making. This session explores how silos can develop not only within library operations, but also between leadership and governance. Participants will examine common patterns that contribute to misalignment and learn practical strategies to strengthen communication, clarify roles, and support more effective collaboration between directors and trustees.

Drawing from professional experience and organizational leadership research, this session provides a framework for recognizing silo behaviors and offers actionable approaches that support transparency, collaboration, and shared understanding across all levels of the organization.

From Strategy to Advocacy: How State Libraries and Boards Drive Innovation and Funding for Local Impact

Nicholas Alexander Brown-Cáceres, Chief of the Library of Congress Music Division, and Morgan Lehr Miller, Maryland State Librarian and Head of the State Library Agency

State libraries are often the unseen engines behind local library success, driving innovation, coordinating services, and ensuring equitable access across entire states. Using Maryland as a case study, this session explores how a modern state library agency, in partnership with its state library board, functions as both an innovation hub and a strategic advocate. Participants will gain insight into how statewide planning, cross-sector partnerships, and data-informed decision-making translate into real-world impact—from digital inclusion and broadband initiatives to specialized services like the Maryland State Library for the Blind & Print Disabled. The session will also highlight how state library boards play a critical governance role in setting direction, ensuring accountability, and advancing a vision for innovation.

Equally important, this session introduces a second, often underexplored dimension of board leadership: advocacy. Attendees will learn how state library boards can effectively champion funding for innovation at both the state and federal levels, including engagement with programs such as IMLS/LSTA and partnerships that expand resources for local libraries. Grounded in practical examples, this session offers trustees a rare, behind-the-scenes perspective on how state-level leadership and advocacy work together to strengthen libraries at every level.

Library Champions: Building Advocates Through Shared Learning

Sheila Schofer, Director, Ames (IA) Public Library; Megan Klein-Hewett, Adult Services Manager, Ames (IA) Public Library, Tracy Briseño, Customer Account Services Manager, Ames (IA) Public Library, Brianne Anderson, Youth Services Manager, Ames (IA) Public Library, and Alissa Dornink, Resource Services Manager, Ames (IA) Public Library

In the last five years, Iowa has seen an overwhelming number of library averse bills in the state legislature. As a way to combat misinformation and build community trust, Ames Public Library created a program for library advocates called Library Champions. Through this four-part series, library staff teach community advocates about library principles, policy, and procedures, then give participants a chance to use the knowledge they’ve learned through engaging exercises.  

This program will share how the Library Champions program was created, clarify the vital role of the Library Board in supporting library advocacy, and provide details about how your public library can create a similar cohort of library advocates.

Navigating the Hiring Process: Finding the Right Director for Your Library

Tanya Ryals, Integrated Library Systems Specialist, University of Northern Iowa and former Public Library Director

Hiring a new library director comes with many challenges but, also, with many opportunities for the future growth of your library. This session will prepare trustees for how to navigate the process and find a great candidate. This session is a great fit for all trustees, even those who do not foresee an upcoming director transition.

The Zoom room opens at 10:30 am Eastern. Programming runs from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm Eastern with scheduled breaks.

Register for Foundations and Fundraising Day

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Collaboration, Communication, and Flexibility: Working Together to Reach Campaign Goals

Charity Tyler, Executive Director, Cedar Rapids (IA) Public Library Foundation and Dara Schmidt, Director, Cedar Rapids (IA) Public Library

Learn how a Library Foundation Director and Library Leadership Team executed a successful capital campaign that raised more than $10 million by working together from idea to concept to grand opening. Presenters will share stories about working with individual and corporate donors giving smaller gifts to seven-figure gifts and grant opportunities. Hear how this Iowa public library and its foundation built a new 40,000 square foot library branch when many community members said couldn’t be done.

In this session, you will learn how to (1) recognize what successful collaboration and cooperation between Library Foundation and Library Leadership looks like when pursuing campaign goals; (2) demonstrate an understanding of the steps required when considering, launching, and completing a capital campaign, and (3) identify scenarios where the need for flexibility and innovation are necessary while working with major gift donors and their unexpected needs, requests, or requirements.

Beyond the Book: How Libraries Can Fundraise with Author Events

Skip Dye, SVP, Library Sales and Digital Strategy, Penguin Random House; Tiffany Tomlin, Vice President, Executive Director, Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau; Gary Branson, Executive Director/Fiscal Officer, Marion (OH) Public Library; Ruth Ozeki, Author, Penguin Random House, and Lauren Trujillo, Foundation Director, Santa Barbara (CA) Public Library Foundation

Author events have long been a favorite way for libraries to engage their communities—but they can also be powerful fundraising opportunities. This panel brings together a representative from a leading speakers bureau, a library professional who has successfully coordinated fundraising author programs, and an author with firsthand experience participating in such events. Together, they will demystify the process of working with speakers bureaus, highlight best practices, and share practical strategies for libraries of all sizes.

From understanding the right questions to ask when booking a speaker to exploring the wide variety of event formats—from intimate conversations to large-scale galas—you’ll leave with ideas to match your library’s resources and community. Whether you have a large budget or are working within the constraints of a small to mid-size library, this discussion will provide creative, scalable approaches to making author appearances both memorable and financially impactful.

Making the Most of Milestones: Golden Opportunities in Library Fundraising

Angela Daniels, Librarian, The Alternative School for Math and Science; Joyce Garczynski, Assistant University Librarian for Communication & Digital Scholarship, Towson University; Kate Nardin, Chief Development Officer, Chicago Public Library Foundation, and Amy Katzenberger, Director of Development, American Library Association

From groundbreakings to anniversaries, milestones provide libraries with opportunities to reflect, commemorate, and celebrate. They also can be extraordinary fundraising catalysts that build community and inspire new philanthropy. In this panel discussion, experienced fundraisers, library advocates, and supporters will discuss how to identify milestone fundraising opportunities, develop impactful milestone outreach, as well as how to successfully engage donors before, during, and after milestones.

The program will begin with audience members sharing their experiences with library milestones. Then panelists from a variety of different library types will add their perspectives on how they have created donor-engaging programs, exhibits, and communications connected to anniversaries, dedications, and other commemorations. The session will continue with questions from the moderator about how to address the challenges that can come with milestone fundraising and then will conclude with questions from the audience.

Case Study: Engaging Volunteers, Donors and Staff to Create a Strategic Fundraising Plan

Natalie Starosta, Library Director, Lake Bluff (Illinois) Public Library and Lauren Chilvers, Fundraising Librarian, LLC

The North Riverside Library Foundation has a long history of devoted and invested community members. In 2021 the long-time fund-raising group, Friends of the Library, merged with the Library Foundation to create the dynamic Foundation & Friends group. After merging with the Friends group, they were ready to take their connections, energy and passion for the library to the next level and engaged the consulting company, Fundraising Librarian. Together the Fundraising Librarian and the North Riverside Library Foundation audited their past activities, conducted interviews with members of the Foundation, and developed a plan with actionable steps. Now the North Riverside Library Foundation is primed to become the premier philanthropic priority in their community.

This case study emphasizes inclusive engagement throughout the strategic fundraising process. By conducting stakeholder interviews and gathering feedback from a wide range of volunteers, donors, and staff, the North Riverside Library Foundation ensured that diverse perspectives were represented in the fundraising audit and planning. This inclusive approach not only honors the contributions of all community members but also identifies opportunities to reach historically underrepresented groups in philanthropy. Additionally, the strategies developed—including communication messaging, social media planning, and donor engagement—prioritize accessibility and clear, equitable outreach, helping ensure that all community members can participate in supporting the library’s mission. The process demonstrates how inclusive planning and representation strengthen organizational capacity and community impact.

The Zoom room opens at 10:30 am Eastern. Programming runs from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm Eastern with scheduled breaks.

Register for Friends of the Library Day

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A National Model of Access: Learning from NLS and Friends of the Library Partnerships

Juliette Appold, Head, NLS Music Section, Library of Congress; John Owen, Director, Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled; Melissa Riccobono, President, Friends of the Maryland Library for the Blind and Print Disabled, and Mark Santangelo, Chief, Patron and Network Engagement Division, National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), Library of Congress

At a time when libraries are called upon to demonstrate impact, expand access, and serve diverse communities, partnerships matter more than ever. The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) offers a powerful, federally funded model that local libraries and their Friends groups can leverage to significantly broaden services at no cost to their institutions or patrons. This session introduces a practical toolkit for Trustees, Friends, and Advocates to strengthen their library’s reach by connecting with NLS resources, including hundreds of thousands of accessible books, instructional materials, and music scores for people who are blind, low vision, or print disabled.

Through real-world examples, this panel will demonstrate how these partnerships translate into expanded services, stronger advocacy, and measurable community impact. Participants will leave with concrete strategies to expand library services beyond local budget limits, strengthen advocacy narratives with measurable impact, and build meaningful partnerships that reach underserved populations.

Supersize Your Friends Group: Fundraising, Connections, and Fun!

Marian Amodeo, Vice president, Friends of Meriden Library and Becky Starr, Member, Friends of the Meriden Public Library

2024 was a banner year for the Friends, and it has continued into 2026. The Friends raised $400,000 towards the library renovation and addition project; they added a new and innovative fundraiser- a wine, beer and spirit tasting- that raised a profit of $11,000 in three hours, and the bookstore brought in over $18,000 for the year. Also, grants from private foundations, underwritten by the Friends, brought in $50,000. In addition to our other fundraising activities, the Friends raises monies through volunteer management of one of the largest Friends of the Library sponsored used books stores in the state. Membership dues raised over $4,000 for a membership of 200+. We are proud of what we have accomplished and want to tell other Friends groups about us and how we accomplished these amazing feats by working hard and smart, making community and business connections, and having fun! 

This program will discuss how the Friends in conjunction with the Library staff, stay connected to current donors and seek out new funding opportunities. The Friends are also working in conjunction with the Library Board to set up a foundation to be managed by the Friends on behalf of the Library. The Friends of the Library is a 100% volunteer organization and with monies raised, the Friends assist the library in providing a variety of cultural and educational events as well as a variety of literacy-based programing.

Collaborative Leadership: Building More Agile and Resilient Friends Organizations

Kathleen O’Connell Renaud, President & CEO, Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association (FOPLA)

Friends organizations play a vital role in strengthening libraries—raising essential funds, building community connections, and championing the library’s mission. But sustaining that impact requires organizations that are adaptable, resilient, and able to engage volunteers in meaningful ways. Traditional leadership structures can unintentionally limit participation when roles become oversized, outdated, or disconnected from decision-making. Silos and limited communication between teams can further constrain innovation and make it harder to respond to changing volunteer expectations.

Drawing on an ongoing transformation within a large Friends association, this session explores how a shift toward collaborative leadership has unlocked new energy, ideas, and opportunities. By empowering volunteers to help shape roles, teams, and ways of working, the organization has created more flexible structures, greater transparency, and stronger alignment around strategy and goals. The results have been striking: increased volunteer engagement, a richer flow of ideas, stronger community connections, and growing revenues. Participants will learn how distributing leadership and encouraging co-creation can help Friends organizations become more nimble, innovative, and resilient—while creating more rewarding and impactful volunteer experiences.

Successful Online Sales for Friends of the Library Fundraising

Diane Tuccillo, Author, The Library Friends and Foundations Handbook, and Board Member, Knox County (TN) Friends of the Library

Beyond traditional book sales, some FOLs have discovered that online selling can be as, or way more, financially productive. However, many groups are reluctant to try this new way of making money for their libraries because they can't imagine where to begin. This session is designed to encourage the design and development of online selling for FOLs with guidelines for set up, running, and evaluating such fundraising endeavors in several sales formats. Find out how you can raise more money for your library from a FOL online sales team member who will share advice, information, and inspiration with step-by-step procedures and techniques to move forward into this exciting area of fundraising.

After this session, you will be able to (1) organize an online sales team, designate its leadership, devise all policies and procedures, and create an effective training process; (2) evaluate and choose the most appropriate online sales platform for each particular organization, and (3) know and apply best practices for evaluating donated books/materials for potential sale, pricing worthwhile books/materials, and creating effective sales listings to attract potential buyers.

Trustee / Board Member Day

Leanne Furby is the Project Manager and Developer of the iLEAD (Leadership, Empowerment, Accessibility, and Development for Public Library Trustees) initiative at the Illinois Heartland Library System. She leads the development of the iLEAD Trustee Learning Portal and iLEAD Library Ready Reference, creating innovative, accessible professional development and governance resources for public library trustees, directors, and staff across Illinois. Leanne holds a Ph.D. in Learning Systems Design and Development and specializes in instructional design, online learning, and emerging technologies that enhance learner engagement. Through iLEAD, she works to strengthen library governance by equipping trustees and directors with practical tools, best practices, and just-in-time resources to support effective leadership.

Jaketha Farmer, MBA, serves as Assistant Library Director for the DeSoto Public Library in Texas. With over 28 years of experience in public libraries, her work focuses on leadership, organizational alignment, and building collaborative workplace cultures. She has presented on topics related to leadership and communication in library organizations and is particularly interested in practical strategies that strengthen collaboration across teams and governance structures.

Nicholas Alexander Brown-Cáceres is a Honduran-American library executive, arts producer, and musician based in the Washington, DC area. In 2026, he was appointed Chief of the Library of Congress Music Division, where he served as acting chief since 2025 and assistant chief since 2023. The Music Division is the largest performing arts library in the world with over 30 million items, including the papers of creators from John Philip Sousa and George and Ira Gershwin to Jessye Norman and Leonard Bernstein. He is also adjunct faculty in the Department of Information Sciences at The Catholic University of America, a member of the Maryland State Library Board, a councilor on the Maryland State Arts Council, and music director and founder of The Irving Fine Society. Brown-Cáceres serves on advisory boards for both the Catholic University and University of Maryland iSchool graduate library and information science programs. His first book, Let the People Hear It: Concerts from the Library of Congress at 100, co-authored with David Plylar, was released in 2025.

​​Brown-Cáceres previously served as acting co-CEO (2022-2023) and chief operating officer for communication and outreach (2020-2023) at the Prince George's County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS). Under his leadership, PGCMLS received two Urban Libraries Council Top Innovator awards and the Maryland Library Association's Excellence in Marketing Award. Brown-Cáceres received the 2021 Library Journal Marketer of the Year Award in recognition of his collaborative approach to library marketing and community engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Morgan Lehr Miller is the Maryland State Librarian and Head of the State Library Agency. In this role, Ms. Lehr Miller administers state and federal resources to advance library services and resources across Maryland, including the 24 public library systems and three regional libraries, the State Library Resource Center, the Library for the Blind and Print Disabled, the Deaf Culture Digital Library, the State Library Construction Program, and the Library Associate Training Institute. Prior to her current position, she served as the Executive Director of the Cecil County Public Library system, which was awarded the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ National Medal in 2015. During her tenure in Cecil County, she worked to launch the Friends Foundation of CCPL, which raised significant funds for the award-winning North East Branch Library and has since become a statewide model for effective non-profit fundraising.

Ms. Lehr Miller has held many leadership roles within the field, including serving as the president of the Maryland Library Association, which recognized her as Outstanding Member in 2023. She was instrumental in advancing the state’s historic Freedom to Read Act in 2024 and now oversees statewide compliance. She has also been honored as both a Leading Woman and a Top 100 Woman by the Maryland Daily Record and is a recent graduate of the Leadership Maryland executive program. She has written and presented extensively on library advocacy and fundraising, board development and effectiveness, and library culture. Most recently, she collaborated on the ALA edition, Inspired Thinking: Big Ideas to Enrich Yourself and Your Community.

She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, her Master’s of Library and Information Science (MLIS) from Drexel University, and is pursuing her doctorate in information leadership also at the University of Maryland, College Park. Outside of her library work, she has served extensively in the healthcare environment as a member of the board of directors of ChristianaCare at Union Hospital, which she also chaired from 2024-2026.

Tonya Ryals is a former public library director with over a decade of administrative experience. Through those years, she worked closely with trustees and Friends members to build relationships, provide information, and work together to advance the library’s mission. She currently works in an academic library and enjoys being a regular patron at her local library. 

Sheila Schofer is the Director of the Ames Public Library. She returned to her home state of Iowa in 2019 after spending much of her professional career at the Brooklyn Public Library in New York City, where she oversaw the staffing, public services and building operations at 58 diverse neighborhood branches. 

Megan Klein-Hewett is the Adult Services Manager at Ames Public Library. Prior to joining APL in 2019 she spent the first eight years of her career at Omaha Public Library in Omaha, Nebraska. In Omaha Megan served in a wide range of positions, from Library Aide to Borrower Services Manager.

Tracy Briseño is the Customer Account Services Manager at the Ames Public Library. She's worked in libraries since she was 15 doing everything from home delivery and preschool storytimes to teen services and driving the Bookmobile.   

Bri Anderson grew up shelving books in her mother's school library, so librarianship was a natural fit. She's now the Youth Services Manager and has been with Ames Public Library for the last 16 years. 

Alissa Dornink is the Resource Services Manager at Ames Public Library. She started working in academic libraries in college and made the switch to public, where the books are much more fun. 

Foundations and Fundraising Day

Past President of United for Libraries, Skip Dye has been a strong advocate for libraries during his tenure at Penguin Random House. Skip is currently the SVP of Library Sales and Digital Strategy. While at PRH, Skip created two awards, one for librarians and one for teachers - both centered around literacy and innovated programming to encourage literacy and social development. Skip is the Chair of the PRH Intellectual Freedom Taskforce. In 2024, PW named Skip Dye as a Notable Person in the Publishing Industry for his effort combatting book bans.

Tiffany Tomlin is the Vice President, Executive Director of the Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau, which is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year. Tiffany started her career in Corporate Communications at the Penguin Group and also worked in Marketing and Events at Hachette before returning home to help launch the Speakers Bureau. Growing up in Rural West Tennessee, she visited the Gibson County Library every chance she got but never saw an author speak in person. Connecting speakers with often overlooked audiences feels like her calling. When she’s not at work, you can find her reading (of course); hunting down the latest Needohs with her oldest daughter and graphic novels with her youngest daughter; and walking her dog Charlie around one of the many lakes in Minneapolis.

With over thirty-two years of experience in public librarianship, Gary Branson has served Ohio communities in a variety of roles. He began his current role as Executive Director/Fiscal Officer of Marion Public Library in 2010. He previously served as Director/Fiscal Officer of London Public Library since 2004. He began his library career as a technical services assistant and went on to manage the department as well as adult fiction and nonfiction collections. He holds a Masters of Library Science degree from Kent State University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy degree from Wright State University. Under Gary’s direction, Marion Public Library has successfully hosted numerous high-profile community events and author series, strengthening the bond between the institution and the public it serves. His commitment to the Library's mission ensures that it remains a cornerstone of education and inspiration for the Marion community.

Ruth Ozeki is a novelist, filmmaker, and Zen Buddhist priest. She is the bestselling author of four novels: The Book of Form and Emptiness, winner of the UK’s 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction; My Year of Meats; All Over Creation; and A Tale for the Time Being, which won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and was a finalist for the 2013 Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Her nonfiction work includes a memoir, The Face: A Time Code, and the documentary film Halving the Bones. A longtime Buddhist practitioner, Ruth is affiliated with the Everyday Zen Foundation. She is now professor emerita of English language and literature at Smith College, where she was the Grace Jarcho Ross 1933 Professor of Humanities.

Lauren Trujillo is Foundation Director of the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation. She first came to Santa Barbara to attend UCSB where she received a B.A. in History. She received her Masters in Library and Information Science from UCLA and has worked with several nonprofits and organizations in Santa Barbara, CA including the Isla Vista Memorial Project, the Santa Barbara Mission Archive-Library, the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. She sits on the board for the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara, United for Libraries, Women’s Literary Voices, Association for Fundraising Professionals, Environmental Defense Center, and is a member of the Junior League of Santa Barbara. As the Director of the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation, Lauren played a pivotal role in leading a groundbreaking $5 million capital campaign and $1 million endowment effort, which propelled the Santa Barbara Public Library into a new era of innovation and accessibility. The Library Foundation is now entering a new era of advocacy, prioritizing the long-term health and sustainability of the Santa Barbara Public Library.

Charity Tyler is the Executive Director for the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Public Library Foundation. Charity has more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit and community leadership and has helped raise millions of dollars for organizations in her community. She joined the Library Foundation in 2015 and initially led the Foundation’s transition from capital campaign to growing annual giving, advocacy, and planned giving. Today, Charity is also focused on stewarding Inspiring Big Dreams Campaign donors as the team opens a new Westside Library in Cedar Rapids. Charity is the Financial Officer and a past President of United for Libraries, the division of the American Library Association (ALA) that supports Trustees, Foundations, Friends of Libraries, and Advocates.

Dara Schmidt is the Director for the Cedar Rapids Public Library, awarded the National Medal for Museum and Library Service in 2017. During her leadership, the Cedar Rapids Public Library has been recognized by its exceptional community service through programs focused on education, civic engagement, and community support, such as its response to the 2008 and 2016 floods and initiatives aimed at building and bringing communities together. The Cedar Rapids Library continues its drive for excellence in service as it opens a new 40,000 SF state of the art facility on the city's westside with a focus on sustainability, disaster recovery in the wake of the 2020 Pandemic and Iowa Derecho, resilience, and inclusivity this September. 

Lauren Chilvers, MLIS, CFRE is the owner of Fundraising Librarian, LLC. With her 14 years of experience as a fundraiser, she's been on staff as a fundraiser for public libraries, special collection libraries, higher education foundations, and a social service non-profit. Lauren is passionate about being engaged as a consultant with libraries to maximize their fundraising program.

Natalie Starosta is Library Director of the Lake Bluff (Illinois) Public Library. She has over a decade of experience in transforming library services to better serve diverse communities, with a strong background in innovation, community engagement, and staff development. Prior to her current role, she served as the Director of the North Riverside Public Library District, where she oversaw more than $1 million in renovations, created advanced makerspaces, launched a pop-up library in a local mall, and expanded virtual programming to better serve the community. Prior to that, she served as a Library Director in Michigan before moving to Illinois.

Angela Daniels currently serves as the Librarian at the Alternative School for Math and Science. She is a member of ALA's Philanthropic Advisory Group and has served as an ALA Emerging Leader. In this role, Angela led a cohort who researched and developed recommendations for extending ALA's philanthropy. With a background in education and the arts, she has been actively involved with organizations such as the YMCA, Watson Woods, 171 Cedar Arts, the Rockwell Museum, Elmira Little Theatre, and the Salvation Army. She and her husband, Tymon, live in Corning, NY with their four sons.

Joyce Garczynski is the Assistant University Librarian for Communication & Digital Scholarship at Towson University’s Albert S. Cook Library in Maryland. She obtained her Master’s Degree in Library Science from the University of Maryland, College Park and has a Master’s in Communication from the Annenberg School at the University of Pennsylvania. Joyce is the author of two books about fundraising: "Fundraising: How to Raise Money for Your Library Using Social Media" (2017) and "Fundraising for Academic Libraries: A Practical Guide for Librarians" (2020). She is the vice chair of the American Library Association’s Philanthropic Advisory Group and she received the 2019 Distinguished Education and Behavioral Sciences Librarian Award from the Association of College and Research Libraries for her excellence in teaching and service to the profession.

Chief Development Officer Kate Nardin joined the Chicago Public Library Foundation in 2015. With more than 20 years of development and nonprofit experience, she leads the organization’s strategic planning, is a primary liaison to Library leadership, and manages the development team in advancing all activities related to Library Foundation donors. Prior to the Library Foundation, she built relationships with local and national funders to advance the missions of the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago, the Chicago History Museum, and the Museum of Science, Boston. She currently serves on the boards of the Smith College Business Network and Social Responsibility Chicago (President, 2023-2025). She earned her B.A. from Smith College and Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Friends of the Library Day

Juliette Appold serves as Head of the Music Section in the Patron and Network Engagement Division at the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), Library of Congress. She leads a team dedicated to providing accessible music materials that enable patrons to learn, study, perform, and engage with music. She oversees the development and digital access of a growing collection of more than 30,000 accessible-format music materials. She holds a PhD in Musicology, a Master of Library and Information Science with specialization in Digital Libraries, and a teaching degree in music and French.

John Owen has been the Director at the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (LBPD) since 2019 and on staff at LBPD since 2016.  In this capacity, he oversees a staff providing access to audiobooks and braille books, reference and information services, programming, assistive technology training, and textbook conversion for blind, low vision and print disabled citizens in every county in Maryland.  LBPD was named the 2024 National Library Service Regional Library of the Year. John previously held positions for 14 years in Baltimore County Public Library in several branches across the county, both in buildings and bookmobiles.  John earned a B.A. in Music from Furman University and an M.L.S. from University of Maryland College Park.  

Melissa Riccobono has received services from NLS since very early in her life—first in Wisconsin, and in Maryland since she and her husband moved to Baltimore in 2003. Melissa is a passionate advocate for Braille literacy, and library services of all kinds. This advocacy only intensified with her work as a school counselor, and after the birth of her three children, two of which are legally blind. Melissa is now the president of the Friends of the Maryland Library for the Blind and Print Disabled, and relishes the ability to provide financial and other support to the library so they can purchase equipment, bring in guest speakers, and provide other types of programs which bring library patrons and their families together for education, literacy, and other types of personal enjoyment and growth.

At NLS, Mark Santangelo oversees a Division of four Sections that provide engagement to library patrons and to an expansive network of 97 cooperating libraries across the USA and territories. He has worked in the library field for twenty years with a specialization in Museum Librarianship, holding related positions at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Princeton University.

Diane P. Tuccillo earned her MLS degree from Rutgers University in 1980. After serving as Young Adult Librarian at the Rutherford (NJ) Public Library and the Reading (MA) Public Library, she became the long-time Young Adult Coordinator at the City of Mesa Library in Arizona where she led a dynamic, nationally-known library teen advisory group for 27 years. Most recently, she was Teen Services Librarian at the Poudre River Public Library District in Fort Collins, Colorado from 2007 until 2017 where she co-led a vibrant Interesting Reader Society teen advisory group. Tuccillo has been actively involved in and has received awards from several professional organizations, including the Young Adult Library Services Association, the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the National Council of Teachers of English, and the Arizona Library Association; has been a book reviewer and article contributor for professional journals such as School Library Journal and Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) magazine; has contributed to books such as Nilsen & Donelson’s classic Literature for Today’s Young Adults; and has been a regular and an Emeritus member of the VOYA advisory board. Her second book, Teen-Centered Library Service: Putting Youth Participation into Practice, was published by Libraries Unlimited in 2010; her third book, the completely revised and updated second edition of Library Teen Advisory Groups (the first edition originally published by Scarecrow in 2005) was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018; and her fourth book, Totally Tweens & Teens: Youth-Created and Youth-Led Library Programs, was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2020. Her article on teens in charge of library fundraisers, “Teens at the Helm: Library Fundraisers,” was published in Voice of Youth Advocates magazine in June 2018, and her books mention how teens and librarians can partner with their Friends of the Library groups. During her long librarianship career, Tuccillo worked closely with Friends of the Library members to gain support for youth library programs and activities. She also served on the Board of Directors of the City of Mesa Library in Arizona for two years between leaving that library and securing her position at the Poudre River Public Library District in Colorado. Later, she served on the Board of Directors of the Poudre River Friends of the Library and as a Poudre River Public Library volunteer for four years after retirement. She currently serves as a member of the Knox County Friends of the Library in Tennessee.

Kathleen O’Connell Renaud is President & CEO of the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association (FOPLA). With over two decades of experience in knowledge, intelligence, and library services and organizational leadership, Kathleen has served as President & CEO of FOPLA since January 2023. She is passionate about advancing literacy and library services and fostering community development and engagement. She collaborates with teams to drive impactful initiatives that align with the organization's mission, brings a history of executive leadership roles in both public and private sectors, focusing on knowledge management and operational excellence, and is dedicated to empowering communities by enhancing access to information and knowledge resources.

Marian Amodeo is Vice president of the Friends of Meriden Library. Ms. Amodeo enjoyed a 50 year career in public libraries. She started out in Children's Services, and moved on to Directorships in two CT public libraries, as well as a leadership role in a large urban library. She was an active member of CLA and other CT library groups and took leadership roles in these organizations. Her year as an acting town manager also gave her a unique perspective on municipal government and the library's role in it. Soon after her retirement, she worked briefly as a library consultant, writing grants, creating policies, and consulting on library director searches. Now, she is involved in the Friends in her home town, and has become a devoted member and fan of this amazing group.

Becky Starr is a member of the Friends of the Meriden Library, Meriden, CT. She retired as Library Director, Meriden Public Library, in May 2025. Ms. Starr began her library career in 1997, working at the Meriden Public Library as a part time Reference Librarian, was promoted to the Head of the Adult Reference Department, then to Director in June 2022. She engineered the Library through a major renovation/addition during which the Library moved to the local mall for approximately 15 months. She has a BA in Accounting from Assumption College, an MBA from the University of Hartford and an MLS from Southern Connecticut State University. Prior to working at Meriden Library, she worked as an accountant for a public accounting firm, an insurance company, several real estate companies and a bank.