Alire serving as ACRL president

Contact: Dawn Mueller


ACRL Production Editor


312-280-2516
For Immediate Release


February 21, 2006

Alire serving as ACRL president

CHICAGO – Camila A. Alire, dean of library services for the University of New Mexico, currently is serving as president of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).

“Camila's extensive leadership experience both within and outside of ALA and ACRL have more than prepared her for this key leadership role,” said ACRL Executive Director Mary Ellen K. Davis. “ACRL has already benefited from Camila's vision, creativity, and leadership as chair of the ACRL 2005 National Conference Executive Committee.”

A six-year member of the ALA Council and a three-year member of the ALA Executive Board, Alire has held numerous positions in ALA and ACRL. She served on the ACRL Budget and Finance Committee, the C
ollege and Research Libraries News Editorial Advisory Board, and as the ACRL Local Arrangements co-chair of the 2001 National Conference Executive Committee.

Alire also has been active in the Colorado Library Association, the New Mexico Library Association, and the Mountain Plains Library Association. She was elected National President of REFORMA, 1993–94, and is currently on the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Executive Board.

Her publications include “Library Disaster Planning and Recovery Handbook,” editor/contributor, 2000
; “Serving Latino Communities,” co-author, 1998; “Minorities and the Symbolic Potential of the Academic Library,” co-author,
College and Research Libraries, Nov., 1995.

Prior to coming to the University of New Mexico in 2001, Alire was the dean of university libraries at Colorado State University. She received her bachelor of arts degree from Adams State College and her master's of library science from the University of Denver. Alire also received her doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Northern Colorado.

ACRL is a division of the American Library Association (ALA), representing more than 13,000 academic and research librarians and interested individuals. ACRL is the only individual membership organization in North America that develops programs, products and services to meet the unique needs of academic and research librarians. Its initiatives enable the higher education community to understand the role that academic libraries play in the teaching, learning and research environments.