Welcome to the 2026-2027 APALA Elections! Elections open on Monday, March 2, 2026 (12:00 am Eastern Time) and end on Monday, March 30, 2026 (11:59 PM Eastern Time).
Please vote for Vice President/President Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Member-at-Large (two positions).
Each eligible voting member will receive a ballot via email. Eligible members include active members (Free, Library Support Staff, Life, Personal, Retiree, Student, Unemployed, and Corporate) in good standing on or before March 2, 2026. Institutional members are ineligible to vote.
Thank you to all APALA members willing to serve!
Sincerely,
APALA Nominating Committee
Jaena Rae Cabrera, Ray Pun, and Patty Wong
nominating@apalaweb.org
NOTE: The Constitution & Bylaws Committee considered feedback it received during the open comment period with regard to the proposal to amend the official name of our organization in our Constitution (by removing the slash in “Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association”). After further discussion with the Executive Board, it was decided that more research is needed before it could be ready to be voted on. This proposal will not be included in the 2026-2027 ballot.
President-Elect/Vice President:
- Jamie Kuramaji
Secretary:
- Allison Payne
Treasurer:
- Edward Junhao Lim
Member-at-Large:
- Jenay Dougherty
- Jane Martinez Khaytin
- Selina Sharmin
- Melody Steiner
Candidate Information
President-Elect/Vice President:
Jamie Kurumaji
Jamie Kurumaji is a Supervising Librarian for Fresno County Public Library in California where she oversees 5 branches and a team of 34 staff. Jamie provides leadership and support to her team by centering equity, mentorship, and focusing on creating accessible spaces for underserved communities in the County of Fresno. She emphasizes community-focused programming, continues to build new partnerships with her team, and works together with her librarians to ensure their branches reflect the needs of diverse families and communities. Jamie is also committed to advancing diverse literature and youth services, having served on several literature awards that includes the Geisel Award Selection Committee and the Walter Dean Myers Awards Jury.
Jamie holds a Bachelor’s in Art History from Sonoma State University and a Master’s in Library and Information Science from San José State University. She has been a member of APALA since 2015 and currently is serving a second year with the Literature Awards Committee as a Co-Chair. She was a 2020 ALA Emerging Leader, received the 2022 APALA Rising Star award at JCLC, and participated most recently in the 2025 PLA Leadership Academy. Jamie has served on a variety of APALA committees and remains active in ALA, PLA, ALSC, and ARSL.
Statement of Interest: I am beyond honored to be considered for the role of APALA President-Elect/Vice President. Since the beginning of my library career, APALA has provided me with a sense of belonging and support. In 2016, I served on my first APALA committees – Membership and Picture Books. It was the first time I experienced the importance of having a professional community rooted in shared identity and purpose. In more recent years, I’ve had the opportunity to serve on different committees and as Chair in two literature categories, which has allowed me to grow as a leader.
APALA has grown significantly in recent years, and it is exciting to have new voices, new faces, and new ideas of where the organization can and will go. This organization has both raised and lifted me throughout my career. From sponsoring my time as an ALA Emerging Leader to being recognized as a Rising Star at JCLC 2022, APALA has supported me. Its members have been amazing advocates for one another and this continued action of lifting one another is what continues to draw me to serve.
My vision would be to ensure APALA takes the time to reflect and evaluate its goals so that it is in a position to grow with intention and clarity. We are in a place where now is the time to assess our goals and ensure that our work remains sustainable and member centered. As APALA continues, it is significant that we continue the work to lift the minority voices of Asian American and Pasifika library workers and focus on growing the next set of APALA leaders. It would be an honor to serve APALA and work together with the next set of leaders. Thank you for considering my nomination.
Treasurer
Edward Junhao Lim
Edward Junhao Lim (he/him/his) is the Business & Entrepreneurship Librarian at the University of Connecticut, where he supports the business, economics, and entrepreneurship community.
He currently serves on APALA’s Finance and Fundraising Committee. Beyond APALA, Edward serves on the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) Board and participates in various committees within the ALA Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS). He also contributes to international librarianship by serving on IFLA’s Management of Library Associations Section (MLAS). He is grateful to be part of the 2025 Association of Research Libraries’ Leadership & Career Development Program (ARL LCDP).
As an immigrant from Singapore, he stumbled into a side quest: digitizing the Asian American Forum: Breaking the Silence radio program (1990–1996). In preserving these unique Asian American voices from Connecticut, he secured over $20,000 in donor funding for the project. He is learning APALA’s mission of supporting Asian Pacific American communities while also being a dad to four young children.
Statement of Interest: I care deeply about APALA’s mission and would be honored to serve as Treasurer.
Since September 2024, I have been a part of APALA’s Finance and Fundraising Committee, working alongside the past Treasurer to review financial statements, monitor income and expenditures, and support the association’s fundraising efforts — giving me a clear and current understanding of APALA’s financial operations.
Financial stewardship in professional associations is not new territory for me. I have served as Honorary Treasurer of the Library Association of Singapore (2015–2017), as Treasurer of the CALA Northeast Chapter, and on ALA RUSA’s Budget & Finance Task Force. As a member of CALA’s Public Relations and Fundraising Committee, I was part of a small team directly responsible for raising significant association income through their job postings in 2023–2024.
My EMBA complements this hands-on experience with formal training. And as a business librarian by profession, I spend my days helping researchers and students navigate the business information landscape.
I hope to bring an orientation toward clarity and access for APALA’s financial governance. The etymology of my name, Edward, translates to a guardian of wealth and prosperity.
Secretary
Allison Payne
Allison Payne (she/her) is the ACRL Associate Director, Operations and Strategic Initiatives. Since 2013, Allison has served in governance by supporting the work of the ACRL Board of Directors and ACRL Budget and Finance Committee. She also leads ACRL’s equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives and helps shepherd various projects—including the creation of the joint ALA/ACRL/ARL/PLA Cultural Proficiencies for Racial Equity: A Framework and the assessment and redevelopment of the ACRL Diversity Alliance program.
In 2022, Allison was selected as a participant for the Path to Leadership program, a joint effort sponsored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), with the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) and the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA). Before coming to ACRL, she worked at Kraft Foods Global Research and Development Library and the University of Iowa Libraries’ Preservation Department. As an AmeriCorps member, Allison tutored incarcerated youth and supported adult literacy centers in the greater Chicago area. Since 2019, Allison has been a volunteer team captain for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition’s (NOCC) annual Together in Teal fundraiser. She holds a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Bachelor of Arts in English, with a minor in Psychology, from the University of Iowa.
Statement of Interest: It is an honor to run for election on the APALA Board of Directors. I am interested in running for the Secretary position on the APALA Executive Board due to a desire to give back to the Asian Pacific American Library Community and to help APALA advance its strategic plan. If elected, I would bring thirteen years of governance experience through my work for the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). I would also bring direct experience working to further EDI efforts for academic librarians and library workers due to my role as staff liaison to ACRL’s EDI programs and projects. If elected, it would be a pleasure to serve the Asian Pacific American Library Community during this pivotal time.
Member-at-Large
Jenay Dougherty
Jenay Dougherty is an Undergraduate Engagement Librarian at the University of Iowa. She holds an MLS from Emporia State University’s School of Library and Information Management and a bachelor’s in English from the University of Nebraska. Jenay began her library career as a Diversity Resident Librarian at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. She is engaged with undergraduate student instruction and support and interested in Pacific Islander and Asian engagement and outreach within librarianship. Outside of library work she is on the board of directors of Monsoon: Asians and Pacific Islanders in Solidarity, an Iowa based organization assisting and supporting domestic violence survivors in API communities in Iowa. She lives with her husband and daughter in Iowa City.
Statement of Interest: I would welcome serving on APALA as a member-at-large specifically because I am interested in the projects and work that APALA has done in the past, such as helping with the Lit Awards banquet, making and executing decisions that can help APALA run efficiently as possible. I’ve served on APALA as the past secretary from 2023-2025 and I was able to see first hand how vital members-at-large are to APALA. I have been a member of APALA for nearly 10 years and have served on the President’s program committee, Talk Story committee, and am currently co-chair for Constitution & Bylaws committee and the Picture Books category for the Literature Awards.
Jane Martinez Khaytin
Jane Martinez Khaytin is a Youth and School Services Librarian at the Vernon Area Public Library in Lincolnshire, Illinois. Before entering librarianship, she worked as a Team Leader and Consultant, managing a group of project managers for one of the world’s largest market research firms.
Jane’s passion lies in creating meaningful, art-centered programming for youth and families. Her signature programs—Create Art with Miss Jane, Exploring Great Artists, Winter Card Workshop, and Passport to the World—are beloved by her community. She also leads outreach efforts at the Lake County Juvenile Detention Center, where she conducts step-by-step painting workshops for incarcerated teens ages 14–17. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes joy, individuality, and the creative process, empowering participants of all ages to explore their artistic voice.
Jane holds an MLIS from the University of Central Missouri and a B.A. in Visual Communication from Loyola University Chicago.
Statement of Interest: Thank you for considering my nomination as a Member-at-Large for the APALA Executive Board. I am deeply grateful to be part of such a close-knit, supportive community, and I value the meaningful relationships and experiences APALA has given me.
I served as the 2023–2025 Children’s Literature Chair, working alongside a dedicated committee to vet, review, and select our award winners and honorees. Leading this jury was especially meaningful to me because the selected titles offered the kinds of windows and mirrors I did not have growing up.
I also co-chaired the 2023 Local Arrangements Task Force, where I helped research, plan, negotiate, and execute a highly successful Annual Literature Awards Banquet at MingHin in Chicago, welcoming approximately 175 attendees.
If elected, I will support APALA’s strategic plan and uphold its core values of leadership, social justice, diversity, advocacy, community, and collaboration within librarianship—and specifically within Asian Pacific American librarianship. I am confident that my experience, leadership, and interpersonal strengths will contribute meaningfully to advancing APALA’s mission, vision, and the needs of our members.
I am interested in serving as an Executive Board Member because APALA has been a meaningful professional home for me. The relationships, mentorship, and shared purpose within this community have shaped my growth as a librarian and as a leader. I want to give back by helping strengthen the organization that has supported me, and by contributing to initiatives that uplift Asian Pacific American voices in librarianship.
Selina Sharmin
Selina Sharmin is an Assistant Community Library Manager at the South Jamaica Library, part of Queens Public Library. She holds a Master in Library and Information Science (MLIS) from St. John’s University (2006) and earned a postmaster’s MLS from Queens College in 2009 through a Queens Public Library scholarship, becoming a certified public librarian in the United States. Before immigrating to New York City in 2000, Ms. Sharmin completed a Master in Library and Information Management from Dhaka University in 1997. Born in Bangladesh on November 2, 1973, she has dedicated her career to serving diverse communities through inclusive, accessible, and mission driven librarianship.
Statement of Interest: I am interested in serving as a Member-at-Large for APALA because I believe my skills, experience, and long-standing commitment to professional service can meaningfully support the organization’s mission. I previously served the Ethnic Services Round Table (ESRT) as Curator and as President-Elect for 2019–2020, roles that strengthened my leadership abilities and deepened my understanding of the importance of advocacy and representation in librarianship.
As a current APALA member and Programming Committee member, I have seen firsthand the impact APALA has on advancing equity, uplifting Asian/Pacific American voices, and fostering community within the profession. I would be honored to continue this work at the board level.
I am motivated to join the APALA board to serve and support fellow librarians—especially emerging professionals—so that the next generation can grow, thrive, and lead with confidence. At the same time, I hope to continue developing my own leadership skills and contribute to a community that has inspired me throughout my career.
Melody Steiner
Melody Steiner is a faculty librarian who works at Lorain County Community College in Northeast Ohio, assisting students and faculty with reference questions and collection development. She provides citation assistance, helps with navigating databases, and provides instruction on finding sources. Prior to her time in Ohio, Melody spent ten years living in Seattle and graduated from the University of Washington’s iSchool in 2011 with an MLIS. Outside of work, she enjoys hobbies such as writing, reading and critiquing manuscripts in her writing group, and supporting the varied artistic and creative endeavors of her family members. Occasionally, she teaches research courses for Writing the Other and is currently writing a book about research for creative writers.
Statement of Interest: I would like to contribute more to APALA and currently I am on a jury committee for awards. Member at large seems like it is a good starting point for contributing with some committee liaison responsibilities.