CARLI Board Members

CARLI Governance Board Roster and Terms

Jo Cates Director of the Library Columbia College Chicago	Jo Cates “I deeply appreciate the value CARLI brings to our libraries and would like to offer my service. CARLI provides not only essential tools, programs, and resources, but the camaraderie and support so critical as we navigate our dwindling budgets and other obstacles. This support was never more apparent than during the past two years. I've had the good fortune to work with CARLI on several occasions--when I first joined Columbia College Chicago as library director in 2001 (I remember ILCSO!), at Rush University Medical Center Library, and upon my return to the Columbia Library in 2019. I have developed a three-year plan designed to move our library to a post-Covid environment, with emphasis on cultural goals, social justice, and the behaviors we need to model as we determine our priorities and what matters in the new world. One of those goals is "collaborate or fail," which is exactly what my experience with CARLI has taught me. We are all in this together. Just as CARLI offers us an annual value letter, I believe I can provide value to CARLI and support the work that benefits all members.”
Carolyn Ciesla Director, A.C. Buehler Library Elmhurst University	Carolyn Ciesla Carolyn Ciesla is the Director of the A.C. Buehler Library at Elmhurst University. Working in Illinois libraries since 2008, Carolyn’s experience includes the Center for Research Libraries (CRL), several public libraries, and prior to joining Elmhurst in 2021, Dean of Learning Resources and Assessment at Prairie State College. Carolyn has been active with ILA since the beginning of her library career and served as IACRL President in 2017-18. Professional interests include increasing BIPOC representation in the field and trauma-informed leadership. She received her B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona and M.L.I.S. from San Jose State University.
Anne Craig CARLI Senior Director	Since July of 2016, Anne Craig has had the privilege of serving as the Senior Director at CARLI, the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois, a unit of the System Offices of the University of Illinois. CARLI counts 128 academic and research libraries as its members, ranging in size and scope from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to small, one-person libraries, and research libraries like the Newberry. Prior to July 2016, Anne was the Director of the Illinois State Library for 11 years under Secretary of State Jesse White. She held various roles at the ISL since start there as a Reference Librarian in 1989. "I have seen firsthand the power that consortia can bring to challenges that all libraries face. Together, we can deliver transformative, enriching services and programs to Illinois’ students and faculty. I am so proud to be part of this great organization!"
Stephanie Davis-Kahl University Librarian and University Copyright Officer Illinois Wesleyan University	Stephanie Davis-Kahl is the University Librarian & Copyright Officer at The Ames Library at Illinois Wesleyan University. She provides leadership and long-term planning for library services, collections, human resources, and facilities, as well as leadership for print and electronic collections focused on undergraduate learning and scholarship. She also serves as liaison to several academic departments, supporting students and faculty through consultations, collection development, and information literacy instruction, and represents the library within Academic Affairs at IWU. She also represents the library within the Consortium of Academic & Research Libraries of Illinois (CARLI), the Center for Research Libraries (CRL), and the Library Publishing Coalition (LPC). She has served as the Managing Faculty Co-Editor of the Undergraduate Economic Review since 2008. She earned her BA in East Asian Studies from Oberlin College and her MS in Library Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In 2014, she received the Distinguished Librarian Award from the Education & Behavioral Sciences Section of the Association of College & Research Libraries.
Dennis Krieb Director of Institutional Research and Library Services Lewis and Clark Community College	Dennis Krieb "I am a hopeless optimist when it comes to academic libraries. I believe the future is bright. Our libraries, and those who work within them, shape the lives of students, faculty, administrators, and the general public. Libraries are a fundamental component of higher education. We as librarians know this. But I also believe we should never presume that others will know this. CARLI is a remarkable organization. I have had the privilege of witnessing the impact of CARLI as both a past Board member and library director. I am currently working with the third cohort of CARLI Counts, which has been an incredible program for helping equip librarians to quantifiably assess their services and collections upon student success. I’m happy to report that a CARLI Counts team from Cohort 2 was recently notified that their CARLI Counts work will be published next year in College & Research Libraries. Simply stated, CARLI’s advocacy, expertise, support, and mentoring are invaluable – I can’t imagine my library without CARLI."
Dallas Long Dean of Milner Library Illinois State University	Dallas Long is the Dean of Milner Library at Illinois State University, where he served previously as the associate dean and as the head of access services. His 25-year career in librarianship spans community colleges, public libraries, vendors, and special libraries. He holds a PhD in education from Illinois State University and an MEd and MLS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As an alumnus of the Fulbright program, Long has taught library science in Hungary and assisted the Qatar National Library with its grand opening in 2017. He is an active member of the Association of College & Research Libraries, the American Alliance of Museums, and the American Society of Archivists.
Greg McCormick Director Illinois State Library	Greg McCormick “The State Library has a long history of assuring grant programs are developed to support and expand library services in over 1,800 public, academic, school, and special library agencies in Illinois. LSTA funds, and even funding from its predecessor LSCA, have played an integral role in assuring library services are available and continue to be relevant to the state’s residents. Three clear priorities continue to be voiced by our libraries 1) investment in resource sharing; 2) continuance of “free” delivery of library materials between the 1,800 library agencies; and 3) investment in the education of the library workforce. Funding from IMLS, coupled with state resources, allows our agency to address these priorities of the Illinois library community.”
Matthew Ostercamp, Chair Director, Brandel Library Northpark University	Matt Ostercamp is currently the Library Director of the Brandel Library at North Park University in Chicago. Previous positions include serving as the Access Services Librarian at North Park and the Head of Technical Services at Trinity International University. Matt is a past president of Atla the professional organization for theological and religious librarians. He has an MA in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois and an MA in Christian Thought from Trinity International University. Research interests include the philosophy of technology, reading practices, and the history of Christianity.
Geoff Pettys Director, Medical Library Southern Illinois University School of Medicine	Geoff Pettys “I am the Director of the Medical Library at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois. I have worked at SIU-SOM’s Library in various capacities for 8 years and worked at DePaul University’s library for 10 years before joining SIU. I also serve on the Board of Trustees for Lincoln Library, the Public Library of Springfield. I have benefited from CARLI’s resources and services throughout my entire career in libraries and it is an honor to serve on the Governance Board.”
Pattie Piotrowski, Chair-elect University Librarian and Dean, Library Instructional Services University of Illinois Springfield, Brookens Library	Pattie Piotrowski, University Librarian and Dean, Library Instructional Services at the Norris Brookens Library, University of Illinois Springfield, has spent the last twenty years in Illinois academic libraries. She holds an MLIS from Dominican University, and an MBA from Illinois Institute of Technology. She has been a member of ALA and ACRL since the start of her career, as well as an active member of ILA. She served as the 2013-14 IACRL President and then as the ILA President in 2016-17. She was a member of the 2003-04 Synergy: Illinois Library Leadership Initiative co-hort and a founding member of Elevate Illinois Libraries Leadership Program, which had its first session in April 2018. In 2016 she was named Illinois Library Association Academic Librarian of the Year. She has published book chapters, published in College & Research Libraries, portal: Libraries and the Academy, and presented at local and national conferences. "Unknown to many of our users, a library is a complex operating system with many moving parts, but our users depend on us and, more importantly, trust us to meet their numerous and varied needs. In Illinois we are fortunate to have a consortium for academic libraries that provides services, training, engagement and cost-savings. Having worked at CARLI institutions for more than twenty years, I have faith in the power of the consortium and believe that our challenge is in supporting and sustaining this organization which is essential to Illinois academic institutions."
Shannon Pohrte Associate Dean of the Library Elgin Community College	Shannon Pohrte is currently the Associate Dean of the Library at Elgin Community College since August of 2018. Previously she was the Director of Library Services at the University of St. Francis in Joliet. Shannon obtained her MLIS from Dominican University. Though she has had 13 years in college libraries, Shannon has also worked as a public librarian and high school library assistant. These different roles provide Shannon with creative ways to bring knowledge and best serve the students, staff, and faculty of ECC. She feels that libraries can fill so many different patron needs from technology to just being a welcoming place to land.
Devon Powell Dean, Library Administration South Suburban College	Devon Powell "I currently serve as the Dean of Student Services and Library at South Suburban College since 2018. My career in higher education includes 20 years of experience in student affairs administration in private and public institutions. I’ve had the privilege to benefit from the professional services and resources of CARLI during my tenure at SSC."
Morgann Quilty Associate Dean, Learning Commons Parkland College	Morgann Quilty is the Associate Dean for the Learning Commons at Parkland College. She first came to Parkland in 2019 as the Library Director, then shepherded the Library through its transition into the Learning Commons in 2021. The Learning Commons brings together wraparound academic support services to ensure student needs are met in a single physical and virtual environment. Prior to her role at Parkland, Morgann held roles in Illinois and Australia, working in medical, public, and academic libraries. She graduated from the University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science in 2003 and received a graduate certificate in University Teaching from the University of Notre Dame Australia. As a community college graduate herself, and a library kid from the beginning, Morgann’s passion is connecting students with the resources that will help them succeed—whether that’s in a certificate program for a career or taking the first steps towards a higher degree. CARLI plays a huge role in the ability of Parkland College to connect students with those resources, and Morgann is delighted to give back by serving on the CARLI Board.
Sharon Silverman, Past Chair Department Chair, Library-Learning Resource Center Olive-Harvey College, City Colleges of Chicago	Dr. Sharon T. Silverman has served for almost ten years as Department Chair of the Library-Learning Resource Center at Olive-Harvey College. In this capacity, she has formed partnerships with department chairpersons from a variety of disciplines to create Embedded Librarian Library Instruction Sessions. She works closely with the Directors of Information Technology, The Transfer Center, Deans of Instruction, and Student Services for the purpose of acquiring innovative instructional resources for students, faculty, and staff.
Claire Stewart Juanita J. and Robert E. Simpson Dean of Libraries and University Librarian University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Claire Stewart "I have rejoined the Illinois academic library community as dean of libraries at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I served on CARLI digital collections and standards committees in the mid-2000's, and believe very strongly in the good work of this community, and in what we can do together to create a more just and equitable world. Along with our parent institutions, there is much we can do collectively to ensure that the decisions that shape our lives are evidence-based, respect and reflect the full diversity of the human experience, and are bolstered by the broadest possible access to information. Academic libraries have critical roles to play in each of these dimensions. Prior to joining UIUC, I served as Dean of Libraries at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Associate University Librarian for Research & Learning at the University of Minnesota, and held several positions over 20 years at Northwestern University. In addition to my expertise in intellectual property, digitization and curation structures, and library administration, I have consortial service and leadership experience in the University of Nebraska Consortium of Libraries, Big Ten Academic Alliance, and the HathiTrust."
Nathan Thebarge Director, Rolfing Library Trinity International University	Nathan Thebarge “I have had the privilege of working at a CARLI member institution for the past seven years. I have seen the immense value of CARLI through my work in IShare, on the Resource Sharing and Primo committees, and as the point person for the completion of our Voyager/Alma conversion. I also have been encouraged by the new director mentorship program through CARLI. My former director served on the CARLI Governance Board and recommended it to me. I bring significant experience with CARLI to the board as well as a fresh perspective as a new director. Also, I believe it is helpful for the CARLI board to reflect the different types of institutions represented in the consortium. As a director of the library at a smaller institution that is moving towards more online and remote programs, I am a voice for similarly sized and situated libraries who are part of CARLI.”