Past Candidate Statements
Not sure how to begin writing your candidate statement for ACRL/NEC elected office? Below are past candidate statements from some of the Chapter's current Board members.
Mark Shelton, Vice President/President-Elect
As a librarian who has worked with academic library colleagues throughout the New England region for the past 20+ years, I have seen just how committed they have been to the success of their faculty, students, and institutions. Their work and level of collaboration has been an inspiration exemplifying their dedication to service. Now is my opportunity to give back to them, colleagues old and new, to work to foster new opportunities that will benefit them and their institutions. By helping to increase new opportunities that serve librarians, archivists, and staff at all levels, I hope to bring a new level of engagement with each other and within ACRL/NEC. This includes building a shared sense of community that involves and respects everyone and recognizes that value each person and institution brings to the collaborative effort that underpins the academic and intellectual importance of academic libraries in New England.
Kristina Edwards, Treasurer-Elect/Treasurer
After working for years within the Connecticut Library Association to become familiar with local library and librarian concerns, I would love the opportunity to work more closely with academic librarians from across New England. Since becoming a librarian, ACRL has always been an important part of my professional development. In the past, I have received an ACRL NEC scholarship to attend the annual conference and I have also worked on the ACRL NEC Conference planning committee, so I have firsthand knowledge of the importance of the annual conference is to its attendees and to the chapter. Now that my responsibilities with CLA are coming to an end, I look forward to an opportunity to work within ACRL NEC again. Using my recent experience as the CLA Treasurer of 4 years, my hope is to continue the work of the current treasurer in updating (going paperless where possible) budget processes so that ACRL NEC has the necessary tools to grow and create a sustainable future.
Kelsey Diemand, Secretary
I am interested in serving on the ACRL/NEC board because I want to engage in more conversations about academic librarianship with my colleagues across New England. I am currently finishing up my six-month journey with the ACRL-DOLS Anti-Racism Task Force and I want to continue meeting regularly with colleagues, discussing the challenges and successes of our colleagues, institutions, and LIS and higher education at large. As someone who is relatively new to leadership in my current role, I believe serving as an ACRL/NEC leader would provide an opportunity to practice and hone my leadership skills while simultaneously learning from my colleagues and fellow board members in ACRL. I am very organized, detail-oriented, reliable, and am a good listener. Thus, I enthusiastically throw my hat into the ring, so to speak, for the role of Secretary. In addition to performing the required duties of Secretary, I would aim to provide insight and feedback for ACRL/NEC initiatives, most specifically events and outreach, while in office. I am eager to learn! Thank you for your consideration.
Cory Budden, Maine State Representative
As the Maine State Representative, I would bring experience in grassroots organizing, graphic design and communications, and project management. Each of these skills would make me effective in communicating what our state is up to, promoting the work of the NEC, and working with others to drum up exciting and collaborative initiatives. Maine has a wealth of excellent universities, and I would be proud to represent and celebrate all the impactful work our librarians initiate in our state. I’m especially excited at the opportunity to learn from and work with my colleagues throughout New England. I’m an advocate for equitable access to information, open educational resources, and diversity, and each of these tenets flourish through the open sharing of ideas and resources. As we continue to move through times of great transition in our field and the world, I hope we can support each other so that we librarians, and the students and faculty we serve, feel supported and uplifted as academics and as people. The NEC chapter provides a valuable platform for this type of collaborative work, and I would love to be a part of it!
Lauren Fletcher, Rhode Island State Representative
My name is Lauren Fletcher, MLIS, MA and I am running for State Rep for Rhode Island. I recently started as the Medical Education & Clinical Engagement Librarian at Brown University. I received my MLIS in 2017 from the University of Pittsburgh and have an MA in History from Clemson University. Prior to starting my position at Brown, I have held various roles in health sciences/STEM librarianship across the country. Before moving to New England, I was a Research & Instruction Librarian at the University of Mississippi Medical Center working with the Schools of Population Health, Health Related Professions, and Pharmacy. I am an active member of the Medical Library Association, acting as an officer for the New Members Caucus, and was the Mississippi State Rep for the Southern Chapter of MLA while living in Mississippi. My personal research interests lie in digital pedagogy, evidence syntheses, evidence-based medicine, and engagement practices. My current research project centers around hiring & onboarding during the pandemic.
My goal as RI State Rep is to encourage RI librarians to get involved with ACRL/NEC and to establish and promote more personal, professional, and research connections between New England librarians.
Christie Silkotch
At the end of my first fully-COVID term as the Vermont state representative, I am finally getting oriented within ACRL/NEC and seeking re-election. Being a point of connection and sharing pertinent information and professional development opportunities is so important in our little state. I’d love to continue the process of working with other state representatives to develop our role within the organization, creating a useful network, a sense of community, and a framework for the transfer of knowledge between representatives. Moving forward, I also see an opportunity for conversations between the Vermont Library Association (VLA), the Vermont Consortium of Academic Libraries (VCAL), and the ACRL/NEC representative, which is something I would gladly facilitate. Thank you for your consideration!