FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 17, 2020 CONTACT Farrell Howe Marketing & Communications Manager Kalamazoo Public Library (269) 553-7879 farrellh@kpl.gov<mailto:farrellh@kpl.gov> Kalamazoo Public Library Welcomes Sandra Farag as New Head of Youth Services<https://www.kpl.gov/about/news/kpl-welcomes-sandra-farag-as-new-head-of-youth-services/> Kalamazoo, MI. Thursday, September 17, 2020. Kalamazoo Public Library is honored to welcome Sandra Farag, our new Head of Youth Services! Sandra most recently served as the Manager of Collection Development for Youth at Ingram Library Services in LaVergne, TN. She also has worked at BookOps-Brooklyn & New York Public Library, and the New York Public Library, Mid-Manhattan Branch where she served as a Supervising Librarian and a Senior Librarian respectively. In addition to her work experience, Sandra has also served on multiple award committees, and presented and/or moderated events at the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting, the American Library Association Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table, the Young Adult Library Services Association Symposium, Bank Street College, School Library Journal Day of Dialog, KidLitTV, and BookCon NYC. Sandra earned her Master Library Sciences (MLS) and Children's and Young Adult Services in the Public Library Certificate, City University of New York (CUNY), Queens College Bachelor of Arts in Child and Adolescent Psychology, CUNY, Baruch College. As KPL’s Head of Youth Services, Sandra will serve an important role providing management and direction for the operation and personnel of the Youth Services Department that includes Children’s Room, Teen Services, and Youth Outreach Services. Sandra’s leadership and vision for the future will be critical to the success of the Youth Services Department and an integral part of KPL fulfilling their strategic plan going forward. “We’re thrilled to have Sandra leading the way for Youth Services at KPL,” said KPL Director Ryan Wieber. “She brings a wealth of public library experience, is an expert in children’s and young adult literature, and she’ll do a great job maintaining KPL’s excellence in youth services while also adapting to future community needs.” Sandra recently moved to Kalamazoo from Tennessee. She has a passion for equity, diversity, and inclusion and tries to include them in every part of her life and career. Sandra’s favorite book is Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone series. Sandra describes herself as a big kid at heart, a cat person who also loves dogs and an amateur cook. Welcome Sandra! #### Farrell Howe | Marketing & Communications Manager Pronouns: She/Her/Hers Kalamazoo Public Library | CEN 315 S. Rose St. | Kalamazoo, MI, 49007 (269) 553-7879 [Kalamazoo Public Library]<https://www.kpl.gov/> [Facebook]<https://www.facebook.com/KalamazooPublicLibrary/> [Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/kzoolibrary/?hl=en> [Twitter] <https://twitter.com/KzooLibrary?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor> [Youtube] <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcYzLAHao4uPeBV-peFrUxQ>
