Our Team | LJ & SLJ Professional Development

Course Development

Our course development always starts by finding experts in the field to serve as advisors. Partnering closely with at least one subject-matter expert per course, we use proven instructional design and pedagogical methods to understand our target audiences, establish course goals and learning objectives, and create guiding questions that each course tries to answer. From there, we work with the advisors and expert guest speakers to develop and iterate on content so that it is relevant, applicable, and tangible for today’s busy professionals.

Dr. Jennifer Tullos

Director of Online Courses

Dr. Jennifer Tullos (she/her) is a content developer, researcher, instructional designer, and educator. She holds a PhD in English from Illinois State University with an emphasis in young adult literature and pedagogy, and she holds professional certifications in Project Management and Instructional Design. She has been an educator and curriculum developer for 15 years and has served as the Director of Online Courses for Library Journal and School Library Journal for the last three years. In her role, she leads the strategy and development for over 45 eLearning courses per year and is deeply concerned with creating impactful, learner-centered content. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her partner and dogs and loves all things PNW summer.

Gina Trask, MSLIS, CDLP

Course Development Manager

Gina Trask (she/her) is an instructional designer and librarian who creates data-driven learning experiences and empowers adult learners through access to information. She is certified as a Digital Learning Professional through the Digital Learning Institute and received a Master of Science in Library and Information Science from Pratt Institute. She currently resides in the Hudson Valley region of New York, a magical place where she explores art, music, and nature.

Julie Knowles

Sales Lead, Professional Development Products

Julie has spent over 20 years in the publishing industry including 8 years leading sales and licensing at Cricket Media, known for its award-winning children’s magazines, and 14 years in advertising at Gannett/USA TODAY. Since joining Library Journal in 2023, she’s helped hundreds of libraries and organizations connect with the professional development tools that support their teams and goals.

Julie lives in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., where her house is ruled by a 125-lb. Great Pyrenees named Kola. She also shares her home with a cat named Deuce, a rotating stack of mystery and psychological thrillers, and a serious passion for live music—she hits 10 to 12 concerts a year; she’s still waiting to cross Coldplay off her concert bucket list! Julie is an avid sports fan, cheering for the Washington Capitals, Washington Commanders, and East Carolina University Pirates football (where her daughter works for the team). When she’s not working or traveling (London is her favorite destination), you’ll find her volunteering as a dog walker at a local no-kill shelter or delivering food for a community food pantry organization.

Jennifer Bennett

Sales, Professional Development Products

Jennifer joined the Library Journal Professional Development team in 2024. Before her time with LJ, she was always somewhere in the book business: assistant manager at an independent bookstore/café; college textbook purchaser; director of a private college bookstore; and with our sister company Junior Library Guild as a sales associate and booktalk specialist.

Jennifer was born, raised, and has lived most of her life in central Ohio except for her bi-coastal education; first studying art history as an undergraduate at Smith College in Massachusetts, and later pursuing an MFA in creative non-fiction at Antioch University Los Angeles. She’s always been the “book auntie” for her family; and currently lives with her husband, aged cat Cornflake, and rotating cast of feral cats.

Valerie Petroski

Sales, Professional Development Products

Before joining our team in 2025, Valerie worked for years as a K-12 education sales consultant, supporting schools and districts with digital and curricular resources. At Library Journal and School Library Journal, she connects librarians and educators with the courses and professional reading subscriptions that best support their goals, with a focus on strong relationships and great service.

Based in New Jersey, Valerie lives with her husband, a physics teacher, and their three daughters. Living in South Jersey, her family takes full advantage of being near the shore, spending as much time at the beach as possible. Outside of work, she enjoys coaching soccer and cheering on her kids in their sports. An active member of her community and local PTA, Valerie is also a voracious reader, averaging 100 books a year. Her two dogs, Milo and Cooper, benefit from her audiobook habit, as she often walks them while listening.

Katie D'Aiuto, MLIS

Marketing Manager, Professional Development Products

Katie D’Aiuto is a librarian-turned-marketer with nearly two decades of experience in content strategy, campaign development, and lead generation. After earning her MLIS from Wayne State University and working in public and school libraries, she transitioned to a long career in healthcare marketing before returning to her roots in the library world. At LJ & SLJ Professional Development, she blends her deep understanding of libraries with marketing expertise to elevate the visibility and impact of online courses for library staff. Originally from metro Detroit, Katie now lives in central Florida with her husband, three daughters, and two extremely spoiled dogs. She's a lifelong library lover, audiobook convert, and firm believer that The Baby-Sitters Club shaped an entire generation.