Patty Wong

Patricia "Patty" Wong is the city librarian of Santa Clara, California. Wong was the president of the American Library Association (ALA) for the 2021–2022 term and is the first Asian American president of the ALA. She has been on the faculty at the San Jose State University iSchool since 2006, teaching subjects such as equitable access to library services, library management, and library services to young people.

Early life and education

Patricia Mei-Yung Wong was born and raised in San Francisco, California; she is Chinese American and a fourth generation Californian.

Career in librarianship

Wong began her career as a children's librarian at the Oakland Public Library, developing programming for six different branches. She arranged multiple visits to elementary schools and worked to create partnerships between the library and local churches and other community organizations.

In 2017 she was named the Director of Library Services for the Santa Monica Public Library. In that role, she oversaw the SMPL central location and four neighborhood branches.

Wong has been a part-time faculty at the San Jose State University School of Information since 2006, where she has taught courses on grant writing, management, and library services to young people.

She has held many leadership roles in the American Library Association, including multiple terms on the ALA Executive Board and as an at-large councilor for ALA Council, as well as chairing the ALA Budget Analysis and Review Committee. In April 2020, Wong was elected ALA 2021–2022 president, and she has since completed her term. She was the first Asian American president of the ALA.

Awards and honors

California State Senator Lois Wolk selected Wong as the 5th State Senate district's 2009 Woman of the Year, citing her dedication to improving library access.

Wong was recognized for her work on diversity issues at the California State Library and her mentorship of MLIS students at San Jose State University in 2012 when she was presented with the American Library Association Equality Award

Additional awards Joint Conference of Librarians of Color Advocacy Award, 2006 Distinguished Service Award by the Chinese American Librarians Association, 2015