Editor’s Note: In the lead-up to the 2023 ALA/ACRL election, we’re profiling the 2023 ACRL Board of Directors candidates. We’ll feature one candidate in slate order each weekday from March 3-10. Complete details on candidates for ACRL offices are available on the election website. Make sure to vote for the candidates of your choice starting March 13.
Amy Dye-Reeves is an associate education and history librarian at Texas Tech University in Lubbock and a 2023 candidate for the ACRL Board of Directors as Director-at-Large.
1. Describe yourself in three words: Innovative, supportive, considerate.
2. Describe ACRL in three words: Encouragement, creative, connection.
3. What do you value about ACRL? I appreciate the opportunities that allowed me to connect with many people, from our various interest groups to goal area committees to the wonderful people working at ACRL. I am always seeking new opportunities to grow my professional career by participating in ACRL programming efforts throughout the year. As a more recent academic librarian, I look up to all professionals in the field and continue to learn from everyone. Everyone’s perspective is critical and shapes how I view the world, and I earnestly hope to become a strong leader for this next generation. I believe everyone has an important story to tell and want everyone to have a seat at the table within ACRL. I want to build something great together and a better tomorrow to help everyone achieve their professional goals. ACRL has allowed me to connect with professionals who inspire me daily to become the best possible version of myself. I continue to grow and learn each day from outstanding members like you!
4. What would you as candidate for the ACRL Board like to see ACRL accomplish in the area of EDI? As a person with multiple disabilities, I find it critical that we work together within EDI. We need to serve all patrons and create a safe space for people to come to work and use our facilities. A goal would be to figure out who we are missing. How are we missing these individuals? For example, a more robust look at working within braille, supporting deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. How can libraries get new braille readers to help patrons examine materials on their own time and access the building? What about minority groups? How are we helping them within our libraries? Whose voices have we not heard from and why? Whose voices can we continue to support? How can we keep them in their professional success? EDI has so many layers; we must continue to design with accessibility, kindness, understanding, and encouragement. We need to build a culture of trust and caring that will empower patrons to live their best professional lives.
5. In your own words: I changed careers from school libraries to academic librarianship over four years ago. At first, the transition was difficult, and I felt like I could not be successful. I joined ACRL and quickly found that people care about me and my career. I want to be that person that helps these new individuals in the field. Also, continue to build strong bonds with our current set of professionals. I want to continue showing kindness, trust, and professionalism to bring about the change I want to see in the world. As a fellow workaholic, I am still working on finding that work-life balance and finding what I like to do outside work. Life in academic librarianship has been fantastic and brought me new people and opportunities I could have never imagined. As a person with disabilities, I continue to challenge myself every day and work hard to bring about change to show people that disabled people can be successful in the workplace! I hope to inspire others to keep going and work hard to achieve their dreams! I believe in you all and want to be a voice for other people who are just like me on the ACRL Board of Directors. I am not a dean or have an administrative role; I am a regular library worker. I would love to serve on the broad to help others and further our professional missions.
6. What are you reading (or listening to on your mobile devices)? I am reading What Inclusive Instructors Do: Principles and Practices for Excellence in College Teaching (Addy, Dube, Mitchell, et al.). For light reading, I just finished The Grimrose Girls series by Laura Pohl and A Thousand Heartbeats by Kierra Cass! I love reading YA literature!