Member of the Month: Cordiah Hayes

Member of the Month Navpod

91´«Ã½

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What school do you attend?

I attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and will earn my MLIS degree in December 2022. I have absolutely enjoyed my time as a graduate student. Learning about the nuances and various impacts of librarianship has been a rewarding experience. In addition, I have been able to meet new people, make friends, and develop new connections.

What is your proudest moment of being a YALSA member?

My proudest moment of being a YALSA member was attending the 91´«Ã½ Spectrum Leadership Institute in Washington DC this past June. I was grateful to travel and meet other scholars who are BIPOC and like me, seek to change the field of librarianship. I was fortunate enough to meet another YALSA scholar, Vidhya Jagannathan, with whom I consider a great friend.

Do you have a particular YA genre you enjoy as you work with your patrons?

When working with teen patrons, I enjoy discussing popular Manga such as Sailor Moon, Naruto, Cowboy Bebop, Dragon Ball, and Bleach. These discussions served as the catalyst for a virtual program called Anime & Manga Club which has had 400 participants since its' inception in September 2020.

Any projects in the near future?

In the near future, I will be working on a new virtual program called Throwback Thursdays, in which we discuss past/current films, tv, and books that paved the way for what we have today.