Hi, everyone! My name is Laura Damon-Moore, and I am thrilled to be saying hello to you all as the newest Community Liaison / Service Specialist to join the WiLS crew. It has been a bit of a whirlwind, leaving one position and starting a new one during a pandemic, but also very exciting to be joining this dynamic and downright whimsical organization.
Some background for me: I completed my MLIS at UW-Madison’s iSchool (then SLIS!) in 2012, and since then have worked in public libraries as a youth librarian and most recently, as a Community Engagement Librarian at Madison Public Library’s Central Library. While at Central I worked on a couple of major projects, including Library Takeover and the Living History Project, and supported one-off community-led events, everything from wellness retreats and sculpture demonstrations to my personal favorite, Ukulele in Community. I also worked a substantial amount at the public service desk, partnering with library visitors to figure out what they need and where to find it.
For about seven years (and occasionally this project crops up even now!) I worked on the Library as Incubator Project team as a co-founder and editor. That project was born in Wisconsin, and elevated by the Wisconsin library community. I can’t wait to apply that experience and a community of practice around creativity to my WiLS work.
On a personal note, I live in Monona, a small town located on the far east side of Madison, with my husband and our 4-year-old daughter. Outdoor activities have been really important to us this summer, so we’ve been doing a lot of biking, running, and outdoor yoga. I’ve been reading lots of historical mysteries (working my way through all of Rhys Bowen’s back catalog!) and psychological thrillers, and discovering old and new favorite kids’ chapter books by reading them out loud to my daughter.
I am pumped to start connecting with WiLS members. If you’d like to say hi please feel free to send me a note at laura@wils.org. I look forward to working together.