2009 Eureka! Leadership Institute: Wen Wen Zhang

I have been working for the County of Los Angeles Public Library since I received my Master Degree in Library and Information Science in 2002. Over these years, I have enjoyed doing a variety of jobs as different positions such as a Children's Librarian, Reference Librarian, Asian Pacific Resource Center Librarian and Library Manager, and have gained much hands-on experience in the fields of customer services, reference services and library management. Recently I have been appointed as the Acting Community Library Manager of a large regional library at West Covina.

As a life-time member of the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA), I have been actively involved serving on the Southern California Chapter Board as a President for 2007, Vice President for 2006, Event Coordinator for 2004 and 2005 and Membership Chair for 2003. I currently serve as Chair for the CALA Mentorship Program Committee and a member of the Conference Travel Grant Committee. My other enjoyable CALA experience includes serving as Chair for the Mentorship Program Committee for 2008/09, a committee member of ALA CALA Annual Award Banquet Local Arrangement Committee for 2008, Publication Committee for 2006 and Sally C. Tseng's Professional Development Grant AD Hoc Committee for 2005, and a Co-Master of Ceremony for the ALA CALA Annual Award Banquet 2008 and CLA CALA Chinese Banquet 2006. I have a B.A. degree in English Language and Literature from Shanghai Teachers University. In my teaching career, I taught English as a second language in a college for two years and a high school for six years.

My husband Robert and I are originally from Shanghai and came to the States twenty years ago. Our son Bobby, also born in Shanghai, is now a graduate student pursuing his PhD in chemical engineering. We are very happy that Bobby is engaged to Daisy, a beautiful and sweet girl. In my spare time, I enjoy listening to music, playing the piano, and traveling with my family. I also like sports. I take a yoga class at present and swim regularly to keep fit.

I feel enormously honored to be selected to attend the Eureka! Leadership Institute. Eureka! will be an excellent opportunity for me to gain accelerated management experience. I am very excited and look forward to meeting everyone at Eureka! and obtaining knowledge and experience from other library leaders that will benefit me, my library and my community.