Title: Assistant Director of Community Engagement & Programs
Workplace: Wilmington Public Library
Alma Maters: Wilmington University, Lincoln University
Board: Bellevue Community Center
What was your first job? “Oaktree men’s clothing store in Christiana Mall.”
Anyone still harboring notions that a library is a quiet place filled with dusty books hasn’t spent time at the Wilmington Public Library in recent years – and much of its public transformation is the work of Carl Shaw, assistant director of community engagement and programs. For several years, Shaw has helped organize and book major speaking engagements at the city library with the likes of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, activist Angela Davis, rappers Rakim and Master P, actress Phylicia Rashad, and more. His efforts helped the Wilmington Public Library to capture the 2022 National Medal of Museum and Library Service, the highest national honor for U.S. libraries.