Michael Rodriguez, 2019 Candidate for LITA Director-at-Large

Photo of Michael Rodriguez

Statement

LITA has been my professional home since I became a librarian. I have found thoughtful and welcoming mentors and peers throughout this association, and I am eager to further LITA’s mission as your Director-at-Large. I also recognize the value of deepening LITA's partnerships with other ALA divisions to serve members better and achieve economies of scale while sustaining our unique programming and intimate scale. As a member of LITA and ALCTS whose job is to bridge gaps between collections and information technology, if elected I would serve as a network connector, collaborating with diverse stakeholders to reenvision and lead LITA into the future. I believe LITA is vibrant and innovative and that our best days lie ahead if we can make LITA membership more valuable to library workers and more relevant to library workers outside IT, e.g., through new cross-domain programming and improved membership benefits. I am excited to serve.

Current Position

Licensing and Acquisitions Librarian 
University of Connecticut

Previous Positions

  • E-Learning Librarian, Hodges University, 2014-2016 
  • Library Assistant, Collier County Public Library, 2010-2014

Major Accomplishments

My job is to bring together diverse stakeholders and domain experts to create visionary cross-functional solutions. As a project manager, I chaired the reenvisioning and migration of a library website, a proxy server, an eresources management system, and more. As a negotiator, I built and sustained productive working relationships with dozens of library vendors and attained cost savings worth more than half a million dollars. I have written dozens of book and product reviews, published articles and book chapters, and presented at numerous state/regional/national conferences. I have been elected Vice President of the ACRL New England Chapter and, in addition to planning our 2019 conference, I will be deeply engaged in strategic planning to ensure the Chapter's long-term viability and relevance. In 2016 I managed LITA's social media for over a year, bolstering the organic reach and engagement of our tweets and posts. I am excited to build on these accomplishments as a new member of the LITA Board.

Honors and Awards

  • NASIG, Horizon Award, 2018
  • FORCE11, Scholarly Communication Institute Scholarship, 2018
  • Against the Grain, Up & Comer Award, 2017
  • ACRL New England Chapter, Conference Scholarship, 2017
  • Institute for Research Design in Librarianship, Scholarship, 2017
  • American Library Association, IFLA National Committee Fellowship Grant, 2016
  • Library Journal, Social Sciences Reviewer of the Year, 2015
  • ACRL, Early-Career Librarian Scholarship, 2015
  • Southwest Florida Library Network, Continuing Education Scholarship, 2014
  • Florida Conference of Historians, J. Calvitt Clarke III Award, 2013

Publications

  • Rodriguez, Michael. “HTTPS Everywhere: Industry Trends and the Need for Encryption.” Serials Review 44, no. 2 (2018): 131-137. doi:10.1080/00987913.2018.1472478
  • Rodriguez, Michael, Joel Tonyan, and Robert T. Wilson. “Tools and Techniques for Troubleshooting Remote Access." Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship 30, no. 3 (2018): 171-178. doi:10.1080/1941126X.2018.1494095 
  • Rodriguez, Michael. “Creating Spaces for Innovation in the Workplace." In The LITA Leadership Guide: The Librarian as Entrepreneur, Leader, and Technologist, edited by Sharon Clapp and Carl Antonucci, 65-76. Chicago: Rowman & Littlefield, 2017.

Degrees and Certificates

  • Florida State University, MS Library & Information Studies, 2014
  • Florida Gulf Coast University, BA History & English, 2013
  • Florida Southwestern State College, AA General Studies, 2010

Division Affiliations

  • ACRL
  • ALCTS
  • LITA

Were you a Spectrum Scholar?

No

Were you an Emerging Leader?

No

ALA and/or ALA-APA Activities

  • Chair, LITA/ALCTS Electronic Resources Management Interest Group, 2016-present
  • Member, Professional Development Committee, ACRL, 2016-present
  • Member, Library Hi Tech Award Committee, LITA, 2018-present
  • Member, Christian Larew Memorial Scholarship Committee, LITA, 2018-present
  • Member, Communications & Marketing Committee, LITA, 2015-2017

Offices Held in State, Regional, and Other Library Associations

  • ACRL New England Chapter, Vice President/President Elect and Chair, Conference Planning Committee, 2018-present
  • ACRL New England Chapter, Chair, Electronic Resources Management Interest Group, 2017-2018
  • UConn Professional Employees Association, Member, Scholarship Committee, 2016-present
  • Florida Library Association, Vice Chair, Career Development Committee, 2014-2016
  • Florida Library Association, Member, Continuing Education Committee, 2015-2016
  • Steering Committee, Ex Libris Northeast Users Group (ENUG) - North America, 2016-2017
  • Continuing Education Committee, Florida Library Association (FLA), Jul 2015-Feb 2016

Links to Further Information

 

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