>Following are the PaLA-CRD members running for the CRD Board for 2011. More information on the candidates will be posted here before the elections, so watch this space!

VICE-CHAIR/CHAIR ELECT:

Calida Barboza, Instruction/Reference Librarian, Kings College, Wilkes-Barre

I am an Instruction/Reference Librarian at King’s College (Wilkes-Barre, PA) and a graduate of the first PaLA Academy of Leadership Studies (PALS) class. As a result of speaking with academic librarians about how PaLA can meet their needs, I decided that I’d like to be more involved in the College & Research Division. I am currently the Intellectual Freedom Chair of the PaLA Northeast Chapter and a member of the Chapter’s Membership Committee. I was recently part of a panel on the PALS experience at the Chapter workshop and at the 2009 Conference. Since joining PaLA in 2007, I was awarded a PaLA Brodart Conference Grant to attend the 2007 Conference and volunteered at the CyberSuite during the 2009 Conference. I am also involved with the ACRL Virtual Conference Committee and two ALA New Members Round Table committees. I earned an MSLIS from Drexel University, an MA in English from Youngstown State University, and a BA in English from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

Valerie Lynn, Head Librarian, Hazleton Campus, The Pennsylvania State University

After serving as the Instruction Librarian at the George T. Harrell Health Sciences Library at the Penn State Hershey College of Medicine for approximately four years, I was recently promoted to Head Librarian at the Penn State Hazleton campus. I hold a Master of Science degree in Instructional Technology from Bloomsburg University and attended the Dartmouth College, Evidence-Based Medicine Institute, last year.

Linda Neyer, Health Sciences/Science Librarian, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

As editor of the College & Research Division’s “It’s Academic!” column in the PaLA Bulletin, I have been actively involved on the Board since 2003. I’m especially proud of my role in getting the Bulletin indexed in EBSCOhost’s Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts, a free database. As a member of the PaLA Membership Committee, I’ve also worked on ways to promote the value of a PaLA membership to academic librarians. One of my current interests is to explore ways of increasing collaboration between school librarians and academic librarians within Pennsylvania. I think PaLA provides an ideal forum for this collaboration!

SECRETARY:

Karen Cook, Assistant Professor, Library Science Department, Clarion University of Pennsylvania

I am running for PaLA-CRD Secretary because I believe strongly in the importance of the Association and that I have the requisite experience and skills to make a positive contribution to the Division’s good work for our academic library community and the Pennsylvania Library Association. During twenty years of active involvement with professional library organizations at the state (Indiana, Alabama, and Louisiana, and now Pennsylvania), regional, and national levels, I have had the honor to be elected to various offices, including Secretary of national ALA/Exhibites Round Table; I have also served as secretary for other entities (academic, professional, and governmental) on numerous occasions. I thank you for your consideration, and hope to have the opportunity to serve you and PaLA-CRD as Secretary.

Lizah Ismail, Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Public Services, Marywood University, Scranton

Lizah Ismail is Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Public Services at the Marywood University Library in Scranton, Pa. In her current position, she supervises circulation services, oversees reference services and teaches information literacy classes. She is a Board member of the Pennsylvania Library Association Northeast Chapter and serves on the Membership, Distance Learning and Communications committee of the ACRL College Libraries Division. Lizah has published in the area of library use and needs of Millennial as well as non-traditional/adult students and has written several reviews of library online resources. She received her MS in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and her MA in Communications from the Annenberg School for Communication , University of Pennsylvania.

Jennifer V. Luksa, Head of Collection Resource Management, Bevevino Library, Misericordia University, Dallas

I am the Head of Collection Resource Management at Misericordia University where I have been employed for over 16 years. I received my MLS from Drexel University in 2008, and I am a graduate of the inaugural class of the Pennsylvania Academy for Leadership Studies (PALS). I served on last year’s PaLA Scholarship Committee, and I have served on numerous committees at Misericordia. As an academic librarian, I see numerous challenges ahead as the concept of “library as space” changes with the development of new technologies. CRD provides the opportunity for all academic librarians in Pennsylvania to share ideas and give support as we meet these challenges.

Mary Lou Patrick, Reference Librarian, Robert E. Eiche Library, Altoona Campus, The Pennsylvania State University

As a candidate for the office of PaLA CRD Secretary, I would like to introduce myself. At Penn State Altoona, I am a reference and instruction librarian and the collection development coordinator for the Robert E. Eiche Library. I also serve as a member of Penn State University’s Alumni Library Board. Previously, I worked as a reference, instruction, and collection development librarian with Pennsylvania Highlands Community College (PHCC). During that time, I was elected to two terms as recording secretary for PHCC’s Faculty Senate. I also served as a Senate Curriculum Committee member and as the Senate’s coordinator for its Blackboard site and Web page. My academic credentials include a Master of Science degree in Library Science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Arts degree in Adult Education and Communications Technology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. It would be an honor to contribute to the work of the Division as CRD Secretary, and if elected I would conscientiously strive to fulfill my duties and responsibilities.