Aaron Dobbs, 2013 Candidate for LITA Councilor
Statement:
Aside from a few active issues, ALA and LITA seem to be coasting forward on inertia. I plan to engage LITA members and information-technology-minded ALA members on issues which we identify as important. We should capitalize on our members' experiences, identify our myriad communications channels, and focus our mutual efforts through LITA's strength: our IGs. LITA should leverage the strength of our hive/tribe/members to improve the association and serve as an example to ALA at large. LITA needs to step up and provide desired educational and participatory opportunities to our members and serve as an example for ALA at large. May I please have your vote?
Current Position:
Systems & Electronic Resources Librarian, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania; Shippensburg, PA
Previous Positions:
Network Services Librarian, Austin Peay State University, 2000-2006; Information Resources Manager, Investment Banking Group, SunTrust Equitable Securities Corporation, 1999-2000; Librarian, Ooltewah/Collegedale Branch Library, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library, 1995-1997
Degrees and Certificates:
Austin Peay State University, MS Management, 2005; University of Tennessee, MS Library Science, 1994; Wagner College, BA Psychology, 1990.
ALA and/or ALA-APA Activities:
ALA Council: Councilor at Large, 2008-present; ALA Website Advisory Committee: Chair, 2010-present & Member, 2009-present; ALA Policy Manual Revision Task Force: Member, 2011-12; LITA Board: Director at Large, 2009-12; LITA Board: Interest Groups Coordinator, 2009-10; ALA Office for Information Technology Policy Advisory Committee: Member, 2006-10 & Intern, 2004-06; LITA Web Coordinating Committee: Web Coordinator for Committees, 2006-08 & Member, 2004-08; ALA Presidential Task Force on the Graduated Dues Study: Reactor Panel Member, 2006-07; ALA Membership Committee: Virtual Member, 2004-06; NMRT Leadership Development Committee: Chair, 2003-04 & Co-chair, 2002-03 & Member, 2002; NMRT Web Steering Committee: Member, 2002.
Offices held in state and/or regional library associations, and other associations:
LYRASIS: Member, Electronic Resources Advisory Group, 2008-present; Associated College Libraries of Central Pennsylvania: Governing Board, Member at Large, 2007-10; University of Tennessee School of Information Sciences: Alumni Board, Member at Large, 2007-09; ExLibris Users Group-MidAtlantic Region: EMA Conference Planning Committee, Local Arrangements Coordinator, 2008; Tennessee Digital Freedom Network: Co-founder and Forum Administrator, 2003-06; Tennessee Library Association: Annual Conference Planning Committee, Technology Coordinator, 2000-02 & 2004-05; TENN-SHARE, TENN-SHARE Board, Academic Library Representative, 2003-05.
Awards and Honors:
Endeavor Information Systems: Bon Voyage Grant, 2007
Major Accomplishments:
As a member of several library consortia governing boards, as well as ALA Council and the LITA Board, I have pushed to make consortia & association governance more transparent and participatory. The strength of an association is its members and their ideas for what are and what will become priorities. As a member of several advisory committees, e.g. the ALA Website Advisory and OITP Advisory Committees, I have prioritized tasks and projects and focused on the development and delivery of overall end-user positive experience in final projects such as ALA Connect, the ALA Conference Scheduler, the vendor selection for the ALA website migration to Drupal, and various online copyright tools which are part of the Copyright Advisory Network (librarycopyright.net) developed by OITP. My goals are to develop usable, useful tools which make content creation/management easy and to engage as many interested people as possible in discussions and deliberations about future directions and priorities.
Publications:
Co-editor: (2013). Using LibGuides to Enhance Online Library Services - A LITA Guide. LITA Guides Series. Chicago: ALA Techsource.; Co-author: (2012). "Theory and application: Using social networking to build online credibility." In Apostel, S. & Folk, M. (Eds.) (2012) Online Credibility and Digital Ethos: Evaluating Computer-Mediated Communication. Hershey: IGI Global.; Author: (2010). "Technologically Indispensable: Leading when you’re seen as the tech person." In Crook, L. & Lowe-Wincentsen, D. (Eds.). (2010). Mid-career library and information professionals: a leadership primer. Oxford: Woodhead Publishing.
Links for further information:
