EveryLibrary is governed by a Board of Directors who provide volunteer time, attention, and service to help us realize our goals for library advocacy, voter engagement, and public awareness.
Jeannie Allen
Jeannie Allen is the Director of Strategic Planning and Digital Strategy at Kitsap Regional Library in Kitsap County, WA. Now responsible for leading and communicating the strategic direction of the organization, she began her career in libraries as the marketing manager where she leads the redevelopment of the mission, vision, values, and brand of the organization. Building off this new foundation, Jeannie—in partnership with EveryLibrary—lead the first successful levy campaign, doubling voter support. She has been featured as a “Marketing Master” in Marketing Library Services, and she has participated as a collaborative author in the book Creative Library Marketing and Publicity: Best Practices. Jeannie is a Kitsap Business Journal 2012 40 under 40 recipient, and her team’s efforts have been rewarded with two prestigious American Library Association John Cotton Dana Awards. An artist at her core, Jeannie lives in Bremerton with her (almost) teenage daughter who is fast developing her own flair for art, reading and saving the world.
Lori Bowen Ayre
Lori Bowen Ayre is the Founder and Principal Consultant of The Galecia Group, a firm specializing in library technology services and consulting. She believes in the transformational power of libraries and works to help libraries leverage technology to streamline back-office functions, reduce operating costs, and improve and expand customer services. She believes that libraries are critical institutions for our democratic society and that these institutions must change as society changes. Lori has written pieces for ALA publications including Library Technology Reports (RFID, 2012 and Internet Filtering, 2004), the Whole Library Handbook 4 (ALA Editions, 2006), and Moving Materials: Physical Delivery in Libraries (ALA Editions, 2009, Valerie Horton, Ed.) In addition, Lori wrote a chapter that appears in RFID-Applications, Security and Privacy (Addison Wesley, 2005) and The Impact of Information Technology on Public Libraries in a special issue of Public Library Quarterly. She regularly contributes to Collaborative Librarianship and serves on the Editorial Board of Public Library Quarterly.
Peter Bromberg
Peter Bromberg deeply believes in the potential of every person and believes that libraries play a significant role in helping us unlock and develop our abilities and move in the direction of our dreams. He is a 1992 MLS graduate of Rutgers University and is Associate Director at EveryLibrary. He understands the crucial role libraries play in supporting democracy by creating a neutral space for respectful civic discourse, and by offering access and guidance to unbiased information. Over his 30-year career, Mr. Bromberg has held numerous leadership roles in state and national associations, including helping to create and launch ALA’s Emerging Leaders program and co-creating and delivering a statewide leadership institute for the Oklahoma Library Association. He can be found online at peterbromberg.com.
Gwen Camp
Gwen Camp is the Executive Director of Team Democracy, a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to strengthening the core principles of the U.S. Constitutional democracy. In addition to her leadership role at Team Democracy, she operates her own consultancy, Gwen Camp LLC, focusing on coalition building, crisis and risk management, national security, and political communications. Her work primarily targets the enhancement of gender parity and the reduction of corruption in Pennsylvania. She also served as the Chief of Staff at the Pennsylvania State Treasury. She holds a Master's in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School, where she engaged actively with the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation and the Women and Public Policy Program, and a BA in Political Science, Spanish, and Italian from Rosemont College.
John Chrastka, Executive Director
EveryLibrary’s founder is John Chrastka, a long-time library trustee, supporter, and advocate. Mr. Chrastka is a former partner in AssociaDirect, a Chicago-based consultancy focused on supporting associations in membership recruitment, conference, and governance activities. He is a former president and member of the Board of Trustees for the Berwyn (IL) Public Library (2006 – 2015) and is a former president of the Reaching Across Illinois Libraries System (RAILS) multi-type library system. Prior to his work at AssociaDirect, he was Director for Membership Development at the American Library Association (ALA). He was named a 2014 Mover & Shaker by Library Journal and tweets @mrchrastka.
Harmony Faust
Harmony Faust is Vice President for Marketing at ITHAKA. She brings her passion for helping libraries secure the funding they need to serve everyone and her expertise as a brand strategist, storyteller and campaign planner to help EveryLibrary raise its own profile as an organization. Ms. Faust has extensive experience marketing to and on behalf of public, school and academic libraries, and an M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications from Eastern Michigan University. She lives in Plymouth, Michigan, with her husband and two children. Connect with Harmony on LinkedIn.
Brian D. Hart
Brian Hart is at the confluence of a national conversation about the image of librarians and librarianship among the public. He is a 2012 MLIS graduate from the University of South Carolina, where he was was awarded the Ethel Bolden Minority Scholarship and holds Masters of Public Administration from Georgia College and State University. Mr. Hart was selected as a 2014 Emerging Leader by the American Library Association, where he co-founded the ALA “Librarians Build Communities” MIG to coordinate skilled volunteer efforts and celebrate the diverse ways librarians enrich, educate and enhance their local communities. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Black Caucus of the ALA (BCALA) and is a member of the North Carolina Library Association (NCLA). He tweets from @BrianDHart.
Gary Kirk
Gary Kirk's career includes a span of nearly 35 years serving libraries. He joined The Library Corporation (TLC) in 1986 and for 19 years he led the company's general operations, marketing, sales, and business development efforts. During that time, he was responsible for overseeing enormous growth in customers, revenues, employees, and infrastructure. He is significantly responsible for TLC’s positioning as a world-class customer service organization. In 2005, he spearheaded the acquisition of Tech Logic; a Minnesota based company, and over the past 15 years has served as President, overseeing a major turnaround and unprecedented growth. Gary is an alumnus of Georgia State University and Auburn University where he focused on Business Administration and Marketing.
Nicole Paquette
Nicole Paquette is the Director of Marketing and Communications at the Communities Foundation of Texas. Prior to her current role, she was a Communications Manager at the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland (MI) Area, and worked as a Substitute Librarian and Library Assistant at the Bay County Library System and Youth Department at the Sage Branch Library. Since 2019, she has been actively involved in the Communications Association (CommA) National Steering Committee. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Professional and Technical Writing/Rhetoric from Saginaw Valley State University and has earned a certification in Nonprofit Board Leadership from the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy.
Kathleen McEvoy
Kathleen McEvoy is a Senior Policy Fellow at the EveryLibrary Institute focusing on academic libraries. Prior to that, she was Vice President of Communications at EBSCO Information Services where she helped lead EBSCO's pubic relations, marketing, and communications efforts. She began her career in as a broadcast journalist and news director for WGIR-FM in Manchester, NH., after receiving her BA from the University of North Carolina - Greensboro. At EBSCO she helped shape initiatives like the EBSCO Solar project and other key initiatives. Kathleen also currently serves as Board Secretary of ALA’s United for Libraries Division.
John Shableski
John Shableski is a well-respected leader in the publishing and library industries, known for his extensive work across various sectors, including book distribution, wholesale, library and education, and marketing strategy. He is the President of Reading with Pictures, a global literacy organization dedicated to promoting reading and learning through comics, graphic novels, and manga, especially aimed at supporting struggling students. He owns Otto Bookstore, the oldest independently owned bookstore in the United States and has served as a consultant for clients like the Norman Rockwell Museum and the Will and Ann Eisner Family Foundation.
Patrick Sweeney, Political Director
Patrick Sweeney is a tireless and innovative advocate for libraries. A 2007 graduate of the San Jose School of Library and Information Sciences, Mr. Sweeney is the former Administrative Librarian of the Sunnyvale (CA) Public Library and was Executive Director of EveryLibrary California, a statewide initiative to support library Propositions. He was recognized as by Library Journal as a “Movers and Shaker” in 2015 for his library advocacy work. He is co-author of “Winning Elections and Influencing Politicians for Library Funding” as well as “Before the Ballot; Building Support for Library Funding.” He was recently recognized with a “40 Under 40” award by the American Association of Political Consultants for his work fighting for libraries at EveryLibrary. He is a lecturer at the San Jose Information School, where he teaches courses on politics and libraries. He is active across social media as "PCSweeney".
All of us at EveryLibrary mourn the passing of 2022 board member Roberto Delgadillo. Please visit our tribute and memorial at https://www.everylibrary.org/roberto.