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    Catherine Hakala-Ausperk headshot

    Catherine Hakala-Ausperk

    School of Information
    Instructor
    Campus:
    Kent
    Contact Information
    Email:
    chakala@kent.edu
    Personal Website: Catherine Hakala-Ausperk

    Biography

    Catherine Hakala-Ausperk is a librarian, author, speaker and trainer with over 35-years of experience in everything from direct customer service to library management and administration. A '78 (BA) and '91 (MLIS) graduate of Kent State, she is the owner and principal of Libraries Thrive Consulting (librariesthrive.com). In addition to being an Adjunct Instructor at the iSchool, Catherine also teaches for the American Library Association’s Certified Public Library Administrator (CPLA) Program, The Public Library Association, ALA’s eLearning Solutions, the Urban Library Council, Infopeople and multiple other organizations. An active speaker, planner and trainer in libraries across the country, she is the author of seven books published by The American Library Association: Be a Great Boss: One Year to Success (2011); Build a Great Team: One Year to Success (2013); Renew Yourself: A Six-Step Plan for More Meaningful Work (2017); and a unique series of “Leadership Planners,” including Future-Proof Your Team (2019); Win ‘Em Over (2019); Dynamic Discipline (2019), and Hot Ticket Meetings (2020). Her eighth book, Do-It-Yourself Leadership: A Field Guide to Today's Soft Skills for the Library Workplace, is scheduled for release in 2021. Also in 2021, Build a Great Team: One Year to Success will have the honor of being the first book published by ALA to be selected for re-release nationally as Build Great Teams by trade publisher Sourcebooks. In 2015, she was honored as the iSchool's Alumnus of the Year. Catherine’s passion is for supporting, coaching and developing great libraries, successful teams, and – especially – strong and effective leaders.

    *The School of Information faculty are superstars in the field. Therefore, it is impossible to list all of the work they do on one page. Listed below is a small selection of Catherine Hakala-Ausperk’s work. Further information can be viewed in her resume on her personal website or in her interview on Library Leadership Podcast.


    Teaching

    Academic Program
    Library and Information Science

    Courses
    LIS 60040    Information Institutions and Professions 
    LIS 60608    The Public Library
    LIS 60610     Management of Libraries & Information Centers
    LIS 60614     Selection & Acquisition


    Selected Publications

    Hakala-Ausperk, C. (2013). Grants and the grant writing process. In D. L. Velasquez (Ed.),  Library management 101: A practical guide. ALA Editions. ISBN: 978-0838911488

    Hakala-Ausperk, C. (2011). Waking up the neighborhood: Partnerships with local businesses and art communities. In K. Ellis (Ed.), Partnerships and collaborations in public library communities: Resources and solutions. IGI Global. ISBN: 978-1613503874 https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-61350-387-4

    Hakala-Ausperk, C. (2010, April). Invest in yourself. American Libraries, 41(4), 51-53. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/20700466

    Hakala-Ausperk, C. (2010). Reaching little heights. In B. Diamant-Cohen (Ed.), Children’s services: Partnerships for success. ALA Editions. ISBN: 978-0838910443


    Awards/Achievements

    • Kent State University’s iSchool Alumnus of the Year (2015)
    • Certified Public Library Administrator (ALA) (2010 - Present)
    • Career Development Facilitator (National Career Development Association) (2015)

    Professional Service

    • Editor of “By the Book,” professional review column in Public Libraries Magazine (2003 - Present)
    • Board Member of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Learning Roundtable (2017 - 2020)
    • President of Kent State University’s iSchool Alumni Network (2018 - 2019)
    • Served on the ALA-APA Certification Review Committee (2012 - 2015)
    • Served on the State Library of Ohio LSTA Advisory Council (2010 - 2013)
    • Served on the Public Library Association (PLA) Conference Committee (2011 - 2013)

    Affiliations

    • American Library Association (ALA)
    • Public Library Association (PLA)

    Education

    M.L.S. from Kent State University
    B.A. in News-Editorial Journalism from Kent State University
    CPLA from the American Library Association

    News Stories

    Catherine Hakala-Ausperk – Alumni/Faculty Spotlight (by iSchool Graduate Student Advisory Council),
    School of Information

    Street Address

    314 University Library, 1125 Risman Drive, Kent, OH 44242-0001


    Mailing Address

    800 E. Summit St.
    Kent, OH 44242

    Contact Us

    330-672-2782 iSchool@kent.edu
    Contact Us
    • 330-672-3000
    • info@kent.edu

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