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Wanda K. Brown
President, 2024-2026Wanda K. Brown is the director of library services at the C. G. O’Kelly Library at Winston-Salem State University. Prior to that appointment, she served as the Associate Dean of Wake Forest University’s Z. Smith Reynolds Library. Brown has spent more than 40 years in the profession. During this time, she has focused on being “professionally active” in state and national library organizations. In June of 2019, she assumed the role of president for the American Library Association (ALA). As ALA president, Brown was the chief elected officer for the largest library association in the world. Brown has severed in numerous positions at the Black Caucus of the American Library Association including as treasurer (2016-2018), as president (2006-08), as treasurer (1992-96) and two terms as an executive board member (2001 to 2003, 2014 to 2016). She was the 2011-2013 president of the North Carolina Library Association and has held various other positions with NCLA, including treasurer (1991-1998) and the 2005-2009 chair of the Finance Committee. An ALA member for more than 30 years, Brown is an active member of the Association of College and Research Libraries and the Library Leadership and Management Association. She has held multiple leadership positions within each division. She is the 2015 recipient of the DEMCO/ALA Black Caucus Award for Excellence, the 2013 BCALA Leadership Award, and the 2012 BCALA Distinguished Service Award. In 2009, Brown received University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Kovacs Award for Outstanding Alumni Achievement. In 2013, UNCG awarded Brown with the School of Education Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award. Brown holds a BA in English, with a minor in psychology from Winston-Salem State University, and an MLS from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. -
James Davis Jr.
Vice-President, 2024-2026James Allen Davis Jr. has over 22 years of public library experience, James has made contributions to the profession, particularly through his notable works, including a featured piece in “Intellectual Freedom Stories from a Shifting Landscape,” edited by Valerie Nye. He is also the author of a chapter in “The Black Librarian in America: Reflections, Resistance, and Reawakening,” published in 2022.James has held leadership roles that reflect his passion for mentoring and professional development. He served as Chair of the Exhibits and Placement Center Committee on the Steering Committee of the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color (JCLC) and a former Co-Chair of the Professional Development Committee of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA). Additionally, he is a founding member and former President of the Colorado Black Library Association, which highlights his dedication to advocating for diversity and inclusion within the library sector.
Outside of his professional achievements, James enjoys writing music and cherishing quality time with his family. His blend of advocacy, expertise, and creative spirit defines him as a vibrant force in the library community and beyond.
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Nichelle M. Hayes
Immediate Past President, 2024-2026Nichelle M. Hayes, MPA, MLS, is President of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association
(2022-2024). She works as an information professional with a focus on the African Diaspora, Community
Engagement and Inclusion. As an active member of ALA, she served on the “2023 ALA Nominating Committee”
and “Working Group to Condemn White Supremacy and Fascism as Antithetical to Library Work” from 2022 to
2023. Hayes was recently honored as a 2023 Culture Carrier Award Honoree and 2022 National Coalition of
100 Black Women – Breakthrough Women Award. In 2022, she was co-editor of The Black Librarian in
America: Reflections, Resistance, and Reawakening. Additionally, Hayes is a genealogist with a focus on
African Ancestry and keeping families connected, as documented in her blog “The Ties that Bind.” Hayes
is a graduate of the former IU School of Library & Information Science (SLIS) with a Masters in Library
Science, (now Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, Indianapolis).
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Taylor Brooks
Secretary, 2024-2026Biography to Come. -
Joel Thornton, CPA
Treasurer, 2024-2026Biography to Come. -
Shabrina McPherson
2024-2026Shabrina McPherson (she/her), affectionately known as “The Academic Princess” by students, friends, and colleagues, is a dynamic and inspiring force in the library and information science field. A 2024 Spectrum Scholar and 2025 Emerging Leader, Shabrina is passionately charting a course toward impactful library leadership.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature with a concentration in Film Studies and a Minor in New Media and Digital Culture from Appalachian State University (2022). In 2024, she will graduate from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) with dual qualifications: a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) and a certificate in Instructional Design.
Shabrina’s commitment to excellence is evident in her leadership as past President of the Library & Information Science Student Association (LISSA) at UNCG and her active involvement in key ALA roundtables, including the Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT) and the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Round Table (CSKBART).
With aspirations to work in academic libraries, Shabrina is driven by a broad range of interests, including instructional design, outreach, user experience, digital services, information technology, and digitization. Her dedication to fostering a love for literature and learning extends beyond libraries—she actively volunteers with literary organizations and events such as Greensboro Bound, the Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors, and YALLFest in Charleston, SC.
Shabrina embodies a blend of academic excellence, creative vision, and community engagement, making her a rising star in the field.
Our Valuable Team Members
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Elizabeth Brumfield Ph.D.
Board Member, 2024-2026Biography to Come. -
Andrea Hayes
Board Member, 2023-2025Andrea Hayes, MLS, is an Executive Board Member of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (2023-2025). She works as an Assistant Professor at Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies. She is an interdisciplinary scholar, researcher, and librarian. Her research focuses on the dissemination of reliable, accessible, and authoritative health information for women and those in underrepresented communities. She is the author of the newly published book chapter “Developing Health Literacy in Black Communities” in the book Health Literacy and Libraries (2024). At the center of her research are women’s chronic health illnesses, particularly endometriosis, and the dissemination of timely and accurate health information to African American women. Hayes is a graduate of North Carolina Central University School of Library and Information Sciences with a Master’s of Library Science. -
Dr. Nicole Cooke
Board Member, 2024-2026Nicole A. Cooke is the Augusta Baker Endowed Chair and a Professor at the University of South Carolina. Her research and teaching interests include human information behavior, critical cultural information studies, LIS Education, and diversity and social justice in librarianship. She has been awarded the 2019 Association of Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) Excellence in Teaching Award, the 2021 MLK Social Justice Award presented by the University of South Carolina, and the 2024 American Library Association (ALA) Lippincott award. She has edited and authored several books, including Information Services to Diverse Populations and Fake News and Alternative Facts: Information Literacy in a Post-truth Era. Her forthcoming titles include the 2nd edition of Information Services to Diverse Populations and Foundations of Social Justice, both of which will be published by ALA Editions | Neal-Schuman -
Nicollette M. Davis
Board Member, 2024-2026Biography to Come. -
Shaunterria Owens
Board Member, 2024-2026Shaunterria Owens is a member of the BCALA Executive Board and brings a wealth of experience to the organization. She has had a successful 20-year career in school and public libraries in Southern California and New Jersey and currently is a Youth Services Specialist at the North Miami Public Library in Miami-Dade County. Shaunterria’s dedication to promoting literature and literacy is evident in her roles as secretary to the ALA Sibert Committee, a member of the ALA Rise: Feminist Book List committee, and her position on the Executive Board of the ALA Library Support Staff Round Table. Apart from her library work, she is also a licensed Zumbini instructor, demonstrating her passion for fostering community engagement beyond the library walls. Shaunterria is a strong advocate for the power of libraries to transform lives and is committed to working with BCALA to advance its mission of promoting Black librarianship and cultural awareness. -
Olanike Olaniyi
Board Member, 2024-2026Olanike Oianiyi was born in Nigeria and practiced as a librarian before moving to the United States with her family some years ago. She has a bachelor’s degree in library, archival and information studies, a master’s degree in information science from University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and a master’s degree from Indiana University. She is a Certified Community Health Worker. Oianiyi currently works with the Indianapolis Public Library in Collection Management & Acquisition but had earlier worked as Children’s Librarian and Digital Projects Librarian. She was the library’s first Diversity Fellow and is passionate about researching, collaborating, and connecting my communities with diverse information needs and backgrounds. -
Fannie Mae Cox
Board Member, 2023-2025Fannie M. Cox joined the University of Louisville Libraries faculty in January 1999, as the inaugural Electronic Resources Coordinator. Currently she serves as the Community Engagement Consultant and Liaison Librarian, where she works with community and campus organizations to promote Information Literacy, mentor junior faculty, and assist the library’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group. She is the library’s faculty representative to the University’s’ Community Engagement Committee. Also, she serves as the library liaison/collection specialist to the Department of Urban and Public Affairs and the Multicultural Children’s Collection. And she is the first African American Librarian at UofL to be awarded tenure, become full professor, and in 2022, she became the first librarian to win the UofL Distinguish Faculty Career of Service Award. In 2020, Library Collaborations and Community Partnerships : Enhancing Health and Quality of Life was published, which she co-edited it with Drs. Vicki Hines-Martin and Henry Cunningham. She is a member of the Western Branch Library Support Association, (WBLSA). The Western Branch of the Louisville Public Library is the first African American Public Library in the USA. She is also a member of the Friends of Parkland Library (FOPL). The Parkland Library was closed in 1985. Since 2017, she has worked with the FOPL, Metro Government, and the Louisville Free Public Library Foundation Board, to get Parkland Library reopened, which is scheduled for March 2025. -
Gladys Smiley Bell
Board Member, 2023-2025Gladys Smiley Bell is an Executive Board member of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (2023-2025), and Chair of the BCALA Literary Committee (2003-present). She works at Hampton University as the Peabody Librarian with a focus on Rare Books on African American Culture and History. She has also been an active member of ALA, serving as a Councilor-at-large (1999-2019). Bell has been honored with the 2007 ALA Equality Award; Institutional Diversity Community Service Award for outstanding leadership and commitment to furthering cultural diversity in the University, in the community and focusing on the personal and scholastic development of students of color, Kent State; the Distinguished Service to the Profession Award for enthusiasm and dedication to educating the African American community about information technology from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. Served on the Joint National Conference/Council of Librarians of Color (JCLC) as a Conference Co-Chair, Steering Committee member, and Council Director-at-large (2002-present). Bell has an MLS from Long Island University, Palmer Graduate Library School. -
Tiffeni Fontno
Board Member, 2023-2025Biography to Come -
Kimberly Hunter
Board Member, 2023-2025Kimberly Hunter currently is the Public Services Manager for Cleveland Public Library’s Martin Luther King, Jr. branch. She holds a B.A. in Comparative Religion from Miami University of Ohio and a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science from Kent State University. As a student at KSU, her studies focused on rare books and manuscripts, academic & public librarianship, website creation and accessibility, storage and retrieval of digital information, cultural heritage informatics, and copyrighting.Kimberly’s library and non-profit career has focused on computer and technology support and accessibility to makerspace tools, equipment and other resources. As the Assistant Director for Norwalk Public Library, she was the technology liaison to CLEVNET. At Southern Methodist University (SMU), she was Access Services Manager, where she earned her certification in a library management system (LMS). Additionally, Kimberly’s broad experience as an advocate includes serving as a houseparent for an international boarding school, a Children’s Defense Fund trainee, and several volunteer roles with The Salvation Army, The Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, and church youth groups. She also sits on the board for Blankets for the Homeless – Columbus, OH and Tech CORPS NEO Advisory Committee.
Kimberly’s passion for librarianship is grounded in the belief that education, information, and technology should be accessible to all – regardless of age, abilities or zip code. Kimberly currently resides in Cleveland with her furbaby Biggie.
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Jessica Tingling
Board Member, 2023-2025Biography to Come -
Michael Torres
Board Member, 2023-2025Biography to Come -
Christina Vortia
Board Member, 2024-2026
Christina Vortia, MSLIS, is an Executive Board Member of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (2024-2026). She is the Chief Librarian at Howard University’s Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, the world’s leading repository on the global Black experience, and serves as the African Studies, African American Studies, and History Subject Liaison for Founders Library. Christina is a librarian, educator, and literature analyst committed to Black diasporan literary traditions and print culture. She has served on the 2020/2021 LA Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature, the 2019/2020 Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee, the 2017 Michael L. Printz Award Committee, and the 2017 Florida Author’s and Publisher’s Association Book Awards Committee. Christina served as Chair of the 2023 Newbery Committee and is a juror on the 2025/2026 Coretta Scott King Book Awards Jury. -
Jamia Williams
Board Member, 2024-2026
Biography to Come.