Kathleen Roberts, the school librarian at Rivers Edge Elementary School, is among 56 librarians from across the country that were selected by the American Library Association (ALA) as an "Emerging Leader." In addition, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) selected Roberts as an Emerging Leader they will sponsor.

“Kathleen is the ultimate professional, a librarian extraordinaire, with boundless energy, enthusiasm, and creativity,” said Ann Martin, the educational specialist for Library Services. “She is a strong leader, purposeful innovator, goal-oriented, and a collaborator.”

The ALA Emerging Leaders (EL) Program is a leadership development program that identifies a select group of librarians from across the country to network with peers face-to-face and online in order to problem solve real issues in the library profession. The outcome is to provide Emerging Leaders with an opportunity to be placed on the fast track in the library profession.

Roberts came to Henrico as a Virginia Association of School Librarians (VaASL) Dickinson Scholar. She is a member of the VaASL Board, is the Scholarships & Awards Chair, 2011-2012, and Annual Conference Author and Awards Banquet Chair, 2012. She regularly attends and presents at conferences, and is an ALA and AASL member who brings energy to any endeavor. Roberts is currently serving on the AASL Best Apps Task Force, 2012 and is included in the May/June 2012 Knowledge Quest, “Quotes on Caring.”