Rachel G. Payne
Parent of one child, age 10
Rachel G. Payne is the coordinator of early childhood services at Brooklyn Public Library where she leads the award-winning First Five Years initiative, manages new early childhood initiatives, develops new programs, and facilitates professional development. Previously, she ran the Early Childhood Resource and Information Center of The New York Public Library. Payne was a contributor to Reading with Babies, Toddlers, and Twos (Sourcebooks, 2013) and Library Services Birth to Five (Facet, 2015). She has written about early literacy, children’s books, and library services to young children in School Library Journal (where she co-authors the “First Steps” column), Library Trends, Kirkus, and The Horn Book. Payne served on and chaired the Caldecott Award Selection Committee and chaired the 2016 Committee. She has presented on early literacy at the American Library Association Conference, Bank Street Infancy Institute, Young Child Expo and Conference.