keynote speaker
R. David Lankes
R. David Lankes is a professor and Dean’s Scholar for the New Librarianship at Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies and director of the Information Institute of Syracuse. His book, The Atlas of New Librarianship won the 2012 ABC-CLIO/Greenwood Award for the Best Book in Library Literature. Lankes is a passionate advocate for librarians and their essential role in today’s society.
R. David Lankes is a professor and Dean’s Scholar for the New Librarianship at Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies and director of the Information Institute of Syracuse. Lankes has always been interested in combining theory and practice to create active research projects that make a difference. Past projects include the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and Technology, the Gateway to Education Materials, AskERIC and the Virtual Reference Desk. Lankes’ more recent work involves how participatory concepts can reshape libraries and credibility.
R. David Lankes is a professor and Dean’s Scholar for the New Librarianship at Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies and director of the Information Institute of Syracuse. His book, The Atlas of New Librarianship won the 2012 ABC-CLIO/Greenwood Award for the Best Book in Library Literature. Lankes is a passionate advocate for librarians and their essential role in today’s society.
R. David Lankes is a professor and Dean’s Scholar for the New Librarianship at Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies and director of the Information Institute of Syracuse. Lankes has always been interested in combining theory and practice to create active research projects that make a difference. Past projects include the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and Technology, the Gateway to Education Materials, AskERIC and the Virtual Reference Desk. Lankes’ more recent work involves how participatory concepts can reshape libraries and credibility.
"Hangout" Room moderators
Ridgeway Burns Ridgeway Burns is the Manager of Youth and Young Adult Services at the Hinsdale Public Library. It was upon riding his bike from LA to Portland that Ridgeway decided that he wanted to be a librarian. He received his MLIS from Dominican University in 2010. Ridgeway has developed curriculum for teaching 3D printing to all age groups which is used at several libraries. Currently, he delights in spending most of his time changing diapers and reading pictures books to his 3 month old daughter, Flora.
Michael Campagna
Michael is the Digital Services Manager at the Barrington Area Library. He graduated with his Masters in Library and Information Science from Dominican University in 2010. Michael's love of learning & penchant for coming up with new projects has lent itself well to working with technology. He has presented at ALA, ILA, & PLA, promoting technology programs for children. Outside of the profession Michael enjoys watching sports, and although he claims he likes baseball too much to watch the Cubs, you can find him quietly cheering for the north-siders every once in a while.
Michael is the Digital Services Manager at the Barrington Area Library. He graduated with his Masters in Library and Information Science from Dominican University in 2010. Michael's love of learning & penchant for coming up with new projects has lent itself well to working with technology. He has presented at ALA, ILA, & PLA, promoting technology programs for children. Outside of the profession Michael enjoys watching sports, and although he claims he likes baseball too much to watch the Cubs, you can find him quietly cheering for the north-siders every once in a while.
Shannon Distel
Shannon Distel (@livelylibrarian) is a Business Services Librarian who assists small business and job seekers utilize library resources and social networking to obtain their professional goals. Shannon is a frequent speaker and trainer on emerging technologies and social media and conducts over 100 hours of one-on-one appointments each year. She received her MLIS from Dominican University and has a background in reference, library programming, and core competency development for library staff. Shannon enjoys traveling, restoring her 1950's era home, vintage shopping, walking her beagle and is the proud mom of a 6'7, 21 year old son currently attending college. Connect with Shannon at www.livelylibrarian.com
Shannon Distel (@livelylibrarian) is a Business Services Librarian who assists small business and job seekers utilize library resources and social networking to obtain their professional goals. Shannon is a frequent speaker and trainer on emerging technologies and social media and conducts over 100 hours of one-on-one appointments each year. She received her MLIS from Dominican University and has a background in reference, library programming, and core competency development for library staff. Shannon enjoys traveling, restoring her 1950's era home, vintage shopping, walking her beagle and is the proud mom of a 6'7, 21 year old son currently attending college. Connect with Shannon at www.livelylibrarian.com
Jennifer Drinka
Jennifer is a child at heart, who has had a miraculous library journey over the past 16 years. Her travels have taken her from her hometown Antioch Public Library, where she built a giant, pink elephant, to the Fox River Grove Library, where she hosted Poetry Slams at a coffee shop, to the Ela Area Public Library, where she led the award-winning Teen Parade Squad, to the circus town of Baraboo, Wisconsin, to the Barrington Area Library, where she specialized in scary stories, to the Warren-Newport Public Library, where she helped open The Vault teen space, to her current incarnation as Head of Youth Services at the Crystal Lake Public Library. Jennifer is a jack of all trades and master of none, as all good youth librarians should be. She loves to draw from her experiences to inspire young minds and the people who love to work with children. You can find her browsing her board game collection with her fellow youth librarian husband, doing Zumba at her local gym, eating s'mores with her 8 brothers and sisters, curling up with her favorite bird, Kiki the African Grey, and reading Stephen King.
Jennifer is a child at heart, who has had a miraculous library journey over the past 16 years. Her travels have taken her from her hometown Antioch Public Library, where she built a giant, pink elephant, to the Fox River Grove Library, where she hosted Poetry Slams at a coffee shop, to the Ela Area Public Library, where she led the award-winning Teen Parade Squad, to the circus town of Baraboo, Wisconsin, to the Barrington Area Library, where she specialized in scary stories, to the Warren-Newport Public Library, where she helped open The Vault teen space, to her current incarnation as Head of Youth Services at the Crystal Lake Public Library. Jennifer is a jack of all trades and master of none, as all good youth librarians should be. She loves to draw from her experiences to inspire young minds and the people who love to work with children. You can find her browsing her board game collection with her fellow youth librarian husband, doing Zumba at her local gym, eating s'mores with her 8 brothers and sisters, curling up with her favorite bird, Kiki the African Grey, and reading Stephen King.
Mick Jacobsen Mick Jacobsen is a Learning Experiences Manager at Skokie Public Library in Illinois. This, for Mick, entails working in a multitude of patron contact points and leading the hyper busy Adult and Youth Services Computer and Digital Media Labs. Mick is responsible for providing digital and STEAM literacy for library patrons from birth to death (and after if necessary) through programming and designing experiences. He tweets occasionally. @mickjacobsen.
Dominique Roman Dominique is a Youth Services Librarian at the West Chicago Public Library District. She performs outreach duties with the underserved population of West Chicago by connecting them with library resources and programs. She is also fluent in Spanish. Dominique received her Masters in Library and Information Science from Dominican University in 2011. When she is not at the library, Dominique is kicking butt on the skate rink as a roller derby player! She says "just call me a derbybrarian!"
Maggie Thomann
Maggie Thomann is the Reader Services Manager at the Park Ridge Public Library, overseeing a department responsible for fiction, media, outreach, teen services, and adult programs. She is the 2015 Chair of the Illinois Library Association’s iREAD Committee, a member of the Adult Reading Round Table Steering Committee, and a 2008 participant in Synergy: the Illinois Library Leadership Initiative. Maggie holds an MLIS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she was awarded the Herbert Goldhor Award for Public Librarianship. In her spare time, Maggie enjoys reading women’s fiction, running, spending time with her baby boy, and playing highly addictive online games.
Maggie Thomann is the Reader Services Manager at the Park Ridge Public Library, overseeing a department responsible for fiction, media, outreach, teen services, and adult programs. She is the 2015 Chair of the Illinois Library Association’s iREAD Committee, a member of the Adult Reading Round Table Steering Committee, and a 2008 participant in Synergy: the Illinois Library Leadership Initiative. Maggie holds an MLIS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she was awarded the Herbert Goldhor Award for Public Librarianship. In her spare time, Maggie enjoys reading women’s fiction, running, spending time with her baby boy, and playing highly addictive online games.
Emily Vinci
Emily is a Popular Services/Reader's Advisory Librarian at the Schaumburg Township District Library. A native of Iowa, Emily received her Masters in Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2012. When she isn't working, she can usually be found reading comic books, seeing movies at the drive-in, or curating her many collections.
Emily is a Popular Services/Reader's Advisory Librarian at the Schaumburg Township District Library. A native of Iowa, Emily received her Masters in Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2012. When she isn't working, she can usually be found reading comic books, seeing movies at the drive-in, or curating her many collections.
Leah White
Leah is the Head of Popular Materials at the Ela Area Public Library and a member of the Adult Reading Round Table Steering Committee. Leah graduated from Dominican University with her MLIS in 2008 and won the Library Journal Movers & Shakers Award in 2012. Her forthcoming book on innovation in libraries will be out this Fall. She enjoys reading comic books, Instagramming pictures of her pets, and spending too much time reading the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. You can find her on Twitter: @leahlibrarian or check out her website: http://www.leahlwhite.com.
Leah is the Head of Popular Materials at the Ela Area Public Library and a member of the Adult Reading Round Table Steering Committee. Leah graduated from Dominican University with her MLIS in 2008 and won the Library Journal Movers & Shakers Award in 2012. Her forthcoming book on innovation in libraries will be out this Fall. She enjoys reading comic books, Instagramming pictures of her pets, and spending too much time reading the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. You can find her on Twitter: @leahlibrarian or check out her website: http://www.leahlwhite.com.
Conference Organizers
Barbara Alvarez
Barbara is the Business Liaison Librarian at Barrington Area Library. She connects business owners, employees, and job seekers with valuable business resources. Barbara received her Masters in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois in 2012. In her spare time, she likes planning her next adventure, trying new recipes in the kitchen, and going on treasure hunts (aka thrifting).
Barbara is the Business Liaison Librarian at Barrington Area Library. She connects business owners, employees, and job seekers with valuable business resources. Barbara received her Masters in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois in 2012. In her spare time, she likes planning her next adventure, trying new recipes in the kitchen, and going on treasure hunts (aka thrifting).
Gwyneth Stupar
Gwyneth is an Adult Services Librarian at the Barrington Area Library who grows the library's incredible e-book collection. Gwyneth received her Masters in Library and Information Science from Dominican University in 2006. Not so secretly, Gwyneth is a railroad aficionado, serving as co-editor of the Illinois Railway Museum's official publication, Rail & Wire. She also holds two nicknames (because well, all railroaders have nicknames...). But in this picture, she's on a boat! Her favorite quote? "No matter how successful you become, someone always helps you."
Gwyneth is an Adult Services Librarian at the Barrington Area Library who grows the library's incredible e-book collection. Gwyneth received her Masters in Library and Information Science from Dominican University in 2006. Not so secretly, Gwyneth is a railroad aficionado, serving as co-editor of the Illinois Railway Museum's official publication, Rail & Wire. She also holds two nicknames (because well, all railroaders have nicknames...). But in this picture, she's on a boat! Her favorite quote? "No matter how successful you become, someone always helps you."
