My Librarian: Erika

I’m originally from Northern Virginia, and, after bouncing around through Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Tennessee, I somehow ended up back in Virginia, where I’ve been working as a youth librarian and teen specialist for CRRL since 2021.

As a teen librarian, I read a lot of young adult and middle grade books in search of good recommendations for the middle and high school age range. I love all sorts of stories and read across most genres and formats (cross-genre books tend to be my favorites), but I do tend to not read quite as much historical nonfiction or fiction (unless I'm trying to fall asleep) or horror (unless I never want to sleep again). I’m always on the lookout for great books that don’t involve romance–they can be surprisingly hard to find, especially in the teen section–as well as books that center BIPOC and LGBTQ+ characters. This job has also given me an ever-growing appreciation for graphic novels, and I’ve recently begun to explore manga, thanks in large part to the library’s Teen Anime & Manga Club crowd.

Outside of work, I enjoy reading cat literature with my dog (he’s a cat person), as well as translated fiction, short stories, and nonfiction about plants, animals, and food! I’m also active in APALA (Asian Pacific American Librarians Association) and have read a fair amount of Asian diaspora and Pacific Islander literature while serving on juries for APALA’s literature awards. All that said, I always have fun helping someone find a book they will enjoy, so whatever your reading preferences may be, I would love to help you find your next read.