Editor’s Note: In the lead-up to the 2025 ALA/ACRL election, we’re profiling the 2025 ACRL Board of Directors candidates. We’ll feature one candidate in slate order each weekday from February 26 – March 7. 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 10.
Kimberley Bugg is the CEO/Library Director of the Woodruff Library at the Atlanta University Center in Atlanta, GA, and a 2025 candidate for the ACRL Board of Directors as Director-at-Large.
1. Describe yourself in three words: Adaptable, empathetic, thoughtful.
2. Describe ACRL in three words: Communal, informative, collaborative.
3. What do you value about ACRL? I value the collegiality, teamwork, and commitment of the librarians who participate in the conversations and committee work. I also find the trend reports and white papers helpful to my work.
4. What would you, as a candidate for the ACRL Board, like to see ACRL accomplish in the area of EDI? In the area of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), I would like to see ACRL take a leadership role in expanding research and scholarship on EDI issues and Workforce Development and Leadership Pipelines. Specifically, I would like to see:
Workforce Development & Leadership Pipelines
o Analysis of current workforces to identify gaps in representation across positions and library types.
o Partner with LIS programs and affiliates to promote diversity and inclusive strategies in organizational culture across academic libraries.
Expanding Research & Scholarship on EDI Issues
o Support open-access publishing initiatives that amplify underrepresented voices in the profession.
o Facilitate stronger collaborations to share resources, best practices, and professional development opportunities.
Ultimately, I would like ACRL to play a role in creating tangible, lasting change—ensuring that EDI is embedded into the profession’s structures in the way that benefits the library community now and in the future.
5. In your own words (an open-ended statement or reflection about life as an academic/research librarian): My experience as an academic librarian has been extremely fulfilling. There is a unique privilege in facilitating intellectual discovery, guiding individuals toward answers, and assisting in problem-solving. The profession has allowed me to engage in activities I am naturally passionate about—reading, inquiry, and critical thinking—while simultaneously contributing to the advancement of knowledge and learning of others. I love what I do!
6. What are you reading (or listening to on your mobile device(s)? I am currently reading Where you are is not who you are by Ursula Burns, the first black female CEO at a Fortune 500 company.