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The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (ALA), announced Alexandra Genia of the District of Columbia Public Library, in Washington, DC as its representative in the 2023 Emerging Leader program.

Alexandra Genia is a Children’s Librarian at the DC Public Library where they support partnerships and program development for youth, with a particular focus on accessible and inclusive offerings. In 2021, they graduated with their Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) from Drexel University.

“To me, effective leadership consists of leading by example and with as much grace as possible. This is something I try to do in my day-to-day work at DCPL and is an enormously helpful practice in a department that consists largely of staff who are new to our library system and public librarianship in general,” said Genia. “Historically, libraries have not always been open and welcoming spaces to historically marginalized people. A significant part of our work involves making sure that libraries are and remain diverse and inclusive places.”

“I’m thrilled to welcome Alexandra as the ALSC sponsored Emerging Leader,” said ALSC President, Amy Koester. “Alexandra’s experience at the DC Public Library with building new, accessible, and inclusive programs ensures the library is meeting the needs of all children. This is the work of a leader, and I’m excited to support them and to see how their skills and connections grow as part of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½Emerging Leaders program.”

As ALSC’s representative for the 2023 Emerging Leader program, Genia will attend the 2023 LibLearnX, as well as the 2023 ¾«¶«´«Ã½Annual Conference in Chicago, IL.

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 LibLearnX and Annual Conference, and each participant is expected to provide years of service to ¾«¶«´«Ã½or one of its units.

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is driven by more than 4,000 members dedicated to the support and enrichment of library service to children. Our members include youth librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty. ALSC supports its members in engaging communities to build healthy, successful, futures for all children. To learn more about ALSC and how to join, please visit our website at .