Letter from the Executive Director by Brett Bonfield

I have the pleasure of sharing important, exciting news. In the next few weeks, we are adding two full-time employees, Katy White as NJLA’s Associate Director and Alicia Gough as NJLA’s Office Manager.

Katy has served libraries throughout her 25-year career, first as Program Officer at Friends of Libraries USA (now United for Libraries, a division of ALA), followed by her library service consultant roles at Baker & Taylor and Gale, and most recently at Brodart, as director of Marketing and Product Development for McNaughton Subscription Services. 

Katy will work closely with NJLA's individual and institutional members throughout the year to ensure they are getting the most from their NJLA membership, especially their involvement in NJLA sections. She will also help ensure that NJLA's Annual Conference and other professional development activities meet library staff members' evolving needs. "I spent 15 years consulting with libraries across New Jersey, getting to know staff members at every level of the organization so I could understand their workflows and needs," Katy told me. "I'm eager to support NJLA members in this challenging yet exciting time for libraries."   

Katy lives with her husband and son in Plainsboro, where she serves as Secretary for the Library Board of Trustees.   

Alicia Gough has been an integral part of the NJLA team since 2021, where she began serving as NJLA’s Web and Tech Specialist. Her diverse background includes positions as a personal assistant, graphic designer, web designer, researcher, production assistant, and booking agent. She has a bachelor’s degree from Stockton University. 

Beyond her professional commitments, Alicia is an active volunteer with Camden County LandSAR (Search and Rescue) and the Camden County Community Emergency Response Team. Her hobbies include yoga, rucking, cooking, and video games.   

NJLA has maintained a spare staffing mode for quite some time, so having three full-time employees represents a significant increase in our capacity to serve your needs. This is made possible, and also necessitated, by our dramatic membership increase over the past 18 months. My hope is that we will continue to add more staff in order to provide you with the resources, structure, and opportunities you expect from your statewide professional association.

Brett Bonfield is NJLA Executive Director as of March 20, 2023. He has worked in libraries since 2006, including 11 years as the director of two public libraries in NJ. Most recently, Brett served as the Chief Operating Officer at the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library. Brett has held leadership positions in nonprofits and library organizations including NJLA, the American Library Association, Public Library Association, Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, and OhioNet. Brett received his MS in Library and Information Science from Drexel University.