Jessie successfully defended her dissertation “Examining the Experiences of Black Teens in Public Libraries” in May 2026 at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. Her research interests include Black teens in public library spaces, critical frameworks for teen librarianship, and the ways we teach future librarians work with all youth. She is also a reviewer for The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books. Jessie will join the faculty at Pratt Institute’s School of Information as an Assistant Professor in Fall 2026.
Youth Librarianship | Public Libraries | Critical Race Theory | Critical Youth Studies | Epistemic Justice | Social Justice | Librarian Education | Youth Literature | Critical Theory
Jessie Mae Maimone 