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Our Team
ELLEN
WILLIAMS
ELLEN WILLIAMS
she/her
Director of Community Engagement and Education
Ellen is a research and literacy expert with almost a decade in public libraries and higher education. She excels at looking at data to inform program, organization, and family outcomes. She holds a firm belief in equity in education and anti-racist education for all. Working within cross-sector partnerships and networks, she holds up ecosystems that support child, family, and youth development. She believes that knowledge is power. As a white, cis-gendered woman, she acknowledges her privilege and the space she occupies in fields dedicated to diversity.
Ellen is a PhD student in Language, Literacy, and Culture in the College of Education at University of Massachusetts Amherst and is focusing her research on diversity in public systems like libraries. In addition to a bachelor’s degree in Art History from University of Massachusetts Amherst, Ellen holds a masters degree in library and information science from Simmons University. She has instructed courses on multicultural children’s literature, multicultural education, and social issues in children’s literature.
In 2018, Ellen was charged with extensive work in leading Springfield City Library’s Strategic Planning Committees. Additionally, she earned credentials as an EXCITE Collaborative Innovator and EXCITE Innovation Designer Specialist Certification from Innovation Builders.
