Ka'ryn Davis-West Appointed Deputy Director of the Birmingham Public Library

 

BPL Deputy Director Ka'ryn Davis-West, center, with Regional Managers Bessie Miller, left, and Loretta Jones.

Birmingham, Ala. – The Birmingham Public Library Board of Trustees has appointed Ka’ryn Davis-West, a 30-year veteran employee of the Birmingham Public Library,  as BPL’s new deputy director. She replaces Janine Langston, who was named BPL Executive Director in December 2021.

Davis’ promotion was announced during the BPL Board of Trustees meeting on November 8, 2022. Davis, who epitomizes the City of Birmingham’s focus on “putting people first” and BPL’s commitment to providing quality library services for patrons, is excited about her new role. 

BPL Executive Director Janine Langston said, “Ka’ryn has been a valuable member of the BPL team for many years, and I congratulate her on this well-deserved appointment as Deputy Director. I look forward to serving together as we lead BPL forward and help it grow in new and innovative ways.”

A native of Mobile, Davis has lived in Birmingham for three decades. She has a bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts and Business Management from The University of South Alabama (1984). She received her Master's Degree from Wayne State University in Detroit.

Davis is a member in several professional organizations, including the BPL Staff Association, Jefferson County Library Association, Alabama Library Association, American Library Association, and Public Library Association. Davis began her library career at the University of South Alabama Library, where she advanced to Head of Circulation/Reserves. 

While receiving her degree in Michigan, she worked as a Corporate Reference and Development Librarian for Michigan Bell. Before moving to BPL, Davis worked at the Saint Joseph County Public Library  in South Bend, Indiana, as a Department Head. 

In 1992, Davis began her career at BPL. Over a span of 22 years, she has worked as the head of several departments including Circulation, Page Room, Interlibrary Loans, and Computer Services. Prior to being appointed as BPL deputy director, Davis served as BPL Central Public Service manager/coordinator from 2014 to 2017 and as Regional Manager from 2017 to 2022.