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LMCC 2024 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
| Rylee Broach Rylee Broach is the Events and Publicity Specialist at the Park City Library in Park City, Utah. She holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from San Diego State University, complemented by double minors in sociology and women’s studies. With over a year of experience in the library field, Rylee combines her lifelong passion for reading with a strong commitment to community engagement. Her journey began in high school as a library volunteer, where she developed a dedication to creating safe, welcoming spaces and ensuring that resources are accessible to everyone in her community. In her current role, Rylee thrives on graphic design and crafting engaging social media content—such as reels and posts—that showcase library events and promote community interaction. She collaborates with local partners to develop promotional materials and writes thematic blogs aimed at educating and inspiring patrons. As the first person to hold this newer job position, Rylee is eager to enhance the library’s visibility and outreach efforts. She looks forward to attending LMCC24, where she hopes to discover new marketing strategies and community engagement techniques to share with her colleagues. |
| Rebecca Chavez Rebecca Chavez is the Library Director at Central Wyoming College located in Riverton, Wyoming. She earned both her BA and MA in Art History from California State University, Chico and a MLIS from San Jose State University. Her career began at CSU, Chico as a Visual Resource Curator in a specialized Arts and Art History Visual Resource Center. After six years at Chico State Rebecca and her family wanted a change of scenery and she wanted a new challenge. Rebecca joined Central Wyoming College in July of 2022 as the Librarian and was quickly promoted to the Director’s position. At CWC we are a team of 2.5 so we all wear many hats including managing marketing and communications strategies. In the two years since coming to CWC Rebecca has made many changes and change can be hard for college campuses. This is one reason Rebecca is excited to connect with other librarians and marketing specialists to learn how to better communicate the changes and innovations occurring in the CWC Library. |
| Rebeka Hire-Santoro Rebekah Hire-Santoro is the Head of Marketing and Emerging Technology at Huron Public Library in Huron, Ohio. She graduated from Elmhurst University with a Bachelor of Arts in Intercultural Studies. Before beginning her library career in Ohio, she worked at an arts non-profit in Colorado for five years where she honed her marketing and communications skills. She then began her true passion in working for libraries in 2023. Part-time, she is also an independently published author, a mom to a rambunctious two-year-old boy, an avid reader, and a cat lover. |
| Michelle Malone Michelle Malone, M.A. Applied Communication, is the Ottenheimer Library Communication Specialist at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. With a passion for empowering connections, she creates workshops and newsletters for library employees, as well as oversees the library social media accounts and display monitors. She is thrilled to have received a scholarship to the LMCC24 conference, and is looking forward to exploring new ideas, learning new skills, and connecting with others in the Library Marketing Field! |
| Claudia Palka Claudia Palka is a Communications Associate at Grayslake Area Public Library. She is new the library world, starting in May 2023 as a Public Services Assistant, working circulation and the front desk. In January 2024, she pivoted to her current role and began connecting with patrons through social media and e-mail marketing. Before her time at GAPL, Claudia spent 10 years in customer facing positions, in the private sector as a Digital Marketing Specialist and as a clerical worker in a college Access and Disability Resource Center. With a passion for graphic design and a commitment to promoting inclusivity, Claudia uses creativity to connect the community to all the library has to offer, ensuring that every message resonates with its diverse audience. |
| Kelsey Richards After being a stay-at-home, homeschool parent who utilized all resources offered by local public libraries for twenty years, Kelsey Richards completed her Bachelor's of Library Science through the University of Nebraska-Omaha and is currently working on her Master's of Library and Information Science through the University of Southern Mississippi. Kelsey Richards is the Branch Manager of the Thayne Branch Library, one of six Lincoln County Library System branches in Wyoming. She joined the library system in August 2021 and has been the manager for the past two years. In addition to managing library staff, adult programs, collections, physical spaces, community outreach, and assisting patrons, Kelsey is also responsible for all library marketing efforts, including social media pages, newspaper and radio contributions, and all marketing materials. She enjoys reading, hiking, and spending time with her husband, children, and dogs in her free time. |
| Jessica Swaringen Jessica Swaringen is the Undergraduate Outreach and Information Studies Librarian at Georgia Southern University. Based on the Armstrong Campus in Savannah, GA, she coordinates outreach efforts for undergraduate students in collaboration with her counterpart at the main campus in Statesboro, GA. In addition to delivering one-shot library instruction upon request, Jessica also teaches credit-bearing courses within the Information Studies Department. She earned a Master of Arts in English from Western Carolina University in 2016 and a Master of Library Science from East Carolina University in 2018. Since 2016, she has been actively teaching in higher education across North Carolina and Georgia. Her professional interests include instructional humor, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in academic libraries, intellectual freedom, and information literacy. |
| Tessa Wallace Tessa Wallace is the Marketing Coordinator at Davenport Public Library in Davenport Iowa. With just over a year at The Library under her belt, she is eager to learn more about library-specific marketing and to meet her peers! Tessa’s background is in graphic design and social media marketing with 5 years of experience. Her favorite part about working for a library is being a part of such an impactful (and free) resource for the community. Outside of work, Tessa enjoys cooking, making art, and walking her dogs. |
| Trent Warner Trent Warner is the Communications Coordinator at the Mount Royal University Library in Calgary, Alberta. As an alumni of MRU's Bachelor of Communications -- Public Relations program, it is a full circle moment to be back working at the university. Trent is a passionate lifelong library supporter, his first job in high school being a page at his small town's local library. Prior to returning to MRU, Trent worked in various communications roles across industries including non-profit, oil and gas, and beauty and retail. |
| Annie Zwisler Annie Zwisler is the Public Relations and Development Manager for Portage County District Library in Northeast Ohio. She earned her BS in Journalism and Pre-Law from Kent State University. Before moving into her library marketing role, Annie worked as a Children's and Teen Librarian for multiple different NE Ohio libraries, as well as a Communications and Public Relations Specialist for Kent State. Since March 2023, Annie has worked at connecting Portage County with the amazing tools and resources that PCDL has to offer. She is a one-woman department responsible for marketing, communications and staff development for PCDL. Annie is an avid reader, and loves combining her professional knowledge with personal passions to promote all the amazing things libraries offer their community. |
