Fall 2024 New Library Personnel!

Learn more about our new librarians and Associate Dean!

We're excited to welcome Kyra Folk-Farber as our new Associate Dean! Kyra comes to us with extensive experience, having served as Acting Library Dean at CSU Channel Islands and as Associate Dean for Library and Learning Resources and Scholarly Communications. She holds an MLIS from the University of Toronto and a doctorate from the Université de Montréal. Kyra is also the Co-Lead Editor for the CAML Review/Revue de l'ACBM. We look forward to her leadership and expertise at the Library!

Say hello to Jessica McBride, our new Assistant Librarian!
Jessica says: "You can find me at the reference desk weekday evenings from 4-7pm! I recently graduated from UCLA with my MLIS, specializing in rare books, visual and print culture. I have a background in classical piano which was helpful in researching the evolution of early Italian printed music notation. As a lifelong bookworm and history nerd, I was drawn to working in libraries because they connect people's interests across time." Welcome to the team, Jessica! 

Join us in welcoming Kari Darby, our new Student Engagement and Success Librarian!
Before pursuing her MSLIS, Kari Darby received her MA in Music Composition from Eastern Illinois University and worked as a flutist, composer, and teacher for several years. Motivated by her own background in music, Kari's goal has been to promote the diversity of research in the arts and humanities. In her previous position as Coordinator of Research Programs at University of Illinois, Kari has built programming to expand outreach, demystify the research process, and increase access to research opportunities. She looks forward to expanding this work to increase equity in higher education. Outside of work, you can often find her sharing photos of her cat, playing board games, or trying out new crafts. Welcome to the team, Kari!

Meet Urusa Ali, our new Assistant Librarian and proud CSULB alum! After earning her MLIS from UCLA, Urusa brings a passion for libraries that began with volunteer work as a teen and has since flourished through her experience in both public and academic libraries. When she's not at the library, you can find her exploring coffee shops, collecting library cards, or reading on her Kindle. Be sure to say hi if you see her around!