News
- Committee Spotlight: Reaching Forward South Committee
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October 23, 2024
- Reaching Forward South is an annual conference for front line library workers in central and southern Illinois each spring. We understand that library staff may wear many hats like programming, marketing, cataloging, and managing at the library…
- Member Spotlight - Beth Smilack
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August 14, 2024
- This week's member spotlight is on Beth Smilack. Beth is the Marketing and Communications Specialist at the Jerseyville Public Library, and the chair of the Reaching Forward South Committee. We asked Beth to answer a few professional and a…
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Reaching Forward South Committee Charge
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Coordinates program planning for the Reaching Forward South Conference with a focus on providing opportunities for library support staff * in central and southern Illinois to grow, learn, and connect with new ideas and colleagues.
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Various subcommittees take on the work of recruiting and liaising with vendors, putting together a performers’ showcase, and managing social media as well as other functions necessary to run the conference.
* Library support staff, or library paraprofessionals, are involved in all library operations at all levels. The range and complexity of their duties varies with each position, the size and type of the library in which they work, and each library's specific needs, goals, or mission.
The one distinction usually drawn between "support staff" and "librarians" is that those in the latter group typically have a Master of Library and Information Science degree (MLIS).
Committee Composition
The committee is composed of up to fifteen members serving two-year staggered terms. Chairs (chair, incoming chair, and past chair) will serve a three-year term. The chairs select the incoming chair, subject to approval by the ILA Vice President/President-Elect.
The Reaching Forward South Committee identifies its own appointees, the incoming chair finalizes the appointments with the approval of the ILA Vice President/President-Elect. The committee composition should include library staff at all levels with a minority of managerial/director positions.
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Beth Smilack, Chair
Marketing & Communications Specialist at Jerseyville Public Library
Chair Term ends 06/30/2025
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Heather Gaines, Member
O'Fallon Public Library
Member Term ends 06/30/2026
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Erica Hanke-Young, Member
Youth Services Manager at Six Mile Regional Library District
Member Term ends 06/30/2025
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Bobbi Perryman, Member
Vespasian Warner Public Library District
Member Term ends 06/30/2025
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Joel Pikora, Member
Library Director at Mascoutah Public Library
Member Term ends 06/30/2026
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Alanna Sablotny, Member
Chatham Area Public Library District
Member Term ends 06/30/2026
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Crystal L Snyder, Member
Columbia Public Library
Member Term ends 06/30/2026
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Cassandra Thompson, Member
SHARE Director at Illinois Heartland Library System
Member Term ends 06/30/2025
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Chris Houchens, Board liaison
Director at Charleston Carnegie Public Library
Board liaison Term ends 06/30/2027
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Terry Pierson, Chair Elect
Mississippi Valley District Library
Chair Elect Term ends 06/30/2025
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Betsy Mahoney, Past Chair
Branch Manager at Six Mile Regional Library District
Past Chair Term ends 06/30/2025
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Kristin Pekoll, Staff liaison
Conference and Continuing Education Manager at Illinois Library Association
Staff liaison Term ends 06/30/2027
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