Alex Byrne

Personal Information

Alex Byrne
they/them/theirs
Tacoma, WA
albyrne@umich.edu

Work Experience

Pierce County Library System

Tacoma, Washington

Youth Services Librarian – September 2007-present

• Reference and Reader's Advisory Services for all ages.
• Story Time and other Youth programming for ages 0-18, both in branch and system wide.
• Editor for the Book Buzz, a nearly-monthly publication of recommended books produced by youth services librarians in the library system.
• Idea Originator, Project Lead, and Chief Editor for Training Manual and documentation to help new hires (and old hands) find valuable information.
• Worked with schools on assignment requirements, promotion of programs, tours, and visits about library services, during the school year and during summer.
• An (Unofficial) Techie: Supporting users and staff in a variety of software and hardware questions at assigned branches.
• Maintainer of image slideshow proclaiming programs and services of the library system.
• Part of Teen Summer Challenge Grand Master team, planning teams, and content creation teams.
• 2013-2015: Part of the Scout Experience Team and content creator for the complete run of Scout.
• 2016 Summer Reading Program Chair
• 2017 Teen/Tween Summer Reading team chair
• 2017 Culture Opportunity Team presenter, presentation creator, data analyist, and co-creator of survey questions
• 3D printer Traveling Road Show presenter and team member
• 2019 Summer Reading Program Communications Committee Chair
• 2019-2021 Public Technology Committee Member, Tech For Youth Project
• 2024-2025 Early Learning Team Co-Chair

Ann Arbor District Library

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Public Library Associate - May 2006 – August 2006

• Worked with other staff planning, preparing, and presenting programming to users.
• Independently tasked to select and arrange thematic materials to assist full-time staff at the Ann Arbor Creativity Camp.
• Engaged in desk, telephone, and stacks reference and reader's advisory services to youth, teen, and adult users.
• Provided technical support to users.

Ypsilanti Public Library

Whittaker Road Branch, Ypsilanti, Michigan

Youth Services Intern - June 2006 – August 2006

• Performed desk, telephone, and stacks reference and reader's advisory services to youth, teen, and adult users.
• Dispensed technical support to users.

University of Michgan - School of Education - Information Resources and Instructional Support / Technology Services

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Media Assistant I - June 2004 – September 2005

• Performed reference services for education-specialized print and audiovisual collections.
• Mastered set up and troubleshooting of complex audiovisual equipment.
• Formatted, reimaged, and upgraded Macintosh and Windows computers for deployment into classrooms.

Presentations

2023

Seattle GNU/Linux User Group Conference (SeaGL):

• What's The Ideal Give-Away Computer? - The Presentation [coming soon!]
• What's The Ideal Give-Away Computer? - Slide Images + Commentary.
• What's The Ideal Give-Away Computer? - Commentary without slide images.

Washington Library Association Annual Conference:

• STEAM Programs For Every Budget - Slide Images + Commentary.
• STEAM Programs For Every Budget - Commentary without slide images.

2022

Seattle GNU/Linux User Group Conference (SeaGL):

• The Fediverse @ Your Library - The Presentation
• The Fediverse @ Your Library - Slide Images + Commentary
• The Fediverse @ Your Library - Commentary without slide images.

Washington Library Asssociation Annual Conference:

• Process Over Product: Two Years (Almost) of Programming (and Anxiety) - Slide Images + Commentary.
• Process Over Product: Two Years (Almost) of Programming (and Anxiety) - Commentary without slide images.
• Okay, Libraries, Let's Destroy Facebook! - Slide Images + Commentary.
• Okay, Libraries, Let's Destroy Facebook! - Commentary without slide images.

2020

Washington Library Asssociation Annual Conference:

• Booktalking Books You've Never Read (And May Never Read)
• Lightning Talk: Pronoun Practice Party

2017

Washington Library Association Annual Conference:

• I'm Making A Mini-Con Here: Huge Success!

Open Source Bridge:

• Read Write Talk Sing Play: What Early Literacy Can Teach Us About Software Literacy

2016

Open Source Bridge:

• Postcards From the Edge Case
• Librarians Need Code Too

Storytime Extravaganza:

• Early Literacy Asides: You Already Have What It Takes

2015

Open Source Bridge:

• The Public Library As an (Almost) Open Source Institution
• The Public Library As an (Almost) Open Source Institution - The Presentation

2013

Washington Library Association Annual Conference:

• Mind The Gap: Looking For Library Users In All The "Wrong" Places

2008

American Library Association: TechSource: Gaming, Learning, and Libraries

• Smash Bash: Creating A Community Around Super Smash Brothers Brawl

Articles and Publications

2024

Alki: The Washington Library Association Journal

• v. 40, n. 3, December 2024: Library in Community: Icing the Political Puck

Chapter in Grabbing Tea, Volume One: Queer Conversations on Identity and Libraries

• Dude-Looking People: Being Non-Binary and AMAB in Libraries (with Karl. G Siewert)

2023

Alki: The Washington Library Association Journal

• v. 39, n. 2, July 2023: WLA All Day: The Perils of Letting Sand Think For Us: Automated Decisions Using Conflicting Principles
• v. 39, n. 1, March 2023: Accessibility Matters: Accessibility, Not Accommodation

Chapter in Trans and Gender Diverse Voices in Libraries

• I'm Not

2022

Alki: The Washington Library Association Journal

• v. 38, n. 2, July 2022: Imagine New Horizons: The Details Of New Horizons [PDF]

2021

Alki: The Washington Library Association Journal

• v. 37, n. 2, July 2021: You Are Not Imagining It: The Pillars Of The Library Are Crumbling [PDF]

2020

ALA Editions

• Chapter in The Library Workplace Idea Book: Proactive Steps for Positive Change
  • Gender Identity: When Good Intentions Fall Short

2019

Alki: The Washington Library Association Journal

• v. 35, n. 2, July 2019: Literacy in Libraries: The Keepers of Old Tech [PDF]

2018

Alki: The Washington Library Association Journal

• v.34, n.2, July 2018: What No One Ever Tells You About Working in Libraries: It's a Lot Like Calvinball [PDF]

2016

Voice of Youth Advocates Magazine

• The Invisible Art Collective

2015

Comics, Cosplay, and Geek Culture In Libraries

• Geeky Gadgetry: A MaKeyMaKey Experiment
• Geeky Gadgetry: Raspberry Pi
• Geeky Cadgetry: Squishy Circuits
• Makerspace Project: Light Painting
• Hackerspace Project: PirateBox / LibraryBox
- picked up by ALA Libraries Direct Newsletter in April 2015!

Voice of Youth Advocates Magazine

• It's Not Just Information: What i-School Didn't Teach Me About Librarianship

2014

Voice of Youth Advocates Magazine

• Maximizing Your Luck Score In Programming: When Opening Doors Can Lead To Open Doors
• Easy As Pi

2013

Writing credits:

• Chapter in Teen Games Rule! A Librarian's Guide To Programs And Platforms

Education

University of Michigan - School of Information

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Master of Science in Information, Libraries and Information Services Specialization, April 2007
Cumulative G.P.A. 7.142 / 9.0

University of Michigan - College of Literature, Science & Arts

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Bachelor of Arts, Medieval and Early Modern Studies, April 2005
Cumulative G.P.A.: 3.871 / 4.0

Technical and Computer Skills

• Polaris ILS
• XHTML/CSS/HTML5
• Ruby/Rails
• Paint.net
• Debian-based and Arch-based Linux
• Microsoft Office Suite - MOS certifications in Word and Poewrpoint February 2017
• Microsoft Windows