Description

The LIS Advisory Board provides strategic insight and expert guidance for the MSLIS program as part of the department’s continuous and systematic efforts to develop and improve the program. The Board includes representatives from our constituent groups including LIS professionals from a wide range of libraries, archives, and information organizations; alumni; current students; adjunct faculty; and full-time faculty, thus reflecting our diverse and ever-evolving community.

Charge

The Advisory Board will:

  • Provide the Department of Information Sciences with input on the current and projected needs of and trends in the library and information science profession to ensure that the MSLIS program remains not only responsive but also proactive.
  • Identify opportunities for the department to meet the current and future educational and training goals through its for-credit, non-credit, and extracurricular offerings.
  • Recommend new initiatives, including new courses, to continually improve, refresh, expand, or enhance the program and its educational quality.
  • Engage in long-term strategic planning by providing advice to library and information science faculty.
  • Provide advice, as appropriate, regarding key administrative areas, including but not limited to recruitment, program promotion, funding, and technology resources and support.
  • As appropriate, advocate for and promote the program in professional forums.
  • Propose networking and professional development opportunities for LIS students at The Catholic University of America (CUA), including but not limited to disseminating information about internships, field placements and practicums; proposing practicums and other training opportunities in their organizations when feasible; contributing ideas on new courses; and supporting students’ extra-curricular activities.
  • Understand the history of library and information science at CUA and advise the department on its efforts to advance its mission and the mission of the University.

Board Recruitment

If you’re interested in joining the LIS Advisory Board, please email us with an expression of interest and a paragraph-length statement about you and what you will contribute to the Board activities

Board Members

  • Keren Dali, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Inforamtion Sciences
  • Nicholas Alexander Brown, Assistant Cheif of the Music Division, Library of Congress
  • Steve Connaghan, University Librarian, CUA Libraries
  • Trevor Riley, Head, Public Services, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • Sharad Shah, Collection Management Librarian, the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives 
  • Julia Taylor, Assistant Director of the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress
  • Barry Trott, Adult Services Consultant, Library Development and Networking Division Library of Virginia