Jessi West Zumwalt is a Senior Library Assistant working in public libraries in the Pacific Northwest. She holds a Masters in Library and Information Science (MLIS) from the University of Washington iSchool. She currently works in adult services developing and coordinating community programs, facilitating outreach efforts, and creating informational materials.

Jessi has experience providing a wide variety programming including: storytimes for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, book clubs, guided crafts, game days, continuing education lectures, and passive engagement opportunities for library patrons. She has also worked to further library goals by creating diverse collection booklists, writing programming procedures, nurturing local partnerships, and managing interlibrary loans. She volunteers monthly with local nonprofit Salem Capital Pride offering a Queer Silent Book Club at local coffee shops and parks.

Jessi feels strongly that representation and accessibility must be central values within any public service and are especially important in services promoting information access. She applies a diversity, equity and inclusion lens to her work, striving to ensure that public library services promote full-community engagement. Her favorite part of working in libraries is the opportunity to constantly imagine new ways of engaging in community service and development.

Library work offers the unique combination of creative and intellectual pursuit, while also providing the opportunity to support people directly and the balance between these two aspects of librarianship is where Jessi thrives. She wants to provide communities with safe places to pursue knowledge and connection and plans to continue working in public libraries.