by Zach Miller
Quick Summary
The Minitex Policy Advisory Council advises the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and Minitex in the planning, development, and evaluation of Minitex programs and services. The council has six new members in 2024, including Allison Hackenmiller, who represents K-12 Schools.
Allison Hackenmiller is the librarian at Champlin Park High School. She is in her first three-year term representing K-12 Schools on the Policy Advisory Council. Representatives may serve up to two terms.
What got you interested in library work?
I always loved to read, and with two teachers as parents, education was a natural track for me, but I like too many subjects to teach one thing all day long. Being a librarian lets me teach everything and nothing, talk to kids about what interests them, and do research into such a wide variety of topics. It's like being a student all the time!
How do you feel your current organization and the staff you work with make a difference in your community?
Three thousand kids a year know what a library does and what a librarian does within their community (the school). I hope that knowledge follows them throughout their lives, and means that they know where to find information in whatever community they find themselves in.
How do you hope to be a voice for your constituency on the Policy Advisory Council?
I hope I can offer some perspectives on schools and issues we face; they are often similar and often different from other types of libraries. We need all the support we can get and give one another, and the first step to support is knowledge.
