Karen Muller Leaves ALCTS for New Challenges

Karen Muller, ALCTS executive director since June 1987, has announced her resignation effective March 5, 2001, to assume a new role at ALA, that of headquarters librarian and knowledge manager. RTSD (the Resources and Technical Services Division of ALA), which we all now know as ALCTS, was Karen’s first “home” in ALA, where she began by sitting on the sidelines of the old Descriptive Cataloging Committee. Many of the officers, committee chairs, and other division leaders in the past thirteen years have enjoyed Karen’s guidance and friendship, while we struggled through the division’s lean years, the development of the ALA Operating Agreement, transitions to electronic modes of information distribution, restructurings in the division, and so forth.

Thanks to more than a decade of Karen’s strong leadership, we have enjoyed many successes and built a strong financial base. As Karen returns to a traditional library role, she looks forward to having some time to attend one or more of the dynamic programs we offer and relying on our expertise as she undertakes to manage a live serials collection, get materials acquired, cataloged, and bound, and seek to make electronic materials available to her colleagues at ALA—all assignments her ALCTS colleagues know a great deal about!

In her letter of resignation, Karen states: “ What I will miss most about ALCTS is the people, and right now the ‘constellation’ of leadership is the strongest ever, with each and every one of you a ‘star’ and someone whose skills and thoughts I value. I have been looking forward to executing the ‘reinventing’ of our continuing education program and the expansion of our already strong publishing program into revenue-producing Web-based products. However, the opportunity to shape a new function at ALA comes along rarely, and I decided to test my skills in a new way. Finally, I thank you all for your wisdom and collegiality over the years.”

On January 16, 2001, the ALCTS board passed the following resolution:

Whereas Karen Muller has served as Executive Director of the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services and, before that, of the Resources and Technical Services Division for a total of nearly fourteen years, and

Whereas Karen Muller has provided dedicated leadership and wise counsel to the Association since 1987, Therefore, Be it resolved that the ALCTS Board, on behalf of the ALCTS membership, thanks Karen Muller with deep appreciation for her service, and

Be it resolved that ALCTS wishes Karen Muller every success and satisfaction in her new position.

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