Jen Bishop, MLIS

Jen Bishop’s journey from automotive mechanic to the founder of BiblioBrillo is a testament to her commitment to accessibility, equity, and community. A California native, Jen began her career in mechanical engineering and the automotive industry before transitioning into government technologies, where she excelled in project management and tech innovation. However, it was her belief in the transformative power of education that drew her to the world of public libraries.

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Her experience as a public librarian deepened her understanding of community needs and sparked a passion for creating inclusive spaces. When the pandemic struck, Jen pivoted again, this time becoming a teacher dedicated to supporting marginalized students. These experiences solidified her commitment to fostering accessibility through education, and after over a decade of visiting Costa Rica, she and her partner decided to move their family—pets included—to Guanacaste, Costa Rica, in 2023.

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Jen’s multifaceted career now centers on her role as Director of BiblioBrillo, a project she has personally invested in and nurtured. BiblioBrillo began as an old U.S. school bus, which Jen transformed into a mobile library that offers culturally sustaining, multilingual resources to communities that need them most. The library serves as a space for exploration, play, and learning for people of all ages and abilities. Jen’s vision is to create a world where access to information and literacy is not determined by geography or socio-economic status.

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Beyond her work with BiblioBrillo, Jen is planning to pursue a doctorate in Information Science, with a focus on leveraging AI and machine learning to increase equity in information access. Her current research into developing a language-independent, disability-inclusive cataloging system is a critical piece of this journey. Passionate about human rights and mental health advocacy, Jen continues to champion inclusivity, particularly in educational spaces.

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A proud mother, she maintains a joyful, adventurous spirit, balancing work and family life with activities like fishing, boxing, construction projects, and learning something new regularly. Whether it’s building a library on wheels or crafting a cataloging system to serve global communities, Jen's goal remains the same: to create a more equitable and inclusive world where everyone has access to the resources they need to thrive.