Leo S. Lo

I am a change agent, a creative problem solver and a motivator. I challenge conventional thinking as the Research & Development Librarian at Kansas State University Libraries, where I develop new products, programs and services.

I am also a specialist in cultural diversity, and I am passionate about recruiting and retaining talented students and professionals from underrepresented groups for the library, the university, and the library profession. I belive that in order to solve complex problems facing my profession, we need people with diverse ways of thinking.

My research includes the theory and practice of screenwriting and film, the use of narrative in education, communication, and leadership; and library assessment. I have authored publications on information literacy, distance education, narrative structure in learning and communication, and diversity in librarianship. I have also presented nationally and internationally on film and screenplay studies. I am currently pursuing a PhD in Sensory Analysis and Consumer Evaluation, and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Statistics at Kansas State University.

An active member of the American Libraries Association (ALA) since 2007, I was selected as an ALA Emerging Leader in 2010. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) (2010 - 2013), a division of ALA, I chaired the association's Diversity Task Force (2010 - 2011), and serve as a member of the LL&M Editorial Board (2011-2013). I have held leadership roles in ALA’s New Members Round Table (NMRT), and co-founded the LLAMA/NMRT New Leaders Discussion Group, and the LLAMA/NMRT Joint Committee on Collaboration.