Yolande Wilburn - Participant

Yolande Wilburn is the Director of Nevada County Community Library in Nevada County, California. She oversees operations at six branches and two service locations in the Sierra Nevada Foothills. Yolande began her career with Nevada County in September of 2015, completing a variety of projects which benefit the community, including an outdoor amphitheater and establishing a partnership with InConcert Sierra to provide musicians for the Summer Learning Program concert series.

In addition to her work as County Librarian, Yolande serves on the Nevada County Economic Resource Council Talent Connection Task Force where she collaborates with local business and non-profit community partners to support and promote Nevada County’s cultural arts scene and the tech ecosystem.

Yolande first developed her love of libraries as a child, spending long hours in the stacks at Chicago Public Library. Later, when she decided to obtain her Master of Library and Information Science, she returned to Chicago Public Library and began working as a Page while obtaining her degree.

After working briefly for University of Chicago Regenstein Library she returned to Chicago Public where she worked on developing the Social Innovator Award winning Innovation Lab and on the collaboration with Aarhus Library and IDEO on Design Thinking in Libraries. Yolande went on to work at Higher Colleges of Technology Library in Dubai, and County of Los Angeles Public Library as Manager at the AC Bilbrew Library and then at the Manhattan Beach Library.

Ms. Wilburn received her master’s degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University and her bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies from University of Illinois.