Karlan graduated from the University of Kansas in 1960 with French and German majors and a teaching certificate, and attended library school at Columbia University. She has worked at libraries in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and at the New York Public Library, where she served on several committees, including Best Books for Young Adults (twice), Outstanding Fiction for the College Bound, the Printz Award Committee, and the Alex Award Committee (twice).

After retiring from NYPL, Karlan joined LIT’s board as its president and seeks to improve library facilities for all of New York’s juvenile detainees.

My major interest throughout my life has been words and literature. I’m a lifelong lover of books, especially fiction and poetry. Although I’ve worked in many fields, the starting point was always reading and writing.

In addition to my work as an editor on the journal Greece in Print, as well as on a number of books, including fiction, memoir and scholarly works, I serve on the board of Indigenous Heritage, which seeks to help the San Bushmen of southern Africa (Botswana, South Africa, and Namibia) save their homelands and maintain their ancient culture.

Throughout her career in education, Sydney Blair has had many challenging positions. Beginning as a high school English teacher, she was promoted to Supervisor of Special Education, Title I Coordinator, Summer and Evening High School Supervisor, Assistant to the President and Assistant in the Office of Public Affairs of the New York City Board of Education, and Principal. Ms Blair, the founder of Passages Academy, was Principal until her retirement in 2009. Passages twice received the City’s award for being a school of outstanding achievement.

Ms. Blair believes all children can develop a lifelong interest in learning and are entitled to respect, dignity and a nurturing environment to grow emotionally, intellectually and socially as they acquire the skills to become productive, effective members of a culturally diverse society.

Alexandra is a PhD candidate in Criminology at the University of Cambridge. She has extensive experience with New York State juvenile facilities, where she has conducted research to assess some of the institutional dynamics that may create obstacles to the meaningful growth and development of the young people in the system’s care.

Since receiving her BA from Yale University, she has worked as a research associate at the Drug Policy Alliance’s Office of Legal Affairs, a mitigation specialist and social worker at the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, and as a researcher at the University of Cambridge, where she conducted an evaluation of programs in men’s prisons in England and Wales.

Jessica Fenster-Sparber joined LIT in 2003 and served as our Executive Director until Fall 2009.

Dana worked as a young adult librarian in the New York City public schools for over 35 years, and as head librarian at Jane Addams High School in the south Bronx for the last 25 years before her retirement in 2007. She has also served on the board of the Carl Schurz Park Association, a civic group working for the betterment of that lovely East River park; was a teacher-participant in the Lincoln Center Institute bringing the arts to the city’s public schools; and established children’s libraries at Manhattan’s Central Synagogue and Temple Shaaray Tefila. In 2009 she founded ROOMS FOR IMPROVEMENT, a service that uses her organizing skills to help New Yorkers banish the clutter and gain more living space at home. Dana has been a member of the board of Literacy for Incarcerated Teens since 2008.

I began honing my skills as a therapist by working simultaneously with the Ackerman Family Institute and Union Settlement in East Harlem. There I directed a multifaceted program of community services working with populations of elementary students through seniors. Then corporate life came calling. NBC/RCA wanted a person to act as “in-house shrink” and thought I would fill the bill. While there, I worked my way through several departments, including human resources, financial planning and sales. Since my retirement in January 2001, I have been doing volunteer work domestically, in South Africa and in Vietnam. I travel often and spend as much time as possible with my new grandchild, Nadia.

Ma’lis has more than 30 years of increasing management experience in libraries in New York City, including 12 libraries in Staten Island (2 years) and 34 libraries in the Bronx. Ma’lis also served as a member of the Branch Libraries Management Team, participating in setting the mission, vision and agenda for The New York Public Library Branch Libraries, including planning and oversight of new programs and services such as Family Literacy, technology training (Click-On), Community Health Information Services (CHOICES), and was co-founder of the Coalition for Bronx Libraries.