CARLI Board Members
CARLI Governance Board Roster and Terms
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Stefanie Bluemle |
Stefanie Bluemle Stefanie Bluemle is the director of the library at Augustana College, where she oversees the library’s operations and facilities, supports collaboration between the library and other campus departments, and provides leadership in developing the library's strategic vision. Prior to becoming director, she was a research and instruction librarian and coordinator of the Augustana library's information literacy instruction program. Her professional interests include information literacy and assessment of student learning; her most recent work focuses on the intersection between academic information literacy and national politics. Stefanie has an MA in English and an MLS from Indiana University Bloomington. |
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Michelle Boule Smith, Chair-elect |
Michelle Boule Smith Michelle Boule Smith is the Director of Library Services at North Central College in Naperville, IL and serves as adjunct faculty at University of Nebraska Omaha, teaching Digital Citizenship. She is a native Texan and has worn many hats in libraries in three different states and different kinds of libraries. She previously served on the Wyoming Community College Commission Library Consortia, as a Member At Large for the Wyoming Library Association, as a member of the EDI Task Force for WLA, and was an LJ Mover and Shaker in 2008. She believes in the collective power of libraries to change the world and currently serves on the ILA 2025 Conference Committee and on the Libras Executive Board. |
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Carolyn Ciesla |
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 |
Anne Craig 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!" |
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Jan Figa |
Jan Figa Jan Figa has been the Dean of the Library at Governors State University since June 16, 2023. His extensive and versatile administrative library experience includes private liberal arts colleges, community colleges, vocational colleges, R1 & R2 universities and one public library. He judiciously uses his science background in soil and fluid mechanics from the University of Oxford and UIUC, respectively, as a guide in design thinking to create purposeful and engaging library spaces. His goals for the library include transforming it into a multipurpose destination (built on the CORNERSTONES principle), fostering community involvement, removing barriers to resources, and creating a high-tech and high-touch environment. His research interests broadly belong to areas within STEAM, Digital Humanities and Educational Reform. |
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Marlee Graser Marlee Graser was appointed as the Dean of Library and Information Services at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2024 and brings over a decade of experience working in various roles in academic librarianship. Most recently, her work has focused on academic library leadership and strategic planning. Her experience has given her insight into the challenges and opportunities facing CARLI member institutions, and she is honored to contribute to CARLI’s important work supporting and advancing the collective goals of libraries across Illinois. |
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Terra Jacobson |
Terra Jacobson I am interested in running for the CARLI Governance Board, representing community college libraries. My experience with community college libraries is demonstrated by my service on boards like NILRC (Network of Illinois Learning Resources in Community Colleges) and 15 years of experience in Illinois community colleges. Additionally, my research and publications related to community college libraries have provided me with a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing all academic libraries today, especially community colleges. |
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Brian Keith |
Brian Keith Brian W. Keith serves as the Dean of the Mary J. Booth Library at Eastern Illinois University. Prior to this, he was an Associate Dean at the University of Florida Libraries, where he held a variety of leadership roles and gained significant administrative experience. His professional focus centers on leading collaborative initiatives to reimagine library spaces, services, collections, and partnerships, with the goal of better serving patrons. He has been instrumental in reshaping institutional strategies for acquiring, creating, disseminating, and preserving scholarship, while fostering connections between students, faculty, and resources to support learning, research, and service. Brian is committed to the role of academic librarians as co-educators and research partners. He recently co-edited the book Liberatory Librarianship: Stories of Community, Connection, and Justice, which highlights libraries’ potential as contributors to social justice—aligning seamlessly with CARLI's mission and values. Brian is excited to join the CARLI board, recognizing the critical role of library associations in fostering collective action and supporting libraries in navigating today’s complex economic and technological challenges. He holds an MBA from the University of Florida and an MLIS from the University of Washington. |
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Dennis Krieb |
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." |
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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.” |
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Geoff Pettys |
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, Past Chair University Librarian and Dean, Library Instructional Services University of Illinois Springfield, Brookens Library |
Pattie Piotrowski 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." |
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Amanda Pippitt Amanda Pippitt is the Director of Staley Library and University Archivist at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. She has 30 years of experience working in academic libraries in multiple roles, including as a student worker, support staff member, graduate assistant, librarian, and archivist. She joined the Millikin library faculty in 2004, becoming director in 2021. Amanda has a B.A. (Beloit College) and M.A. (Northern Illinois University) in anthropology, and an MLIS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also has a graduate certificate in Special Collections from UIUC and Creative Commons (CC) Certificate for librarians. "As is typical for librarians at a small, private university, at Millikin University I have worn many hats, including access services coordinator, research assistance librarian, instruction librarian, and librarian liaison to various academic programs in the sciences, performing arts, and liberal arts. I also serve as my university’s archivist and OER advocate. As director, I have worked through the ongoing challenges faced by library directors in small, private academic institutions in recent times, including program prioritization, budget cuts, and changes in administration. I am a strong believer in the important role CARLI plays in the Illinois library landscape, and have served on several CARLI committees and task forces over the years. I’m honored to serve on the CARLI board." |
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Morgann Quilty |
Morgann Quilty 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. |
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Rachelle Stivers, Chair |
Rachelle Stivers "I believe strongly in the sharing ethos at the heart of CARLI. The free sharing of materials, ideas, expertise, success, and challenges makes all of our libraries better and is of immeasurable value to our students. With almost 25 years of experience as a library director, I have seen the results of this sharing and understand the importance of building on it as we navigate our institutions through the AI debates, the threat of mal-information, the sidelining of libraries, and the questioning of the value of higher education. I am honored to serve CARLI by providing the perspective of the community college library.” Rachelle is the Director of Library and Information Services at Heartland Community College. She has an MLIS from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (1992) and an MA in History from Southern Illinois University (1999). |
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