The Library and Information Studies Alumni Association (LISAA) provides mentorship and preparation for careers; lifelong connections to fellow Bruins in the library and archival fields.
For over a decade, many graduates of the UCLA Department of Information Studies have enjoyed reconnecting with classmates and professors at the annual Spring Dinner of the Library and Information Studies Alumni Association (LISAA).
Su Kim Chung (’98, MLIS; ’15, PhD), LISAA president, and Ashley Kagan (’06, BA, English; ’08, MLIS), LISAA board member and past president want to let current students in the program and its alumni, who serve in a myriad of industries across librarianship and archival fields, that opportunities to get involved with LISAA are something to celebrate all year long.
Kagan, who serves as manager of the Sunland-Tujunga Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library, expressed her gratitude for those who supported her academic and career goals.
“To build a career, you need many different people involved, whether they’re mentors, contacts, or people you respect or admire,” she said. “Many people helped me along the way and we want to give back [and] offer those supports to current students and new professionals, and even people who are further along in their careers.”
For current UCLA students, LISAA offers career panels that highlight the wide range of careers within the library and archival fields, as well as mock interviews and a mentorship program throughout the year. Chung, who recently retired as head of special collections public services at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, says that LISAA provides numerous networking opportunities at events like the Spring Dinner and beyond.
“We serve as that bridge between the academics of learning what it means to be a librarian and the realities of actually being in a professional position in the information science or studies world,” she said.
This year’s LISAA Spring Dinner, held on May 20, celebrated the Class of 2026 with guest speakers Skye Patrick (’25, PhD), county librarian and executive officer (CLEO) of the Los Angeles County Library; and Kelvin Watson, executive director of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District.
Patrick, who was honored by LISAA with this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award, was elected earlier this year as president of the Public Library Association (PLA) for 2027-2028. As CLEO for the L.A. County Library, she oversees 87 libraries, serving more than 10 million residents. Her aim of expanding access to meet the needs of the county’s diverse populations has included fine-free policies, extended hours, in-person tutoring, facility and IT improvements, and cross-sector partnerships.
Patrick’s vison has earned national recognition, including the 2023 National Medal for Museum and Library Service and the 2025 James Irvine Leadership Award. Before joining the L.A. County Library, Patrick served as director of libraries for Broward County, Florida, where she was the first woman, the second African American, and the first openly LGBTQ person to hold the position.
At the LISAA Spring Dinner, Patrick spoke of how she fulfilled a lifelong dream by pursuing her doctorate at UCLA, amid the responsibilities of full-time work and parenthood.
“I grew up in the Midwest and as a queer kid, I had very few resources available to me and I dreamed of coming to California and going to UCLA,” she said. “I still have the journal from when I was a young teen, saying that I was going to go to Los Angeles and go to school at UCLA and … eat guava fruit and mango from the trees. I was going to surf and I was going to have blonde dreadlocks.
“I knew who I was going to be,” said Patrick. “I‘ll say it took me a little bit longer than I expected, and I never learned to surf. But I saw myself very clearly at UCLA and [Professor of Information Studies] Greg Leazer… convinced me that I could do it.”
Patrick acknowledged the role the public library played throughout her life and said that “Libraries have shown me how to be a leader in really hard times. I ended up going … to UCLA to get my doctorate … in the height of the pandemic and I felt like I needed more skills to lead [my] institution through the hardest times in modern history.
“The library showed up for me when I was a foster child, living in foster care and systems through no fault of my own,” she said. “I had a library card and a bus pass and those two cards … allowed me to go everywhere, in my mind and literally, in my little town. I would go to the library and stay there for hours. I lost a lot of material, I had fines and at that time, they weren’t forgiving fines. I ended up [going] to the library, to sit and read my favorite book, and hope that it would be there the next time I came.
“The library showed up for me when I was a young adult, an aspiring musician and documentarian,” said Patrick. “Eventually, the library provided me … a path to a career. I pride myself on never fitting the box and each time I talk to librarians I realize that none of us fit a box – we’re all our own individual selves, and this field accepts you for that.”
Watson, who was selected as the 2026 Librarian of the Year by Library Journal, has been lauded nationally for his innovative leadership and focus on fundraising, technology, and addressing the digital divide to enhance Nevada’s largest library system. His efforts have garnered the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District three consecutive “Library of the Future Awards” from the American Library Association (ALA). Watson himself is an ALA Medal of Excellence award winner, and honoree of the ALA Ken Haycock Award for Promoting Librarianship.
Watson shared his perspectives on access for all library patrons, particularly those of color.
“Results matter, but representation matters so much more,” he said. “When library customers… see people who look like them day-in and day-out, they feel supported. When they see library staff of color showing up every day – people like them who understand where they come from, who reflect their lived experiences – I can tell you that something fundamental shifts within them. Their expectations rise. Their confidence grows, and suddenly, possibilities feel real.”
Watson told the students at the LISAA Dinner that “You are entering this profession at a critical moment. Libraries today are not just about access to books – they are about access to opportunity. You will be asked to navigate rapid change involving community needs, and sometimes, difficult conversations. But that is exactly why your voice, your perspective, and your leadership are needed right now.
“Nobody is here in this librarianship field by accident,” said Watson. “You chose this and you stayed… because you know this is much bigger than any job you will ever have. This is about …saving lives, uplifting lives, and inspiring people to strive for more.”
LISAA’s three-part perspective of alumni, UCLA Library, and the UCLA Department of Information Studies prepares students to effectively inspire library users to strive for more and additionally, to shape their own careers. Chung says that LISAA mentorships and mock interviews are tailored as much as possible to give students an insider’s view of their aspirations.
“If you’re an archivist, we try to match you with [students] that want to interview for an archives position,” she said. “The students are super hungry to [hear] that real-life experience. I had a student who wanted to know what’s it like to move for a position and [similar] questions that don’t get addressed in your traditional library school curriculum.”
Current UCLA IS students are encouraged to join LISAA. Kagan notes that a current UCLA IS student also serves on the LISAA Board as a representative of UCLA IS’s Student Governing Board.
“One of the things about information studies is it applies to so many fields, some of which students don’t really think about while they’re in school – or probably ever – so it’s nice to be able to open their eyes to that,” says Kagan.
Chung urges alumni to join LISAA and to become involved in upcoming events and activities to support current students.
“This year in particular, the career events have really shown me how valuable it is to students,” she said. “If you have a passion for helping students after you graduate because you had such a good experience in the program or you remembered how somebody helped you… we can do more if we have more people willing to do the work. It’s going to make us more effective in doing professional development for current students who are going to graduate, or recent graduates who are looking for positions.”
Chung, who recently entered her new position as director of collections and archives at The Mob Museum in Las Vegas, said that “As I transition out of my career in an academic library into a new position in the museum world, I have been touched by colleagues in my library who have called me out as their mentor and I think of how meaningful it has been to provide that kindness and support to new graduates or early professionals.
“Sometimes, you’re not even aware that you’ve served in that role, but rest assured, someone has noticed and remembered your kindness,” said Chung. “The mentorship can take a little bit of time out of your busy schedules, but the benefits it brings back to you and the profession itself are well worth it.”
For more information and to join the UCLA Library and Information Studies Alumni Association, visit the webpage.
Above: Skye Patrick (’25, PhD), county librarian and executive officer (CLEO) of the Los Angeles County Library, was honored by LISAA with its Distinguished Alumni Award. Photo by Don Liebig, UCLA