Kate Pickett, world famous librarian, is speaking at the upcoming American Library Association Annual Conference in Seattle. Pickett's credentials make her the perfect woman to lead the ALA into the next change in librarianship. Coworkers and old friends think back to their times with Pickett and speculate as to the topic of her speech.
[USPRwire, Wed Sep 06 2006] World renowned activist and librarian, Kate Pickett, is scheduled to speak at the up-and-coming American Library Association’s annual conference this winter in Seattle. Pickett, who got her Masters in Library Science with honors from the University of Iowa only ten years ago, has since made herself invaluable to the library community as both a voice and a leader in her profession.
Pickett began her library career as a volunteer at the young age of 13 at her hometown library in Ames, Iowa. By the time she left the library 8 years later she had been promoted to Director of Teen Services. Lynne Carey, another famous librarian-activist had this to say about Pickett’s role in shaping the Ames Public Library: “Kate had a vision for this Library and being the great leader that she was, she was able to express that vision and get other staff to follow her to her goals.”
Once at the School of Library and Information Science at the University of Iowa, Pickett immediately set her self apart from her peers as a natural leader and manager. Fellow student Rachael Reuss studied with Pickett at this esteemed institution, “she was always willing to help another student, and her contributions to class discussion always caused us to stop and think and challenge our previously held beliefs.” Professor Padmini Srinivasan was one of Pickett’s professors during her studies at the University, “Kate was such a pleasure to have in class, I always knew she would go far in the profession. However, I did not know she would go so far, so fast!”
After graduation Pickett accepted the position as the Director of the Iowa City Public Library, which she held for 7 years before being invited to work at the world renown New York City Public Library where she has been for the past 3 years as the Director of Outreach Services.
Besides her busy job in New York City, Pickett is also the mother of 3, including saxophonist child prodigy, Francis McNair, who recently released a new album with Sony called “Puddles and Pigeons: an exploration in jazz through the streets of New York City.”
Known for her eccentricity and love of surprises, other professionals have tried to guess what Pickett will speak about at the upcoming conference. Jerri Heid, who worked with Pickett at the Ames Public Library reminisced, “She loves to keep people on their toes. My guess is that it will come right out of left field, but whatever she decides to lecture on you can bet that will become a hot topic in short order.”
Meanwhile, Pickett is staying tight-lipped about her lecture. All she would tell her fellow librarians was “all I can do is write the best speech I can and hope that it will spark some academic debate and maybe even change the way some things are done. That is all any one person can hope to do.” As Kate Pickett prepares her lecture, the rest of the world will have to wait with anticipation until the annual American Library Association’s conference this winter in Seattle. Visit www.ala.org/annual for more information about the conference and a tentative schedule of events.
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