NEW YORK, NY – March 16, 2018 – This week Library Journal announced the 2018 Movers & Shakers, celebrating 50 people who are transforming what libraries deliver to their communities in the United States and beyond. The individuals were chosen for their dedication, innovative minds, passion for the field, and impact on all they serve. The 2018 class is the 17th group to be selected by LJ editors to receive this honor.
The 2018 Movers & Shakers were announced online throughout the week of March 12. There are six subcategories of Movers, including: Advocates, Change Agents, Community Builders, Digital Developers, Educators, and Innovators. The full class, along with a map of their geographic distribution by state, is available online.
Picked from a pool of nearly 300 nominations, this latest cohort joins a group of outstanding library workers that is now more than 850 strong. The Movers & Shakers program was founded with the goal of acknowledging wide-ranging individuals from around the world that have gone above and beyond to advance their libraries and better serve the communities they impact.
This year’s Movers & Shakers hail from every type and size of library. They’re narrowing opportunity gaps and expanding traditional perceptions of libraries without turning away from those who value that tradition, and in doing so they’re moving all libraries toward a brighter and more advanced future.
The 2018 Movers include public librarians such as Jason Johnson at the Spokane Public Library, who developed both LevelUp, a coworking space hosting new technology and tools, and the Community Lens performance space, and academic librarian Marian Fragola from North Carolina State University Libraries, whose Making Spaces programs help women navigate the gender gap in technology.
Movers Eva Raison from Brooklyn Public Library and Megan Godbey from Nashville Public Library have forged pathways to citizenship for customers. Jerica Copeny is performing cutting-edge research as a civic data scientist in a public library in Evansville, Indiana, and Chera Kowalski at the Free Library of Philadelphia is confronting the opioid crisis.
“Each and every Movers & Shaker is inspiring for the unique and individual approaches they bring to address needs in their various settings. They illustrate just how dynamic and exciting our libraries are, and allow a glimpse into this vital work,” said Rebecca T. Miller, editorial director of Library Journal and School Library Journal. “Our 2018 Movers show what it is like to lead—from every level. Together they help tell the real story of the exciting work happening in today’s libraries, as they exhibit the dedication, tenacity, and creativity we need and expect from emerging leaders in the field.”
Each Mover will be prominently featured in the March 15 issue of Library Journal and online in an expanded website that includes all Movers & Shakers named to date.
For award guidelines, visit https://lj.libraryjournal.com/awards.
About Library Journal
Founded in 1876, Library Journal is one of the oldest and most respected publications covering the library field. Over 75,000 library directors, administrators, and staff in public, academic, and special libraries read LJ. Library Journal reviews over 8,000 books, audiobooks, videos, databases, and websites annually, and provides coverage of technology, management, policy, and other professional concerns. For more information, visit www.libraryjournal.com. Library Journal is a publication of Media Source Inc., which also owns School Library Journal, The Horn Book, and Junior Library Guild.
