Statewide Conference on Libraries

2016 CONFERENCE ON LIBRARIES NEW MEXICO

Convened November 1, 2016, the statewide conference on libraries was an exciting and critical opportunity to showcase the accomplishments of New Mexico libraries and, more importantly, to identify ways libraries can further expand as collaborative partners with educational institutions, cultural organizations, government services and private enterprise. Data from the 2016 New Mexico Libraries Assessment was used to inform a series of conversations, and gathered 100 New Mexico stakeholders including legislators, policy-makers, community leaders, librarians, library supporters/patrons and members of the general public to share in a day-long conference.

This conference was hosted by the New Mexico State Library and the New Mexico Library Association, and in collaboration with librarians across the state who want to share how libraries can indeed transform New Mexico for a brighter future.

Siobhan A. Reardon, President and Director, Free Library of Philadelphia

Siobhan Reardon is President and Director of the Free Library of Philadelphia, the first woman to serve in this capacity. Since joining the Free Library in 2008, Ms. Reardon has spearheaded the Library’s initiative to move beyond its walls by creating computer and internet outposts called Hot Spots that offer free access and training in partnership with local organizations in underserved neighborhoods, in the city’s first roving “techmobile,” and at the Philadelphia International Airport, where travelers can access the internet for free and download library materials on the go. In addition, Ms. Reardon steered the creation of an ambitious five-year strategic plan for the Library, underscored by a mission to advance literacy, guide learning, and inspire curiosity. Ms. Reardon’s vision for the future—Building Inspiration: 21^st Century Libraries Initiative—includes the launch of a new model of service wherein neighborhood libraries will undergo physical and programmatic changes to directly respond to and meet the needs of the surrounding neighborhood. It also includes the renovation and reimagining of the Parkway Central Library. In addition, she has begun implementation of a significant organizational restructuring of her 800-member staff, aiming to improve efficiencies, internal communications, and customer experience, all while creating critical new positions such as that of the Digital Resource Specialist. In 2014, the Free Library Foundation, which Ms. Reardon also oversees, merged with the renowned Rosenbach Museum & Library, combining two of the finest collections of rare materials into one of world-class standing with strengths in Americana and British, American, and Modernist literature. For these efforts and her visionary leadership of the Free Library, Ms. Reardon was named Library Journal’s Librarian of the Year in 2015. Ms. Reardon began her library career at New York Public. She holds a B.A. from SUNY Purchase, an M.A. from Fordham University, and an M.L.S. from the Palmer School of Library Science at Long Island University. She is an Endowment Trustee of the American Library Association, a member of the Standing Committee of the Metropolitan Libraries Caucus of the International Federation of Library Associations, and past Chair of LYRASIS, a library services organization. She also sits on the Board of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, the Irish American Business Chamber & Network, and the Board of the Philadelphia Education Fund and serves as the Secretary for the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children and the Chair of the Board for the Parkway Council.

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