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Katherine Klosek Appointed Director of Information Policy for ARL

photo of Katherine Klosek
Katherine Klosek

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has appointed Katherine Klosek to the position of director of Information Policy, beginning on December 1, 2020. Katherine comes to ARL from Johns Hopkins University (JHU), where she served as director of the Center for Applied Public Research and was instrumental in the center’s launch. As director, she advanced evidence-based policy making by connecting researchers with public policy decision-makers. Katherine is particularly skilled at translating complex research into policy recommendations, and understanding and representing the interests of diverse coalition members. While at JHU, Katherine brought together public sector practitioners and researchers to build relationships, discover new ideas, and discuss proven practices along with emerging research. Katherine’s experience at JHU includes supporting cities in open data management and use.

Katherine began her career advancing statewide policy goals as a senior analyst with former Maryland Governor O’Malley’s signature StateStat program. Before joining JHU, Katherine directed Baltimore City’s Partnership to End Childhood Hunger, leading a coalition of public and private stakeholders in advocating for expanded access to healthy food, and planning and implementing evidence-based strategies to eradicate hunger and improve economic stability for families. Katherine received a bachelor of arts in political science and conflict resolution from Salisbury University, and a master of public policy from Johns Hopkins University.

As a member of the ARL Scholarship and Policy team, Katherine will formulate Association positions on key information policy debates, and develop and implement advocacy strategies to advance the Association’s legal and public policy agenda in legislative, administrative, and judicial forums. Building strong partnerships with stakeholders in libraries, higher education, scholarship, and civil society, she will represent the Association in outreach to policy makers on Capitol Hill and in the executive branch. Serving as the staff lead to ARL’s Advocacy and Public Policy Committee, Katherine will help mobilize ARL’s membership to influence government policy–making in key moments, and in responding and adapting to major legal and policy developments.

“Katherine’s expertise in representing ARL’s positions with strategic public policy makers and other key stakeholders is critical to advancing our 2021–2022 public policy agenda,” said Mary Lee Kennedy, ARL’s executive director. “In joining Judy Ruttenberg, senior director of Scholarship and Policy, and the soon to be announced director of Scholars and Scholarship, Katherine will bridge the world of public policy and scholars and scholarship. This new Policy and Scholarship team is an exciting next step for ARL and its members.”

 

About the Association of Research Libraries

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 124 research libraries in Canada and the US whose mission is to advance research, learning, and scholarly communication. The Association fosters the open exchange of ideas and expertise; advances diversity, equity, and inclusion; and pursues advocacy and public policy efforts that reflect the values of the library, scholarly, and higher education communities. ARL forges partnerships and catalyzes the collective efforts of research libraries to enable knowledge creation and to achieve enduring and barrier-free access to information. ARL is on the web at ARL.org.

 

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