Your name, pronouns, current or most recent work place and position (for students, please tell us what school you’re attending and if you have chosen a specialization):
Christine Wei, she/her/hers, currently employed as a Wake County Public Libraries part-time Youth Services Library Assistant but soon to be a full-time Youth Services Library Associate II for Orange County, NC!
How long have you been an APALA member? What drew you to join? (If you are currently volunteering on an APALA committee or are an EB officer, please include that here!)
I’ve been a member of APALA since 2022, when I applied to graduate school to pursue my Master’s in Library Science. I was drawn to join APALA since I was the only East Asian permanent staff member and wanted to find more of a community. I am currently working as the Secretary for APALA’s EB, and I’ve loved working with everyone!
We’re very interested in the diversity of ethnic/cultural heritage within APALA. Please share your ethnic/cultural heritage with us and any other background information, as desired.
My parents are from Taiwan, and they immigrated to the US in 1991. I was born shortly after and have spent my entire life in North Carolina, outside of a study abroad semester in Taiwan. I speak fluent Mandarin Chinese and have limited knowledge of Taiwanese (or Hokkien/Fujian dialect). I’ve taken Chinese lessons since I was in kindergarten until college and have studied Chinese literature.
Nowadays, I try to go to Taiwan to see my extended family every few years or so, especially to see my grandparents. Knowing Mandarin is my pride and joy- I frequently use Chinese when helping Chinese patrons at my current library in Apex, North Carolina. I’ve also worked on collection development for our Chinese collection in Wake County, which is one of my proudest professional achievements. I’m very big on embracing my heritage, and I’ve led a Lunar New Year storytime at my library before as well!
What aspects of library work do you find most compelling? Please share some of your professional goals and interests.
I love bringing people together and sharing information, so going down this path is my calling. I’m hoping to improve my reference and instructional services, as well as create lasting relationships with the community I serve. I’m interested in the ethics and applications of artificial intelligence to reference, reader’s advisory, and other library services.
If you’ve got a big move, publication, webinar, conference presentation, or social media presence that you’d like APALA members to know about, let us know here!
I presented a poster in the Educators Session at ALA 2025 about the ethics of ChatGPT and the applications of generative AI for library services! I’m also excited about my new full-time role, as this will be my first full-time job!
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I’m so happy I’ve found my people among APALA. I’ve had the best mentors and experiences with the people I’ve met through this organization.