The Speakers

Jennifer Cummings

Andrea Warkentin

Alice Faye Duncan

Hannah Duron

Jennifer Cummings

Jennifer Cummings, Youth Services Manager at Frisco Public Library, has worked in youth services in public libraries for 23 years. She earned her Master’s degree in Library Science at Texas Woman’s University. She lives in Denton with her husband, 12-year-old daughter, and three glorious cats.

Andrea Warkentin

I'm a Youth Services Librarian at Round Rock Public Library. I've presented the toddler storytimes for 14 years, and it's my favorite role at the library, which is saying a lot. I also get to take care of our library's pet ball python, Rocksssanne.

Alice Faye Duncan

Alice Faye Duncan is a National Board Library Media Special and Award Winning Children's Author.

Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop received a Coretta Scott King Honor Medal in 2019. Yellow Dog Blues was a New York Times Best Illustrated Picture Book in 2022. In the Fall of 2023, Alice was featured on Good Morning America to speak about children, grief, and the solace found in her recent book, This Train is Bound for Glory. Her Juneteenth book, OPAL LEE AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE FREE is a bestseller, having sold 100,000 copies since January 2022. Alice Faye Duncan resides in the city of Memphis, Tennessee.

Hannah Duron

Hannah Duron is a Children’s/Youth Services Librarian at a small public library in central Texas. A graduate of Brown University and the University of North Texas, Hannah came to working with children and young people through teaching dance lessons as a teenager and young adult. As one of seven staff members at the Hutto Public Library, she wears many hats, including doing story times for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, creating programming for elementary age children and teens, and managing teen volunteers. In the past Hannah has worked as a Library Aide, Library Assistant, Library Technician, and a certified public and charter school teacher.

Sara Shepard

Sara Shepard is the CATS (Children’s and Teen Services) Manager at Baker & Taylor for the Western United States. She is proud to have gotten the chance to work at Houston Public Library for 14 years, working her way up through Youth Services before coming to Baker & Taylor. She received an MLS and Youth Services Certificate from University of North Texas, was a member of TALL Texans, and has been active with TLA’s CRT. She lives in Houston Texas with her husband, 6-year-old daughter, two cats (named Duncan and Long Noodles), and two dogs (Peso and Lucy).

Theresa Faris

Theresa Faris has been working in libraries for more than 25 years. She received her MLIS from UT Austin and started her career in Temple. From there, she became a children’s librarian at Round Rock Public Library, was promoted to Collection Development and Technical Services Manager, and then got her dream job of becoming Youth Services Manager. She has enjoyed this role for the last 10 years. She believes in promoting literacy, displaying empathy, and taking long naps on the weekends.

Kassandra Gaither

My name is Kassandra Urdiales Gaither and I am the Public Services Manager at the Aubrey Area Library (since January 2022).

I am originally from San Antonio, TX, but have lived in the DFW area for almost 10 years. I have a bachelor's degree from UNT in Speech Pathology and Audiology with minor concentrations in Applied Behavior Analysis and Child Development. I am currently in my Master of Library Science Program at TWU. I am a wife, mother, and lover of Thai food, murder mysteries, and the fall season.

Kelsey Sidwell

Originally a native Ohioan, Kelsey Sidwell (she/her) earned her master’s degree in library science from the University of North Texas in 2018, and has a bachelor’s degree in English from Ohio University. She has been the teen services librarian at the Smith Public Library in Wylie, TX for six years, and has been working in libraries for well over a decade. She presented at YALSA 2021 on empathy and de-escalation in teen services, and worked with the South Dakota State Library as a part of their annual Public Library Institute in 2022. She currently lives with her wife and cats in McKinney, TX.

Leah Mayo

Leah is responsible for coordinating the outreach services for the seniors in their local community and manages the home delivery of library materials to patrons who are unable to visit the library themselves. She also heads up the Young Adult Department (ages 11-17), which includes planning and facilitating teen programming, developing and maintaining the YA collection, and creating a welcoming and fun environment for the teens who come into the library. Although she began her career without formal education in librarianship, she has since earned her Master’s in Library Science from the University of North Texas and is excited to help encourage a love of literacy and lifelong learning with the teens and seniors of their lovely community!

Kristin Phillips

With 19 years of experience in education, I have dedicated my career to fostering a love for reading and learning in diverse communities. My journey began as a teacher, where I discovered the transformative power of literacy. As a librarian and later as a district lead librarian, I honed my skills in curriculum development, program implementation, and community engagement. As the director of Hutto Public Library, I am committed to creating inclusive spaces that inspire curiosity and creativity. I believe libraries are vital hubs for information, culture, and community connection.

Sue Kuentz

Sue excites and connects to family and adult audiences by taking them on journeys through her multicultural folktales, fairy tales, urban legends, and personal stories from around the world. Using words, music, puppetry, and even string figures, she engages active participation among listeners, mesmerizing the audiences. Sue's storytelling passion and energy originated from her 32 years as an elementary teacher and librarian in San Antonio. She has been a featured regional teller at the Texas Storytelling Festival as well as entertaining young and old audiences in schools, libraries, festivals, and conferences throughout Texas such as the Grand Kids Fest in Galveston, the Texas Library Association Conference, and the Texas Storytelling Festival. Sue enjoys preparing performances and workshops based on the wants and needs of the client such as summer reading programs and curricular connections. As a frequent presenter of workshops on integrating storytelling into the classrooms and libraries, Sue’s residencies have motivated schools and libraries to insert storytelling into their programs empowering all to find their own voices. She is the 2023 recipient of TSA’s John Henry Faulk Award and the 2016 recipient of the Colson-Herndon Storytelling in Education Award. www.door2lore.com

Mac Barnett

Mac Barnett is a New York Times bestselling author whose books have been translated into more than thirty languages. His picture books include two Caldecott Honor–winning collaborations with Jon Klassen: Sam & Dave Dig a Hole and Extra Yarn. Among his other popular books are I Love You Like a Pig, illustrated by Greg Pizzoli, and The Magic Word, illustrated by Elise Parsley. He lives in Oakland, California. You can visit him online at macbarnett.com.

Shawn Harris

Shawn Harris’s first illustrated book, Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers, received seven starred reviews, was an Orbis Pictus Award Honor Book, an ALA Notable, and a PW Best Book of the Year. His other picture books include Eggers's What Can a Citizen Do, which was a Time Magazine Best Children’s Book, Everyone’s Awake by Colin Meloy, A Polar Bear in the Snow by Mac Barnett, and his own author-illustrated works Have You Ever Seen a Flower? and Doing Business. Harris also occasionally moonlights as singer-songwriter of the popular Oakland, California, band the Matches, whose early 2000s album art sparked his illustration career.

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