Marianna DiGiacomo has dedicated her career to strengthening the public library’s focus on literacy and community collaborations. Marianna joined Stark Library in 2007 and served as youth services librarian and literacy and events coordinator prior to her role as community services director. She directs Stark Library’s literacy initiatives, school and community partnerships, outreach services, technology training, and events. She is a graduate of Leadership Stark County’s Government Academy, American Library Association’s Leadership Institute and serves on many local committees dedicated to ensuring children are ready for school success.
Julia Shaheen is the Literacy Manager at Stark Library where she oversees a staff of five who work with the SPARK program in Stark County. Through this program, her staff visit homes of preschoolers to provide early intervention and help prepare the preschoolers and their parents or caregivers for Kindergarten. She also oversees the literacy efforts of Stark Library by providing staff training, parent workshops, and professional development for educators. She has also provided Every Child Ready to Read training to librarians in Northeast Ohio through the Early Literacy 101 workshops. Previously, she has worked as a teen programmer and provided baby storytime for two years in the Youth Services department at Main library. She holds a Master of Arts degree from Walsh University in Education.