Marines and libraries have a long history together. From the American Library Association’s (ALA) Library War Service in 1917, and the first military library established by the War Department for the Navy and Marine Corps in 1919, to each military service having their own Morale, Welfare, and Recreation library program today, service members and civilians have recognized the importance of libraries in providing information, education, and relaxation. In the past several years, the DoD MWR Library Program has seen a rise in acknowledgement for Marines, spouses, and civilians working in Marine Corps Installation Libraries through awards from the American Library Association and the Library of Congress.
The ALA Federal Rising Stars Award highlights the achievements of federal librarians new to the profession. Only people earning an MLIS or equivalent degree in the past five years are eligible. Awardees include: William Biggs, a Marine Veteran and the Library Director at Edwards Air Force Base (2026), Jackie Evans, a Marine veteran and spouse who is the current Museum Registrar at the MCRD Parris Island Museum (2025), Elan Birkeland, a Marine spouse and the current HQMC MWR Library Program Manager (2024) and Max Gonzalez Burdick, a civilian Marine and former MCAGCC Twentynine Palms Shadow Mountain Branch Manager (2024).
The ALA Federal Achievement Award recognizes a federal or armed forces librarian to be selected each year for achievement in the promotion of library and information service and the information profession in the Federal community. In 2025, the award was presented to Rachel Drake a Marine spouse who is the current MCAGCC Twentynine Palms Branch Manager, and prior Army and USMC Library Director. Master Gunnery Sergeant and Chief of the US Marine Band Library & Archives Jane Cross received the award in 2018.
William Biggs serves as Supervisory Librarian at Edwards Air Force Base, where he has significantly elevated the profile of federal library services within the Armed Forces community … A Marine veteran who earned his first degree using a military library, William brings a personal commitment to ensuring service members access the same educational resources and opportunities he once relied on. His work bridges federal library service, digital content management, and community outreach in a way that advances RUSA’s mission and strengthens the reputation of the information profession within the federal and Armed Forces sectors.
“As a prior service member, there is no greater professional joy for me than serving the U.S. service members. I earned my first degree utilizing a military library and its resources. Now, I get to proctor those that will do the same. I used to ask librarians what reference material, databases, and periodicals I needed to succeed. Now, I’m helping today’s generation find those same resources. It’s an honor and a privilege to be recognized by RUSA as a Federal Rising Star for doing what I love.” – William Biggs
Jackie Evans is currently Museum Registrar at the Parris Island Museum aboard MCRD Parris Island, South Carolina where she serves as lead in the management of the artifact collection and museum finances. She is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who started her civilian career in federal libraries as a military Library Administrative Assistant before becoming Lead Library Technician in Iwakuni, Japan. She earned her MSLS in 2023 from the University of North Texas and started at Parris Island in 2024. In a volunteer
capacity, she serves as chair of the Communications Committee for RUSA’s Federal and Armed Forces Libraries Interest Group (FAFLIG).
“I’ve always aimed to support our servicemembers and their families, and I am grateful for every opportunity I’ve had to do this work in military libraries and other educational environments. I look forward to further professional growth in this field, and to continue decreasing barriers for our military members in order to always better serve those who serve! – Jackie Evans
Rachel Drake is currently Branch Manager of the Shadow Mountain Branch Library, aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) in Twentynine Palms in California. She started working as a library technician at Fort Bliss in Texas in 2012 before earning her MLIS in 
2014 from the University of North Texas. She was then branch manager for one of the two Fort Bliss branch libraries before becoming supervisory librarian for the installation’s library system as a whole. She was then supervisory librarian at a USMC base library in Japan and a U.S. Army post library in Germany, before taking her current role. Among other things, she developed the first dedicated makerspace in an Army MWR library, which then was the model for a Department of Defense-wide initiative.
“While there are many exceptional military librarians, the scope and reach of Ms. Drake dwarfs that of her peers,” wrote Michael Steinmacher, former FAFLIG chair, in a letter of support for her nomination.
“I’m proud to have dedicated my career to serving those who serve. Our military libraries have become more than a collection of books—it’s a mission-critical resource that supports, empowers, and stands alongside every military community member, providing knowledge, comfort, and connection when they need it most. I’m happy to be a part of this important process, contributing to the strength and resilience of those who defend our nation.” – Rachel Drake
Elán Marae Birkeland is Library Program Director at Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps in Quantico, VA. Birkeland earned her M.S. in Library Science from the University of Kentucky in 2019. She worked as a library manager at Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) in Okinawa, Japan until 2023, when she returned to the United States. In her role as Library Program Director, she oversees 40 Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) library facilities at 12 Marine Corps installations around the world.
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Max Gonzalez Burdick is the former Library Branch Manager at Shadow Mountain Branch Library, U.S. Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) in Twentynine Palms, CA. Gonzalez earned his MLIS from San Jose State University in 2023. A former social worker, he joined MCAGCC in 2020 as a library technician. He became the Library Program Coordinator in 2021 and took over the Shadow Mountain Branch Library in 2022 as Library Branch Manager.
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Master Gunnery Sergeant and Chief of the US Marine Band Library & Archives Jane Cross received the FAFLIG Federal Achievement Award in 2018. After her retirement from the Marine Corps Band, Jane joined the Music Division at the Library of Congress as an archivist. She also took part in the Library of Congress Veterans History Project, a collection of "firsthand narratives of U.S. military veterans who served from World War 1 through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions."
To see how Marine Corps and DoD MWR Librarians are supporting warfighters, military families, and DoD civilians today, check out your installation MWR Library and visit DoDMWRLibraries.org. You can also reach the USMC Library Program Office by emailing [email protected]