Release

Assistant Dean Voted President-elect of NYS Library Association

Contact: Catherine Herman (518) 437-4980

ALBANY, N.Y. (October 24, 2005) -- University at Albany's College of Computing and Information Assistant Dean, Rachel Baum, has been voted president-elect of the New York State Library Association (NYLA). She will begin her role, a post she will hold for one year, at the annual NYLA conference in Buffalo next week.

As president-elect, Baum's responsibilities include determining agendas of all executive board and council meetings, developing the budget for the presidential year, planning conferences and banquets, and speaking to the media on NYLA's position and priorities. Baum also plans to travel throughout the state during her presidential year to meet with library staff and trustees of libraries to find out what their concerns and issues are, and how NYLA can help them.

Baum has been in the library field for many years, most recently as manager of information and outreach services at the Upper Hudson Library System in Albany. Among other positions, she has served as director of the Ravena Free Library in Ravena, NY, and as director of the Broad Valleys Federation of Libraries in Bozeman, Montana.

Baum has a Master's degree in library science from the University of Michigan and a B.A. from the University of Houston.

Additional information about the NYLA election and Rachel Baum is available at http://www.nyla.org/index.php?page_id=1055. Visit www.nyla.org for more details about the New York State Library Association.