Sarah A. Evans, PhD, MLIS, is the Presidential Early Career Professor in the College of Information at the University of North Texas. She serves as the Director of the Children’s and Young Adult Librarianship program and as Co-Director of the Multiple Literacies Lab.

Her research examines the literacies and identities taken up in self-directed learning experiences. She is the Primary Investigator of the grant-funded projects “Raise Up Radio: Family and Youth Engagement in Library Supported Learning Via Radio” with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, “Diversifying Human Centered-Data Science through the Research and Design of Ethical Games” with the National Science Foundation, and “What Health Looks Like: Using Graphic Medicine to Bring Underrepresented Voices Forward Through Public Library Health Literacy Programs” with UNT.

Since 1999, Dr. Evans has worked for and with libraries, including as a public library branch manager, collection development librarian, middle school teacher-librarian, and now as a researcher. Throughout her career, she has served in the American Library Association and its subdivisions, most frequently in the Young Adult Library Services Association. She is currently the Information Coordinator and Standing Committee Member in the Libraries for Children and Young Adults Section of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.

Dr. Evans holds a bachelor’s degree in Drama, a master’s of Library and Information Science, and a doctorate of philosophy in Learning Sciences from the University of Washington, as well as an elementary education certificate from Western Washington University.