The PLIX team is delighted to announce our 2025-2026 cohort of PLIX Library Ambassadors. These library professionals share our passion for hands-on creative learning programming and a keen desire to foster STEAM confidence, and broaden access to high quality STEAM learning experiences.

Our fourth Library Ambassador program supports communities across the U.S. in thinking about different ways that STEAM learning experiences can be offered for diverse audiences. Through our Community of Practice, this network of library professionals will share their explorations, excitement, and resources with their peers in libraries across the U.S., to inform the ways we support homeschooled populations, children, tweens, teens, multigenerational families, adults with disabilities, English learners and more.

Meet our PLIX Ambassadors

Our 10 Ambassadors represent a wide range of library professionals—in the roles they perform, the size and setting of their libraries (some tiny rural branches, others huge urban systems), their personal interests, and the depth of experience in librarianship. They share a passion in offering creative STEAM experiences for their communities, and enthusiasm for PLIX and its potential to transform library programming with its unique approach to hands-on, creative STEAM learning.

Christine Seliga 🧰

Librarian and Makerspace Coordinator

East Campus Library and Makerspace, Pima Community College (Tucson, AZ)

Likes and interests: I love needlework in all forms, bird watching, hiking, traveling, and listening to The Rest Is History podcast.

Recently up to: Working on finishing up the semester and making sure everyone’s 3D prints get finished. We bought a BookBeetle letterpress at our Makerspace so I’m trying to figure out how to best use it and how I can possibly incorporate it into some of our work with classes.

Looking forward to: Hearing how other Makerspaces work and seeing the creative work that librarians across the country are doing.

Cole Zrostlik 🎨

Outreach and Marketing Supervisor

La Crosse Public Library (La Crosse, WI)

Likes and interests: I’ve been especially into acrylic paint markers and wax pastels lately—anything that lets me play with saturated color and texture. I also love fixing, building, upcycling, and mending things, whether it’s patching clothes, gluing something that's broken (I'm a big fan of E6000), finding replacement parts online for kits and toys at the library, or building cat furniture with stuff in my garage. I also love playing with technology, art and design, reading terrible romance stories, and hanging out with my husband (who is also a public librarian!).

Recently up to: Making time for creative projects and hands-on tinkering-- finding joy in small repairs and projects that make everyday things feel cared for. Not sweating the small stuff.

Looking forward to: Exploring new art materials, trying out more DIY projects and STEAM activities, and bringing playful, make-it-work energy into my library programs and outreach.

Dana Phelps 🧵

Branch Manager

Hedgesville Public Library (Hedgesville, WV)

Likes and Interests: I enjoy hand-quilting and weaving on a rigid heddle loom. I listen to Sci-Fi or cozy mystery audio books while I work.

Recently up to: I have been using our library 3D printer to print a 1/6 model of a Pteranodon Skeleton for our 2026 Summer Reading Program Decorations.

Looking forward to: I am looking forward to collaborating with other librarians on STEAM projects in order to bring new and amazing programs to our community!

Dani Rowland 🦩

Head of Undergraduate Instruction, American & Ethnic Studies Librarian

UW Bothell & Cascadia College Campus Library (Bothell, WA)

Likes and interests: reading, birdwatching, reading about birdwatching :), and listening to podcasts

Recently up to: Seattle has a holiday lights parade of boats (all kinds) that I went to last week. Lovely and sparkly.

Looking forward to: all those “best of the year” lists

Je Salvador 💌

Computer Science & Engineering / Research & Instruction Librarian

UW Bothell & Cascadia College Campus Library (Bothell, WA)

Likes and interests: Getting outdoors with family, watching the visitors to our backyard bird feeder, cooking and eating good food, mindful breathing, and queering the text, to name just a very few things in this fascinating world

Recently up to: End-of-life planning, death cleaning, and enjoying my child’s many at-home, untrained ballet performances

Looking forward to: Helping library users think critically about large language models (LLMs) and chatbots, how we understand “intelligence”, and how we learn; and visiting a sunny place in February when it’s been dark in the PNW too long

Jen O’Leary ⛷️

Children's Technician III

Somerville Public Library (Somerville, MA)

Likes and interests: In the winter I'm a huge skier! You can usually find me on the mountain every weekend! In the summer, I'm typically outside reading by my pool.

Recently up to: Lots of reading and crafts.

Looking forward to: My vacation to Arizona! I cannot wait to see the Grand Canyon!!

Mike Juell 🎮

Youth Services Specialist

Kodiak Public Library (Kodiak, AK)

Likes and interests: Games, all sorts. Geocaching. Etymology of words and phrases. John Cusack. Fighting the powers that be.

Recently up to: Blue Prince, trying to figure out how to get great results from butternut squash, adapting my Spotify holiday playlists

Looking forward to: Collaborating, being inspired, and channeling the good vibes of folks who are all trying to make their neck of the woods more awesome

Rob Polivka 🕷

Youth STEM Librarian

Hillsboro Public Libraries, (Hillsboro OR)

Likes and interests: I'm a social everything-er that likes to read around, play pinball and share my love of learning with the community.

Recently up to: Making our STEM programs bigger, better and wetter with weather science, Bat storytime, Big Box Build and all the other zany ideas I can implement.

Looking forward to: Sharing energy, ideas, successes and failures with my fellow science creatives.

Stacy Lane 🌸

Youth Services Librarian

Laurel Public Library (Laurel, DE)

Likes and interests: I love to read, pet my dogs and go to local punk shows.

Recently up to: I am currently working on outreach in our community and visiting a 3rd grade class weekly

Looking forward to: I can't wait to learn more things that I can present at our library!

Stephanie Skaryd 🎛️

Technology Training Coordinator

Palm Beach Library System (Jupiter, FL)

Likes and interests: At work I love encouraging joy through creative technology! Outside of work I love writing, photography, traveling, and trying to pet every cat.

Recently up to: I’m developing a staff workshop series designed to playtest library makerspace programs and technology.

Looking forward to: Playtesting new programs and getting new perspectives from colleagues across the country.