Lori Goetsch is Dean of Libraries at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. Lori has been an ACRL member since 1985, is the 2008-2009 ACRL Vice-President/ President-Elect, and is your ACRL Member of the Week.
1. Describe yourself in three words: Fun-loving, self-motivated, intuitive.
2. What are listening to on your iPod? I’m a Sweet Adeline so I have a lot of a women’s barbershop quartet and chorus music on my iPod as well as other vocal groups. I also listen to a lot of my all time favorites–The Pretenders, Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, and Prefab Sprout, to name a few.
3. Describe ACRL in three words: Leadership, education, advocacy.
4. Why did you join ACRL? I joined ACRL about 20+ years ago for the professional development opportunities it offered; specifically, I had gotten engaged with the Women’s Studies Discussion Group in its early days, and I wanted to find ways to get involved and serve that group as it shaped its future. I’ve stayed a member for much the same reason. There are always new ways to get involved and stay active in the association because it strives to be responsive to member needs.
5. What do you value about academic or research librarianship? I value the opportunity to engage with students and their education, both inside the classroom and out. I love to see the different ways they interact with our staff and services, and the challenges they present us with as we strive to remain relevant in their intellectual and cultural lives on campus.
6. In your own words: I have made great lifelong friends and have had some great times as an ACRL member. The ACRL conference every other year is one of my favorite personal and professional activities–it’s one of the few conferences where I can actually attend programs, and the programming is outstanding!! I’ve also been mentored by a number of wonderful, creative, and caring leaders in the association. They have given me opportunities and help me build my skills and confidence. Their example has been encouraging and motivating to me as I have advanced in my own career.
Editor’s Note: Are you an ACRL member? Would you like to be featured as ACRL Member of the Week? Contact David Free at dfree{at}ala{dot}org for more information.