SJSU School of Information Lecturers and Student Elected to CLA Leadership Positions

News

Two faculty members and a graduate student at the San José State University (SJSU) School of Information have been chosen by voters for positions on the California Library Association (CLA) board of directors. When the current terms end, the newly-elected board members will take on their positions: Beth Wrenn-Estes as treasurer, Patty Wong as ALA chapter councilor, and Kimberlee Wheeler as student representative.

Wrenn-Estes will be serving her second term as treasurer of CLA. She is also currently the treasurer of the Bay Area Young Adult Librarians Association. Wrenn-Estes is a full-time lecturer at the SJSU iSchool and received the 2014 Most Distinguished (Faculty) Service Award.

Wong is currently the county librarian/chief archivist for Yolo County Library. She was named CLA Member of the Year in 2013, and believes the position of chapter councilor is an essential one for bringing opportunities to California. According to Wong, “The ALA chapter councilor’s role is a needed ambassador for CLA and for California library services. It is important that there is a clear, positive, well-developed and established relationship representing CA library priorities at the national level.”

Wheeler is in her third year of the exclusively online Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree program at the SJSU School of Information, and she works as the youth services coordinator for the Paradise branch of the Butte County Library.

In addition, Wheeler is the third graduate student from the SJSU School of Information elected as student representative to CLA since 2012 when the position was created. She is looking forward to the opportunity to work with board members of CLA. “I am thrilled to have the chance to advocate for California students of information science in the year ahead,” she said. “My goals include sharing student interests and concerns with CLA’s leadership in order to ensure that our voices and ideas are heard throughout the organization.”

Being chosen to represent her fellow students is important to Wheeler. “It’s also personally very meaningful to represent SJSU’s world-class MLIS program alongside Beth Wrenn-Estes,” she explained.

The elections were held online from Sept. 15, 2014, to Oct. 11, 2014. Wrenn-Estes, Wong, and Wheeler will all begin their terms in November.