[nfbwatlk] Announcement of New WTBBL Director

[Mike Freeman]

April 18, 2008



Secretary of State Sam Reed and State Librarian Jan Walsh have appointed 
Danielle H. M. King as the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library 
Program Manager, effective April 28, 2008.



King has a Master of Library & Information Science degree from the 
University of Washington, where she has also completed doctoral course 
work in Information Science.



King is currently employed as the Access Services Manager at the 
University of Washington's Odegaard Library. She is passionate about her 
commitment to public service, intellectual freedom, and library outreach 
activities. She is looking forward to being an advocate for the WTBBL 
and working with community stakeholders and leaders to define a new 
vision.



The appointment of King coincides with the transition of the Washington 
Talking Book & Braille Library from the Seattle Public Library to the 
Washington State Library, a division of the Office of Secretary of 
State. The Washington State Library will assume direct administration 
and operation of the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library effective 
July 1, 2008.



In anticipation of the transition, Gloria Leonard, the current WTTBL 
Director and an employee of the Seattle Public Library, has decided to 
retire at the end of year. She will be assisting with the transition of 
operations to the State until June 30, 2008. She became director of the 
Washington Talking Book & Braille Library in 2002 and describes her six 
years of working with the National Library Service for the Blind and 
Physically Handicapped headquarters and network libraries as the most 
rewarding part of her 36-year career as a librarian.  We thank Gloria 
for her years of dedicated service to the WTBBL and her many 
accomplishments.



Effective April 28, 2008, Ms. King can be contacted at the Washington 
Talking Book and Braille Library at (206) 615-1588 or 
dking at secstate.wa.gov.