Maegen Rose is a librarian, doctoral student, and cultural thinker based in Brooklyn, New York.
Born and raised in Chicago and shaped by formative years in Los Angeles, she brings a cross-regional lens to her work at the intersection of youth, literature, identity, and information. She holds a BA from Pitzer College, a Master of Social Work from the University of Chicago, and a Master of Library and Information Science from Dominican University. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Information Studies.
For more than a decade, she has worked in independent schools as a lower, middle, and upper school librarian, and most recently as Director of Library Programs. Her professional practice centers critical information literacy and ethical research, equipping young people with the skills to interrogate bias and propaganda in the media.
Her research examines how Black teenagers engage young adult literature on social media as a way of navigating racial identity and building community. Through both scholarship and practice, she is committed to libraries being centers of belonging and intellectual freedom.
She has served in national leadership roles within the American Library Association, including chairing the 2023 Children’s Literature Legacy Award Committee and serving on the Coretta Scott King Book Awards (CSKBART) Jury. She was named a 2021 Library Journal Movers & Shakers honoree and currently serves as a Board Member of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). Her professional writing and reviews have appeared in School Library Journal and Knowledge Quest, and online at Black Cotton Reviews, with additional projects in development.
Outside of her professional life, Maegen is a devoted reader, enthusiastic home cook, theatre lover, traveler, amateur photographer, and proud cat mother to Lena Simone, named in honor of the two late greats, Lena Horne and Nina Simone. She believes in the power of a home-cooked meal, sunshine, and a good book to change the course of an ordinary day.
You can find Maegen elsewhere online at https://bio.site/maegenrose.
All opinions and commentary shared on this site or via social media are her own. Photos on this site are owned by Maegen Rose, available under Creative Commons Zero, or licensed stock.