Katie Day – Committee Chair – is an international school teacher-librarian in Singapore.  An American expatriate for over 37 years, she has an undergraduate degree in Russian civilization, a master’s degree in children’s literature from the UK, and teaching and master of library and information science degrees via Australia. Currently president of the Singapore International School Librarian Network, she has been heavily involved in the development and management of the Red Dot Book Awards in Singapore and the Siam Book Awards in Thailand, as well as the Neev Book Award in India. Katie has also lived in Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and the UK, and was a month-long guest curator on the Global Literature in Libraries Initiative blog for the UN #SDGLitMonth in March 2021 and for #IndiaKidLitMonth in September 2022. Twitter: @librarianedge

Angela Erickson – Committee Member – is a former head of Middle School English who currently works as the Head of Libraries at United World College in Singapore. She is interested in how educational leadership, curriculum design and workshop pedagogy can be integrated to create a school culture of reading, thinking and writing. For the past few years, she has been working to create systems to articulate classroom and departmental libraries with the central school libraries to support the needs of all readers. She currently teaches one section of “The Imperfect Art of Living” for the Innovation Academy Online. When she is not reading, Angie enjoys teaching yoga, thru-hiking, and playing the cello badly (to the consternation of her next-door neighbors).

Nick Stember – Committee Member – is a historian and translator of Chinese literature and popular culture who recently defended his PhD dissertation on ‘pulp science’ in early Reform-era (1976-1986) comic books at the University of Cambridge. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the National Museum of Denmark, studying visual depictions of Daoist self-cultivation in comics, animations, video games, and other transmedia adaptations of xianxia or ‘immortal fantasy.’

Vicky Smith – Committee Member – For 13 years, Vicky Smith was the young readers’ editor of Kirkus Reviews, where covering books in translation was one of her priorities, before becoming access services director at Portland (Maine) Public Library three years ago. She has recently served as chair of USBBY’s Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award nominating committee and is looking forward to continuing her engagement with international children’s and YA literature with GLLI.

Terry Hong – Committee Member – currently reviews books for various publications including Booklist, Library Journal, School Library Journal, Shelf Awareness, and Christian Science Monitor. She created BookDragon, an extensive book blog originally for the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, where she was media arts consultant for eight years. She was an inaugural advisor and writer wrangler for Girl Rising, a global action campaign highlighting girls’ education. She taught for two years in Duke University’s Leadership in the Arts, a New York City-based performance and public policy program. She co-authored two books, Eastern Standard Time: A Guide to Asian Influence on American Culture from Astro Boy to Zen Buddhism and What Do I Read Next? Multicultural Literature. She’s served/chaired various award committees, including USBBY’s Outstanding International Books, Hans Christian Andersen Award U.S. nominations, We Need Diverse Books’ Walter Awards, and the Audies. She holds literature degrees from Dartmouth College and Yale University.

Anthony Tilke – Committee Member – spent 25 interesting years in international schools and 40 overall in libraries and information science. His doctoral thesis (Charles Sturt University, Australia) examined international school library impact on the IB Diploma Programme (DP), which was accepted without amendment. This inspired the writing of his book, The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program and the School Library: Inquiry-Based Education, and various academic articles. An accredited IB workshop leader, he has contributed ideas and content for IB documentation, including the IB Ideal Libraries project, and curriculum review for the Extended Essay. He has been school/youth library adviser for the then Library Association, in London, and a background as teacher, school and public librarian. Involved with various book awards, he especially treasures memories of being a judge for the UK Carnegie Medal. User perception of school libraries and library design are interests, plus the host culture concept, in which translated literature contribute to strategies for collection development. Twitter: @DPlibrarian

Frances Sims-Williams – Committee Member – is a bookseller, a small-time bookstagrammer, and a great lover of books – particularly of the fantastical variety. She has an undergraduate degree in Classical Studies from the University of Wales, Lampeter, and a postgraduate diploma in the same subject from the University of St. Andrews, where the focus of her studies was on Classical languages and literature. She can most often be found on Instagram (@nightjarreads), where she likes to chat about all the books she’s reading (or planning to read), and leaves the occasional review.

Becky Blackburn – Adjunct Committee Member

Becky (she/her) is thrilled to be a committee adjunct member of GLLI! With a strong foundation in media and library sciences, she has a knack for creating engaging learning experiences as a programming librarian. Outside of her professional life, Becky is a passionate reader and lifelong learner who loves to bake, craft, and quilt. This blend of creativity and dedication to education makes her a champion for literacy and cultural awareness. She can’t wait to bring her skills and enthusiasm to the GLLI community, fostering a love of learning in others!