ALSC has selected Kirbie Sondreal, the Assistant Children’s Director for the Grand Forks Public Library in North Dakota, as its representative in the 2025 Emerging Leader program. She grew up on a farm in rural North Dakota and got a job at her local library at 16, in part because it was her favorite place to be, but also so that she could get out of farm work. Now she enjoys helping on her family’s farm when she can AND being a librarian! Here is your chance to learn a bit more about Kirbie through a series of questions.
Tell us a bit about your background…
I come to libraries by way of museums. I grew up working at my local library before going off to college and getting a degree in public history and my master’s in museum studies. I worked at and interned with various museums and arts nonprofits but found my way back to libraries during the pandemic. I can’t imagine being anywhere else now; I love the work I do and the difference I can make in my community.
What made you decide to get involved with children’s librarianship?
My very first job was working as a clerk in the Children’s Department of my local library when I was 16, and I loved it. When a full-time position opened at that library at just the right time, I gladly stepped back into the chaos and fun of children’s services, and I haven’t looked back!
What is your favorite part of being a children’s librarian?
I’m having trouble picking one thing, so I’m going to list a few. I love the little patrons with big questions and helping them search for answers. I had one little girl who would come each week with a new query, from where the universe came from, to how engines work, and I really looked forward to what she would ask next. I also enjoy welcoming and orienting patrons that are coming to the library for the first time. I want their first experience at the library to be a good one, and I want the library to be a place where they feel welcomed and comfortable right from the start. Another rewarding part of my job is being able to recommend quality titles to patrons to help them bridge difficult conversations or approach challenging moments in life. I guess it all circles back to the relationships I get to build with my community. It’s an immense privilege.
What is your favorite age to work with at the Library?
I love doing baby storytime and working with the 0-2 crowd through that. You see so much change and development at that age, and it’s so fun to see them start to make connections and grow.
What is your favorite thing about your current job?
In my current role, I like the variety in my day-to-day tasks. In a typical day, I’m working on everything from grants and collections development to storytime and staff training. It keeps things interesting and helps me to keep my eye on the big picture and our potential for impact. I enjoy that I get to do a little bit of everything.
What made you apply for the Emerging Leader program?
I had heard a lot of positive remarks from previous participants in the program, and my mentor (who I originally got paired with through the ALSC mentorship program a few years ago) really encouraged me. I am so thankful that I applied—I just got back from Phoenix and am still riding the high of excitement that comes with meeting new colleagues, sharing new ideas, and beginning new projects.
How did you feel when you were selected as ALSC’s Emerging Leader?
I was shocked, honored and excited. I felt so grateful for the opportunity. I didn’t think I was getting in, let alone sponsored. I hope I can do ALSC justice in our project!
What do you hope to learn from the Emerging Leader experience?
I am looking forward to garnering new relationships with colleagues from the United States, Canada, and around the globe while becoming more active in ALA and ALSC, and contributing to the organizations I’ve learned from and leaned on so much. My group’s project focuses on advocacy recommendations and resources for ALSC and YALSA, so I’m excited to see what I learn along the way about this timely topic.
The EL program culminates with a poster session at the ALA Annual Conference. Does this idea excite you, make you nervous, invigorate you, thrill you, motivate you, something else, … or have you not thought about it at all yet?
I’m excited! I attended the poster session for a bit at ALA in San Diego last year and enjoyed seeing the variety of projects and presentations. It also spurred a lot of interesting conversation. I’m a little nervous, of course, but excited to be on the other side presenting one with my group this year.