Hello! The new GLBTRT News Committee began work in June, with official duties to commence July 1, 2018. Thank you for your patience during this transition (as chair, I’m still trying to figure this website out, for example :-D). We hope to bring you exciting original content and continue providing great information as often as we are able. For now, I’d like to introduce committee members, in no particular order, in two segments. Hopefully you will enjoy getting to know us! PLEASE let us know what you’d like us to present on this website in the coming year.
Molly Scheibler is the Early Literacy Coordinator at the Glenview Public Library in Glenview, Illinois. Before that, she was a Youth Services Librarian at the Fremont Public Library in Mundelein, Illinois and then a children’s reference assistant for over six years at Cook Park Public Library in Libertyville, Illinois. Molly graduated with an MLIS from University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and her undergraduate from Loyola University of Chicago. Molly will soon begin teaching a course at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee School of Information Studies as an adjunct instructor in the fall.
Thomas Maxheimer came to libraries later in life. This will be his third act career-wise. He was in marketing for a decade and corporate training for another decade and turned to public libraries to give more meaning to his work. Thomas has been on the news committee for two years doing mostly roundups of LGBTQ-related news. He is currently an assistant manager at one of the 63 branches in the Queens Library system: a fairly busy branch with 25,000 circ, 18,000 visits, and 9,000 program attendees per month. This has been busy year for Thomas, starting the organization’s first (in its 120-year history) LGBTQ + Allies employee group; they have hosted several all-day LGBTQ-themed events at various branches. They’ve also marched in the Queens pride parade with 55 people and their mobile library. Thomas is also on the board of trustees for his local village library on Long Island.
Brian Greene is the head of the Information Delivery & Access Services Department (IDEAS) at the Northeastern University Libraries in Boston, MA, where he’s worked since 2005. Brian also does collection development & liaison work with the Philosophy/Religion Department. Before that he worked in the Harvard Library system full-time while he earned his MLS at Simmons College after earning an MTS at the Harvard Divinity School. Brian is fairly new to the GLBTRT, attracted by the recent emphasis on transgender issues. This is his first committee appointment for the round table, and he is looking forward to meeting and connecting with as many members as possible. Brian has been active in ALA since 2006, mostly in LLAMA, RUSA-STARS, and ACRL. He is a former section chair & board member within LLAMA. Brian enjoys discovering new restaurants and watching live theater and spending time with his spouse.
Katie Lawrence is a Youth Librarian at the Grandville Branch of the Kent District Library System in Michigan where she coordinates Battle of the Books competitions, hosts STEAM programs and booktalks frequently. She’s been in the position for almost two years. Prior to working for KDL, Katie was a school librarian with schools in Grand Rapids, MI as well as in Chicago, IL for five years. She just finished a two-year term on the ALSC Membership Committee and is quite active with ALSC. Katie has written adult book reviews for Library Journal since 2011. She went to Dominican University for her MLIS and the College of Wooster for undergrad (BA in English). When Katie is not working, you can find her on the pickleball court, trying new restaurants with her dinner group or hanging out with her Goldendoodle puppy, Poppy.
Kara Van Abel is the Liaison to the Collat School of Business at UAB Libraries. She’s been in the position for almost two years. In her current position, Kara gets to work with a broad and diverse population of students, faculty, and staff. Her professional experience is far-ranging. Her first job out of library school, was as an outreach librarian at the Braille & Talking Books Library in Daytona Beach, FL. Kara has also worked in a public library with teens. In addition to her MLIS from the University of Alabama, she also has a BA in Mass Comm and a BFA in Theatre from Auburn University. She was a 2014 Emerging Leader.
