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Library School Alumni Association

The mission of the Library School Alumni Association (LSAA) is to support the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS), to encourage active participation of alumni in the programs of GSLIS and LSAA, to encourage students to become active, lifelong supporters of GSLIS and LSAA, and to be a partner with the University of Illinois Alumni Association in supporting alumni in their professional lives.

For more information, e-mail -lis-dev, at uiuc.edu-.

Join LSAA

To join LSAA, you need to join the University of Illinois Alumni Association; be sure to enter the GSLIS promotion code UD31 at the bottom of your application form so that your membership is credited to the Library School Alumni Association specifically, and not just the UIAA generally.

Greetings from LSAA President Mary Ellen Davis

Mary Ellen Davis

The Library School Alumni Association (LSAA) and its activities are as rich and varied as our alumni. The LSAA Board is currently engaged in identifying a number of projects that will support our School, faculty, and students. Please check the LSAA Web site for a list of these opportunities—we will be asking for your help with these projects!

At our meeting in August 2007, the LSAA Board voted on an exciting new initiative: we will use a portion of our assets to establish the School’s first endowed professorship. The fund will receive the first $100,000 from LSAA and we will work with the development office at GSLIS to continue to raise funds until we reach the $500,000 needed to endow a professorship. I challenge you to help us secure that endowed professorship by 2011. With your help, we can make this “brilliant future” happen for our School!

The Board also sponsors awards and regular events for alumni. Last year a group of GSLIS alumni in the Washington, D.C. area began meeting and talking about ways in which they could support the School. Thanks to the efforts of alumna Irene Hoffman (MS ’81), more than 500 alumni in the D.C. area now have a way to interact: visit their Web site at https://apps.lis.uiuc.edu/wiki/x/dWg. We would like to establish similar groups in other areas and are currently working to do so in Chicago.

There are so many ways to get involved, connect with colleagues, give back to GSLIS, and take advantage of the many resources available through LSAA. Let me know if you’re interested in starting a GSLIS alumni group in your area. We are trying to foster more student-alumni connections by supporting the Alternate Spring Break program started last year, which provides short work experiences for students during their spring break. Consider hosting a student at your work place. Such experience provides students with a “real world” look at the profession and I am sure that you will find this a rewarding experience.

My degree from GSLIS opened the door to a rich and varied career. Although I’ve worked in public and academic libraries, I’ve spent most of my 25 years working for a national library association. The people in our profession are bright, talented, and as our many service providers frequently tell me, “genuinely nice.” The service mentality that informs our daily work extends to our profession. I’ve always found librarians to be exceedingly generous in sharing their ideas and helping others. This collaborative orientation is one that I value and led me to serve as president of the Library School Alumni Association (LSAA). I am looking forward to an active and productive year.

Sincerely,

Mary Ellen Davis (MS ’81)
LSAA President