Reaching Forward South Committee

News

Committee Spotlight: Reaching Forward South Committee
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
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

Reaching Forward South

  • 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. 

  • 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. 

  • Raises awareness and provides continuing education activities for central and southern Illinois libraries.

* 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.

  1. Beth Smilack Beth Smilack, Chair Marketing & Communications Specialist at Jerseyville Public Library

    Chair Term ends 06/30/2025
  2. Heather Gaines Heather Gaines, Member O'Fallon Public Library

    Member Term ends 06/30/2026
  3. Erica Hanke-Young Erica Hanke-Young, Member Youth Services Manager at Six Mile Regional Library District

    Member Term ends 06/30/2025
  4. Bobbi Perryman Bobbi Perryman, Member Vespasian Warner Public Library District

    Member Term ends 06/30/2025
  5. Joel Pikora Joel Pikora, Member Library Director at Mascoutah Public Library

    Member Term ends 06/30/2026
  6. Alanna Sablotny Alanna Sablotny, Member Chatham Area Public Library District

    Member Term ends 06/30/2026
  7. Crystal L Snyder Crystal L Snyder, Member Columbia Public Library

    Member Term ends 06/30/2026
  8. Cassandra Thompson Cassandra Thompson, Member SHARE Director at Illinois Heartland Library System

    Member Term ends 06/30/2025
  9. Terry Pierson Terry Pierson, Chair Elect Mississippi Valley District Library

    Chair Elect Term ends 06/30/2025
  10. Betsy Mahoney Betsy Mahoney, Past Chair Branch Manager at Six Mile Regional Library District

    Past Chair Term ends 06/30/2025
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