Our Library Welcomes Its New Manager

Carmen Latona-Adams has accepted the position of Manager for both the Portola Valley and Woodside libraries. She replaces Garrett Kuramoto, who has moved to the Sunnyvale City Library.

She has been working in the San Mateo County Library system for seven and a half years. She began as the Children’s Librarian in the San Carlos Library. She also served two years in Half Moon Bay. She is currently managing three libraries: Portola Valley, Woodside, and North Fair Oaks.

I went to UC Berkeley for my undergrad (BA in English) and Notre Dame de Namur for my MA in English. In 2014 I completed my MLIS at San Jose State University. 

  • Though I live in Redwood City and have been a resident there most of my life (Woodside High School alumni!) I have family in Portola Valley and spend a lot of time in the town hiking, shopping, and eating! 

  • I have been with SMCL for 7.5 years, with my first three years at the San Carlos Library as their Children's Librarian. I enjoyed bringing Spanish Storytimes to that library, as well as craft programs. I spent two years at the Half Moon Bay Library (during COVID) as their Senior Librarian. It was very fulfilling supporting the community during such a difficult time when access to technology and reliable internet was so important. My last 2.5 years I have been at the North Fair Oaks Library, supporting a primarily Spanish speaking community with access to technology, literacy support, as well as revitalizing the community with fun festivals and events as we continue to move on after COVID. 

  • My hopes for Portola Valley Library under my leadership is to grow stronger in our relationship with the Town to provide engaging and exciting programs/services to the residents of Portola Valley. I also intend to lead the library with equity in mind. I have always been a strong advocate and supporter of bringing library services to communities with accessibility issues. I hope to grow our services to the senior population who may not be able to easily travel to the library, as well as teens as they learn to navigate the world independently and do not necessarily realize the library can support them in this growth. English language learners are also important to me, and I hope to one day bring an English Conversation Club to the PV Library to support residents who would like to practice their English in the safe and comfortable space.