The following is a text-only press release from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). An HTML version of this release can be read on the agency's Web site at http://www.imls.gov/news/2008/042308.shtm.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 23, 2008

 

IMLS Press Contacts

202-653-4632

Jeannine Mjoseth, [log in to unmask]

Mamie Bittner, [log in to unmask]

 

IMLS Welcomes Two New Associate Deputy Directors

 

WASHINGTON, DC--Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), is pleased to announce two new associate deputy directors: Carlos Manjarrez, who has been selected for the newly-created position of Associate Deputy Director For Research and Statistics in the Office of Policy, Planning, Research, and Communications, and Laurie Brooks, who has been selected for the Associate Deputy Director position in the Office of Library Services. Both appointments were made following national searches.

 

“Carlos Manjarrez and Laurie Brooks bring strong credentials and a wide breadth of experience to IMLS,” said Anne-Imelda Radice, Director of the Institute. “They are recognized experts in their fields: Laurie knows the inner workings of the library world both in and out of the Institute. Carlos has terrific research experience relevant to cultural institutions. We anticipate great things from them.”

 

Manjarrez joins IMLS from the Urban Institute where he was the principal investigator for a national study of public libraries and local economic development for the Urban Libraries Council and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2003, he co-published a report on the role that partnerships play in expanding access to public libraries, museums, and public broadcasters. During his tenure at the Institute, he worked on more than 25 major research projects ranging from neighborhood studies in single cities to congressionally-mandated studies of federal programs. Prior to working at the Urban Institute, Manjarrez worked for the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the American Bar Foundation, and was a graduate fellow at the Joint Center for Poverty Research in Chicago.

 

In his new role, he will identify program-related issues of interest to the agency, and develop and implement short, intermediate, and long-range research, program evaluation, and statistics plans. These efforts will take into account agency policies and program directions and the needs of libraries and museums in the United States.

 

Since 2003, Brooks has worked as IMLS’s senior library grant program officer in the state programs division. She is taking over the position from George Smith, who held the position for three years. He is retiring and returning to Alaska, his home state. Prior to joining IMLS, Brooks spent nearly 30 years working in the library field throughout New England and New York. She held administrative positions as director of the Orono (ME) Public Library and the Tomplins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES School Library System.

 

Brooks also was actively involved in New York’s statewide database and technology planning committees. She served as president of the School Library Systems Association of New York, as a member of the board of trustees for the Tompkins County Public Library and the South Central Regional Library Council both located in Ithaca, NY, and as a member of New York’s Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) network council known as NYLINK.

 

As Associate Deputy Director, Brooks will provide national professional leadership for the agency’s largest program: the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grants to States, which helps the nation’s libraries serve their communities. Brooks will also provide expert guidance and leadership in the area of regulations and compliance resolution; and serve as a key member of the IMLS management team for establishing plans, setting goals, participating in program implementation, and developing new initiatives.

 

 

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.