On behalf of the BCLA Board and the Anti-racism Committee, I’m pleased to welcome the two newest members of the Anti-racism Committee:
Maki Cairns (she/her) works as a library information clerk at Burnaby Public Library and a library assistant at New Westminster Public Library. She has been a grassroots, community organizer in the Filipino community for over 5 years focusing on gender and migrant issues. Maki is passionate about engaging with communities and empowering marginalized individuals through equipping them with knowledge and resources. She hopes to weave her grassroots, community organizing experience into libraries to create a more inclusive, welcoming space for marginalized groups.
Sierra Cook (she/her) is a Public Service Librarian for the Okanagan Regional Library. She is currently living on the unceded and traditional territory of the Syilx peoples of the Okanagan Nation, but her ancestry comes from the Interior Salish people, specifically the Líl̓wat Nation. Sierra has worked across the province, having spent time with the Cariboo Regional Library, Prince George Public Library, Thompson-Nicola Regional Library and now working in the Okanagan. Having worked in public libraries since she was a teenager, Sierra has touched many aspects of public library work from circulation, collection development, community engagement, and management. Her passion lies in Indigenization and reconciliation of public libraries.
We are grateful to everyone who put forward an expression of interest. It is heartening to see the enthusiasm and commitment to advancing anti-racism both within BCLA and in the larger BC library sector, and we look forward to continuing this work with all of you.
The full list of Anti-racism Committee members is available on the BCLA website.