Valerie Gross
Valerie J. Gross has been director of Howard County Library (MD) for five years. She was previously Executive Director of Goshen Public Library in Indiana and Executive Director of Mechanic’s Institute in San Francisco.
A passionate promoter of libraries, Ms. Gross believes that the most effective way to convey the value of public libraries and the public library profession is to sell the library at every opportunity, and to speak in terms that people value. She believes in partnering with individuals, organizations, agencies and businesses at every opportunity. During the past five years, she has seen the immense benefits of positioning the library as a key player in the education enterprise, which, has resulted in the doubling of library visits (from 1 million to 2.1 million visits per year) and a major increase in materials borrowed (from 3 million to 5 million items) in a county with 265,000 residents. Ms. Gross is the author of two feature articles:
A+ Partners in Education: Linking Libraries to Education for a Flourishing
Future," by Valerie J. Gross. Public Libraries. July/August 2005.
A+ Partners in Education: Positioning Libraries as a Cornerstone in the Education Process," by Valerie J. Gross. Children & Libraries, the Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children, Summer/Fall 2003, p. 27-31.
Ms. Gross was honored in 2004 by the Library Journal as a Mover and Shaker. She takes pride that Howard County Library ranks number one in the nation in its class among the great public library systems for its overall program in support of lifelong education (Hennen's American Public Library Ratings 2005). She credits both honors to Howard County Library’s first-rate staff, Board of Trustees, Friends of Howard County Library and volunteers.
A firm believer in community and professional involvement, she currently serves on the Leadership Howard County Board of Directors, the Local Children’s Board (Chair), Healthy Family Board of Directors, the Maryland State Adult Literacy Advisory Council, the Maryland State Library Resource Center Oversight Commission, and the Maryland Library Association Legislative Advisory Panel.
Ms. Gross holds a Master of Library Science from San Jose State University, a Master of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and a law degree from Golden Gate University. She grew up in the French-speaking part of Switzerland and has taught English in China. She, her husband and their 16-year-old son live in Columbia, MD. In addition to ALA, PLA, and the Maryland Library Association, Ms. Gross maintains membership in the California Library Association and the State Bar of California.
