Category Archives: MLIS Alumni

A Lifetime of Library Joy with Mychal Threets 

Librarian Mychal Threets smiling and wearing a t-shirt that reads “Bans Off Our Books"

“I love libraries. I owe libraries everything. I’m alive today because of library people.”

Mychal Threets (MLIS ’18) is a librarian, author, and the new host of Reading Rainbow.

Long before he became a viral voice for libraries – before the TikTok followers, national speaking tours and hosting the reboot of Reading Rainbow – Mychal Threets was your quintessential library kid.

Homeschooled throughout his youth, Threets spent much of his childhood in public libraries — a constant, comforting presence that shaped his sense of belonging. “Libraries were always a home away from home,” he says. “For me, that’s ultimately what led to me choosing libraries as a career, as a pathway.”

His professional path into librarianship began as a shelver for his local library in Solano County, CA, where he continued to work while earning his MLIS from San Jose State with a concentration in Youth Services. He knew from early in his career that he wanted to work with kids, and also that he enjoyed doing library outreach. Through his work, he strove to raise awareness about library programs and instill in young people the same sense of safety and possibility that libraries had given him.

An Online Champion for Libraries

Threets is widely known for his personal TikToks, which he started filming during the height of the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, but he had been doing social media and online marketing for his library long before that. His skills were crucial for raising public awareness about the library services still available during the lockdown. The community “didn’t know that we had musical instrument collections, board game collections, video game collections – all these things to help them with their loneliness, with the isolation.”

Spreading the word about libraries quickly spilled over from his professional world and into his personal TikTok account, where he began posting regularly about literacy, books, library resources and finding community through a love of reading.

Threets always viewed social media more as a tool for library workers than a replacement or substitute for library spaces. Whether posting on his own account or on behalf of the library, “going viral is not the point,” he stresses. “The point is to get the information out there,” and encourage the community to come to the library and engage with library programs. 

Advocating for Literacy and Freedom to Read

Threets’ enthusiasm for libraries and passion for celebrating the LIS community motivate his work as a vocal advocate for libraries and the people who keep them running. From championing library services on social media to speaking out against book bans, Threets uses his platform to defend the freedom to read — and to remind the public that libraries are for everyone. 

“I get to talk to New York Library people, Arkansas Library people, Texas Library people, Florida Library people, and on and on, and just amplify the wonderful things that they’re doing,” he says. 

Librarian Mychal Threets sitting and reading a picture book to a small child.

From his time as a librarian to his new role on TV, Threets has always loved working with youth.

The Joy of Working with Kids

Even as his advocacy work and public profile have expanded, Threets has never forgotten his first passion: working with youth. “Once a children’s librarian, always a children’s librarian,” he says.

Remembering his years working with young children, Threets insists that “I learned from those library kids way more than they ever learned from me.” Children’s openness—the way they name what they feel and find comfort in doing so—reminds him that libraries are spaces where emotions, questions, and wonder all belong. “Kids still have their worries and struggles, but they’re not jaded like adults. They notice the little things”

During storytimes, which he hosted several times a week, Threets encouraged participation and curiosity by allowing kids to interrupt and ask questions – even if he was in the middle of reading. “If a kid wants to engage, it means they’re paying attention. It means they’re interested,” he explains. “Let’s embrace that.”  

Bringing His Worlds Together – Reading Rainbow and Beyond

As the new host of Reading Rainbow, Threets has the opportunity to share and combine his passions on a national stage. The show is an incredible platform for simultaneously teaching key literacy skills, demystifying the library experience, and engaging young audiences with important issues such as intellectual freedom and equity. 

His experience as a youth librarian has taught him not to shy away from engaging kids in big and sometimes heavy topics. In fact, some of the most inspiring activists he has met have been kids: “I’ve been on panels with kids talking about banned books [and] fighting for their right to read,” he shares. “They’re just so powerful, and they care so much. […] kids are spreading the word. They’re telling their classmates” to fight censorship. 

Threets is also excited for the upcoming release of his picture book, “I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy” (Random House, 2026), illustrated by Lorraine Nam.  One of several book projects in the works, the story centers on the bond between a young kid and a friendly, welcoming librarian, teaching kids practical skills such as how to get a library card while also encouraging a love of books and reading.

Advice for Early Career Librarians

To current MLIS students, Threets offers practical advice to get their start in the LIS field. While finding one’s professional footing can be trying, Threets reminds students that the only place to start is at the beginning: by getting a foot in the door through an entry-level job or volunteer work. Not only can this open doors to opportunities for progressing up the ranks of library work, it is also an invaluable learning time and a chance to explore different interest areas.

As an iSchool alum, Threets also speaks directly to the student experience – Although he himself sped through the Master’s program, he advises other students not to follow his lead but rather to concentrate on using their time in school to focus on enjoying their learning and making strong connections with their peers. 

“Library people are always reliant on one another,” he says – and school is a crucial time to start building those relationships.

Building Community with iSchool Alum Tina Lerno

A headshot of Tina Lerno

Tina Lerno, SJSU MLIS Class of 2012, Los Angeles, CA

“Students may be saying ‘What am I doing? Is AI just going to take over the library world?’ and I, of course, say no.” 

Tina Lerno, recently named the California Library Association’s (CLA) 2025 Member of the Year, is a community-builder and champion for librarians.

A graduate of the San José State MLIS program, Ms. Lerno has been a Librarian for the Los Angeles Public Library for nearly 10 years. She works on the digital content team to maintain the library website, enhance site functionality and create compelling outreach materials to connect with the community and encourage library patronage. Having previously worked in animation, she draws on her artistic background to design engaging online content for everything from special library events, service announcements and community initiatives such as cultural heritage months and library advocacy. 

Ms. Lerno likewise contributes her design skills to CLA, where she has designed the annual conference t-shirt and other celebratory swag. This bridge between her professional lives speaks to the power of her work with CLA, which she first joined in search of community and guidance as she navigated a significant career change and sought to find her footing in the LIS field. Because of her involvement in CLA, she says she “never felt that alone” in SJSU’s remote learning environment.

CLA connected Ms. Lerno with inspirational mentors, facilitated professional connections and gave her opportunities to foster community spaces that she was not seeing elsewhere. She has been a leading figure in building thriving CLA interest groups, helped develop the CLA conference 5-Minute Mentoring sessions, and has been a vital member of the organization’s Membership Committee. 

Tina Lerno holds a large sign for the CLA Membership Committee

Tina Lerno has been a vital presence on the CLA Membership Committee.

Mentorship, Leadership and the Human Side of Librarianship

Lerno’s commitment to mentoring early-career librarians extends to her work at LAPL, where she works with the Take the Lead program to support library staff training, skill-building, and leadership development.

At first, Ms. Lerno says she was not confident that she had the experience or qualifications to offer guidance. But she realized that being a good mentor was not about having a specific credential or accolade, but rather about facilitating connections: “You just have to know a little bit more than they do, and then say ‘here, let me introduce you…’ or ‘let me take you this way and show you…”

She finds inspiration in her own mentors, who “made me feel like the library, the library world and the library school is a welcome place.” Ultimately, she says, “I just want other people to have that experience too.”

Due to her deep involvement with the LIS community, particularly her focus on working with current students and early-career professionals, Lerno is attuned to the anxieties and concerns prevalent throughout the field. “Students may be saying ‘What am I doing? Is AI just going to take over the library world?’ and I, of course, say no.” 

She encourages her mentees and colleagues to “turn off that chatter” because “libraries are more than just collecting information. We’re doing outreach. We’re servicing people at risk in various parts of their lives, from, you know, story time to lunch at the library. All those things, you need people for.” At the end of the day, she says,”You still need the human.”