I’m Gina, and I’m joining you from San Ramon in the East Bay. I’m the mom of four grown kids. My youngest is a first-year college student, and my older three are grown and flown to Austin, TX, Atlanta, GA, and Madison, WI. Career-wise, I’m a former middle school English teacher hoping to transition into a career in either a public or community college library.

I enrolled in The Hyperlinked Library because it came highly recommended by members of one of my Facebook groups as a favorite class in the MLIS program. At the time, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but I imagined we’d discuss topics like AI and other emerging technologies—all things interested in learning more about. (As someone who grew up using card catalogs in the library, it’s amazing to see how far we’ve come—and how much there still is to discover!) While I’m excited to explore new technologies, I’m also pleased to see books like The Heart of Librarianship and Whole-Hearted Librarianship on the syllabus. With the growing pushback against DEI initiatives, I’ve been reflecting on how libraries can remain champions of inclusivity and create welcoming spaces for everyone. I’m excited to see how these topics come together and can’t wait to dive into the semester ahead!