Favers, Frazee, Keolian, Khan, McKenzie, Moore selected for ALSC Equity Fellowship

CHICAGO — The Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, has selected five fellows for the ALSC Equity Fellowship and is pleased to include a sixth fellowship award, which was generously donated by ALSC Board Member, Amy Koester in support of ALSC Equity, Diversity and Inclusion efforts. ALSC welcomes Equity Fellows, Eiyana Favers, Ayn Reyes Frazee, Evelyn Keolian, Shahrazad “Star” Khan, Sierra McKenzie and Jocelyn Moore.

The ALSC Equity Fellowship is a pilot program developed, in its initial year, to reduce barriers to participation for American Indian/Alaska Native/First Nations, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Middle Eastern, and/or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander individuals. ALSC seeks to expand this program in the future to include other underrepresented groups.

The fellowship will provide recipients with funding for two-year ALSC and ALA memberships and one year of conference registrations and travel stipends for ALA Midwinter and ALA Annual. Fellowship recipients will also receive mentorship from members of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion within ALSC Task Force. The recipients were selected from over 60 eligible applicants from all over the country. All demonstrated passion for service to children and dedication to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“We are excited to welcome this inaugural group of Equity Fellows who represent a commitment to serving the diverse children and families in their library communities and whose strong leadership potential within ALSC will move our Association forward in our diversity and inclusion efforts”, said ALSC President, Jamie Campbell Naidoo. “We are certain their experiences and contributions will greatly inform our work and pave the pathway for future library leaders”.     

Eiyana Favers is Early Literacy Outreach Specialist at Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, and is pursuing an MLS at Indiana University.

Ayn Reyes Frazee is an elementary school librarian in the Portland (Oregon) Public Schools and serves on the board of the Oregon Association of School Libraries.

Evelyn Keolian is a children's librarian at Chicago Public Library and chairs its Diversability Advocacy Committee, which she also founded.

Star Khan is the Outreach Services Coordinator for the Driftwood Public Library in Lincoln City, OR and the vice-president/president-elect of REFORMA OR.

Sierra McKenzie is a Library Services Floater with the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, a graduate of her system’s Tomorrow’s Manager Program and the organizer of her library system’s presence in the Cincinnati Pride Parade.

Jocelyn Moore, a Youth Services Specialist at the Jamestown Bluffs Branch of St. Louis County Library, and volunteers with organizations serving youth including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Lift for Life Gym and church groups.

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 www.ala.org/alsc.