VICE-PRESIDENT/PRESIDENT-ELECT

LIRT Offices Held: Secretary, 1994-95

LIRT Committee Service: LIRT 15th Anniversary Task Force, Robert Silverberg contact for panel 1989-91; Program Planning Committee, member 1992-93; Correspondent, LIRT News, School Library/Media Specialist section 1994-95.

Professional Memberships and Awards: Nevada Delegate to the Affiliate Assembly, AASL, 1990-91. Mountain Plains Library Association, Children's and School Section, chair 1990-91. Mountain Plains Library Association, Professional Development Grants Committee, member 1991; 1994 Conference Chair, joint conference with Nevada Library Association. President, Nevada Library Association, 1990. Nevada Library Association, Chair of School Librarians Association, 1980. Nevada Library Association, Northwest District chair, 1988; Intellectual Freedom Committee, chair 1984-87, 1996; Conference Chair, 1994.

Other Professional Activities, Accomplishments and Awards: American Association of University Women, Nevada State Program Vice-President, 1994-96; State Educational Equity chair 1992-93; Nevada Educational Equity Round Table, chair 1992. Nevada Literacy Coalition Director 1990; Chair of the first Nevada Literacy Conference, 1988. Founder and Director of the Reading Center of North Tahoe, 1988-96. Citizen of the Month, Incline Village Chamber of Commerce, 1991. Award for Excellence, Nevada School and Children's Library Section of Nevada Library Association, 1994. Humanitarian of the Year, AAUW, 1994.

Statement of Professional Concerns:

My greatest concern is to insure that LIRT retain a position of prominence within the structure of ALA. The possibilities of prominence are unlimited. LIRT represents the greatest need in our profession. The most effective way to create high visibility for LIRT is through publications. LIRT's publications to date have been excellent, necessary efforts. LIRT's potential for the production of publications is also unlimited.

My greatest strength is planning and executing big events. Planning programs that would energize, inform and be the catalyst to instructional efforts would be my personal goal. It is with awe that I regard the programming by LIRT in the past and I would challenge ALA to allow LIRT even greater time allotments for programs. Every conference presents a number of programs that are non-LIRT meetings but are related to our interests. I feel that LIRT should be the initiator of these compatible programs.

As I look at the possibilities for LIRT in the coming years, there is much opportunity for growth, a sense of contribution, a positive, supportive organization trying to deal with the unlimited advances of library-related technology. The complex issues of teaching people how to use what we have to offer makes ALL patrons students; just as we ALL become students when we have a new technology to learn.

So there you have it--instead of the three "r's"--I have many "p's": prominence; publications; programming; and patrons as students. But most of all LIRT and I have POSSIBILITIES.

JAMES H. WALTHER Applications Consultant, LEXIS-NEXIS Information Services, 1994- B.A., Sociology and Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1991
M.L.I.S., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1992

LIRT Committee Service: Professional Association Networking Committee, member 1992-94, chair 1994-1996. Editor of Directory of Library Instruction and Related Groups, 2nd ed., 1994.

Professional Memberships and Awards: Library Advocacy NOW! Training, Washington, DC, 1995. Wisconsin Inter-library Services, OCLC Peer Council, 1992-93. Special Library Association, Wisconsin Chapter, Career Guidance Committee, chair 1992-93. Library Council of Metropolitan Milwaukee, Public Services Committee, chair, 1992-93. Law Librarians of Washington, D.C., Contemporary Social Problems, chair 1994. District of Columbia Library Association, Student Financial Services, chair, 1993-96.

Other Professional Activities, Accomplishments and Awards: Alpha Kappa Delta Honor Society, Life and Charter Member of Iota Chapter of Wisconsin, Vice-President, 1990-91. Presidential Classroom for Young Americans (a civic education organization), Staff Instructor, 1995.

Statement of Professional Concerns: I believe the best element of LIRT is our constituency. I believe that my experience as a librarian and currently as a computer applications trainer will be a great match to further the goals of ALA's Library Instruction Round Table. We are a cross-section of libraries represented through our membership, which is comprised of librarians and information professionals from all types of libraries, including special, academic, school and public. In this time of budget reallocations, staff downsizing, and technological advances, our cooperation and facilitation of creating a group forum for discussion will serve the American Library Association and our library user populations well.

Training of ourselves and our users remains of utmost importance. I believe LIRT should continue to provide effective research and programs about viewing librarians as educators for library users and assist in the evaluation of training programs currently existing in libraries across our nation. Especially in light of recent advancements, including: automation, user-computer interfaces, human-computer interaction designed training and the massive amounts of information currently stored in information systems, our training of these systems must be well-implemented. If President of LIRT, I will guide relevant publications, program and activities, concurrent with the level of excellence LIRT has achieved since its inception.

VICE-TREASURER/TREASURER-ELECT

LIRT Offices Held: President, 1986-87, Vice-President/President-Elect, 1985-86.

LIRT Committee Service: Chair, Elections/Nominations Committee, Long Range Planning Committee, Organization and Bylaws Committee, 15th Anniversary Task Force, Promotions Subcommittee. Member, PR/Membership Committee, Conference Program Committee, Long Range Planning Committee, Organization and Bylaws Committee, and Elections/Nominations Committee.

Professional Memberships and Awards: Public Library Association, Marketing Division, Programs Committee.

Other Professional Activities and Accomplishments: During my leadership of LIRT, the LIRT Handbook was developed and the organization celebrated its 10th Anniversary.

Statement of Professional Concerns: Having served LIRT for the past fifteen years as Vice-President, President, Past-President, Committee Chair, and member, I know it is important that LIRT remain a round table in ALA. This is the only organization that brings librarians, from all types of libraries, together to pursue a common purpose. This purpose is to provide basic library instruction to all users.

Through LIRT committees, librarians exchange information and creativity. Our programs, books, booklists, and surveys allow us to distribute this information to everyone. At the annual conference, we provide programs that focus on an awareness of the importance of library instruction. These products and services help librarians build effective and confident library users.

Once a person knows what valuable services a library can provide, that person will become a library advocate. Ultimately, libraries and organizations with powerful advocates will survive and prosper. LIRT's instructional services are important in this cycle, that must exist, to ensure our continued long-term organizational health.

LINDA L. CHOPRA Support Services Supervisor, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library, 1993-
B.S. in Education, English, Kent State University, 1971
M.L.S., Kent State University, 1980
Graduate courses in Management and Automation, Kent State University, 1982-84

LIRT Committee Service: Membership/Public Relations Committee, member, 1994-1996.

Professional Memberships and Awards: Ohio Women Librarians, President, 1993. Ohio Library Council, Adult Services Division, Action Council, 1990-96. Cleveland Area Metropolitan Library System, Interlibrary Reference Service Task Force, chair, 1992-96.

Other Professional Activities and Accomplishments: Co-author of the following library instruction publications, published by the Center for Learning in Cleveland, 1991--Research I: Information Literacy; Research II: Investigative Skills, Processing Information, & Writing a Formal Paper.

Statement of Professional Concerns: Library instruction, whether conducted in formal group training sessions or one-on-one with individuals, should become increasingly more important as libraries add new technologies and electronic resources to their collections. As a public librarian who serves "the man on the street," I feel a particularly strong commitment to teaching information-gathering skills to those who do not have the opportunity or means to acquire them elsewhere. The future of our nation depends upon the ability of our citizens to acquire and comprehend information on complex subjects and issues. Libraries are providing users with access to this information in many different formats--newspapers, magazines, books, online databases, CD-ROM products, the Internet, etc.--and must now recognize the ongoing need for instruction to accompany this access.

SECRETARY

LIRT Committee Service: Public Relations/Membership, Booth Coordinator 1991-93, chair 1993-95. Literacy Assembly Liaison, 1993-96. Elections/Nominations Committee, member, 1995-96.

Professional Memberships and Awards: ALA Intellectual Freedom Round Table, Oboler Award Committee, member 1991-93. ACRL Instruction Section, Planning Committee, Liaison to Communications, 1994-96.

Other Professional Activities and Accomplishments: University of Central Florida Faculty Senate, Secretary, 1995-96. Excellence in Librarianship Award, University of Central Florida, 1995. AISP/University of Central Florida Grant to fund a mobile library instruction program, 1995-96.

Statement of Professional Concerns: I believe the interrelationship among school, public, academic, and special libraries is more critical today than at any time in the past. The development of excellent communication through local alliances and consortia should provide easy and inexpensive access to information throughout a community. Librarians should instruct their patrons of all ages and backgrounds in the skills and abilities needed to locate, analyze, and then utilize information. Jennifer James, a cultural anthropologist, recently stated, "Intelligence will become the ability to retrieve information." Those retrieval skills must be developed and enhanced at all stages of learning. If we are unsuccessful in our mission, the differences in those capabilities will continue to separate the haves from the have-nots of the next generation. Librarians must take the initiative. They must be leaders in the information age. LIRT, an alliance on the national level, is essential in developing communication and encouraging initiative among school, public, academic, and special libraries.

DIANA DONNER SHONROCK Coordinator of the General Reference Section, Iowa State University, 1992-
B.S., Home Economics Education, Iowa State University, 1969
M.S., Family Environment -- Housing, Iowa State University, 1975
M.L.S., University of Iowa, 1992

LIRT Committee Service: Public Relations/Membership Committee, member 1987-1991. Research Committee, member 1991-93, chair 1993-95. Long-Range Planning Committee, member 1995-97. Organization and Bylaws Committee, member 1995-97.

Professional Memberships and Awards: ACRL, Instruction Section, Committee on Education for Bibliographic Instruction, member 1987-91; Handbook Evaluation Committee, 1991-96. Iowa Library Association, Iowa/ACRL Nominating Committee, member 1989-90. State Library of Iowa, Continuing Education Certification Advisory Committee, member 1985-89. Co-chair BIS/ALISE Program at Chicago, 1991, "Great Expectations! Library Education for Bibliographic Instruction." Beta Phi Mu, 1993. Kappa Omicron Nu (National Home Economic Scholastic Honorary), 1975.

Other Professional Activities and Accomplishments: Author of numerous articles, books, reports, and manuals. Important examples include: editor of Evaluating Library Instruction: Sample Questions, Forms, and Strategies for Practical Use, a work of the LIRT Research Committee, published this year by ALA Editions; Co-Author of "Instruction Librarians: Acquiring the Proficiencies Critical to Their Work," with Craig Mulder, published in College and Research Libraries, 54(2): 137-139, March 1993; creation of a 13 minute video, "The Electronic Library Information Quest, 1994, Iowa State University; and editor of Access to Information: A Manual for Bibliographic Instruction at Iowa State University, 1990. I have also presented papers, workshops, and poster sessions at the state and national level. Consultant for the National Agricultural Library text-digitizing project. Iowa State University Instructional Development Grant.