SPARC

http://www.arl.org/sparc/media/2006-0221.shtml

RAY ENGLISH ELECTED SPARC STEERING COMMITTEE CHAIR

RAY ENGLISH ELECTED SPARC STEERING COMMITTEE CHAIR

Oberlin’s English Recently Named 2006 ACRL Librarian of the Year

For Immediate Release
February 21, 2006

For more information, contact:
Alison Buckholtz, alison@arl.org

Washington, DC – The SPARC Steering Committee, whose newest members began their three-year terms on January 1, has elected Ray English to the position of Chair. English, the Azariah Smith Root Director of Libraries at Oberlin College, has served as a SPARC Steering Committee member since 1999.

English was recently named the 2006 Association of College and Research Libraries’ (ACRL) Academic/Research Librarian of the Year, an award that recognizes an outstanding member of the library profession who has made a significant national or international contribution to academic/research librarianship and library development.

“SPARC is a dynamic, forward-focused and fast-paced organization that I have greatly enjoyed working with since its founding, and I am pleased that I will have the opportunity as Chair to contribute to its important work in the scholarly communication marketplace,” English said.

“Ray English is an original thinker who brings creativity and tactical leadership to the position of SPARC Chair,” said Heather Joseph, SPARC’s Executive Director. “Our steering committee and I believe he will help move forward several important changes to benefit libraries, librarians, and researchers.”

SPARC's voting membership, which includes representatives from over 150 academic libraries in the U.S. and Canada, also elected the following individuals to serve on the SPARC Steering Committee for three-year terms which began January 1:

  • Larry Alford, Temple University
  • Sherrie Bergman, Bowdoin College (by re-election)
  • Ray English, Oberlin College (by re-election)
  • Diane Graves, Trinity University
  • John Ober, University of California
  • Sarah Pritchard, University of California, Santa Barbara

The new members join the current members of the SPARC Steering Committee:

  • Nancy Baker, University of Iowa
  • Deb Carver, University of Oregon
  • Gwendolyn Ebbett, University of Windsor
  • Joyce Ogburn, University of Utah
  • Carolyne Presser, University of Manitoba
  • Bas Savenije, University of Utrecht

Steering Committee members whose terms concluded in December include outgoing Chair Jim Neal (Columbia University), Sam Demas (Carleton College), Sarah Michalak (UNC Chapel Hill), and MacKenzie Smith (MIT). Neal’s service to the steering committee was recognized with a plaque and a speech from SPARC Executive Director Heather Joseph at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in San Antonio.

The SPARC Nominating Committee for this year's election included Shirley Baker, Charles Lowry, and Pamela Snelson.

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SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) and SPARC Europe are an international alliance of more than 300 academic and research libraries working to correct imbalances in the scholarly publishing system. SPARC’s advocacy, educational, and publisher partnership programs encourage expanded dissemination of research. SPARC is located on the Web at http://www.arl.org/sparc; SPARC Europe is at http://www.sparceurope.org.