FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

IMLS Press Contacts
202-653-4632
Natasha Marstiller, nmarstiller@imls.gov
Mamie Bittner, mbittner@imls.gov

Washington, DC—On June 22, 2010, the Senate confirmed five individuals to serve on the National Museum and Library Services Board, which advises the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) on general policy and practices and on selections for the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The board is comprised of the IMLS director and deputy directors and 20 members of the general public with demonstrated expertise and commitment to libraries or museums.

IMLS Acting Director Marsha L. Semmel said, "Our nation’s museums and public libraries are vital community resources that are more relevant than ever in this time of profound learning change. The new members’ experience and know-how will be invaluable to IMLS in its mission to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas."

New board members include:

• John Coppola has consulted on strategic planning and professional training for museums throughout Latin America and the Middle East since 1996. Previously, he served as the director of the Office of Exhibits Central at the Smithsonian Institution; as chief of the Bureau of International Expositions and exhibitions program manager for Arts America, at the U.S. Information Agency; and as a foreign service officer. Coppola has organized and managed exhibitions for the Museum of Latin American Art, the Smithsonian Latino Center, the National Museum of Women in the Arts at St. Thomas University, and the Stonewall Library & Archives.
• Dr. Carla Hayden is a past president of the American Library Association and the current chief executive officer of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland. She previously served as deputy commissioner and chief librarian of the Chicago Public Library, assistant professor in the school of library and information science at the University of Pittsburgh, and library services coordinator for the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Dr. Hayden began her career with the Chicago Public Library in 1973 as a library associate and children's librarian and then as a young adult services coordinator with the Chicago system.
• Dr. Lawrence J. Pijeaux, Jr., is president and CEO of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, a multi-media facility housing exhibitions of historical events from post-World War I racial segregation to present-day racial progress. Dr. Pijeaux is a member of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra Board, the Alabama Tourism Department Advisory Board, the executive committee of the Greater Alabama Council Boy Scouts of America, the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel Advisory Board, and the Rotary Club of Birmingham. He holds a Ph.D. in education from the University of Southern Mississippi, an M.A. in teaching from Tulane University, and a B.A. from Southern University.
• Winston Tabb is the Sheridan Dean of University Libraries and Museums at the Johns Hopkins University where he leads and coordinates the university’s entire system of libraries, directs the Sheridan Libraries, and oversees the Homewood Museum and the Evergreen Museum & Library. Prior to joining Hopkins, Tabb served at the Library of Congress for more 30 years, ultimately holding the position of associate librarian of Congress. He holds an M.A. in library science from Simmons College, an M.A. in American literature from Harvard University, and a B.A. from Oklahoma Baptist University.
• Robert Wedgeworth was the founding president of ProLiteracy Worldwide, the largest non-governmental adult literacy training organization in the world, until his retirement in June 2007. He previously served as university librarian, professor of library administration, and professor of library and information science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also served as the dean of the school of library service at Columbia University, the executive director of the American Library Association, and as president of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. He is a life member of the American Library Association and of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

The newly confirmed board members replace Beverly E. Allen, Gail M. Daly, A. Wilson Greene, Amy Owen, and Kevin Owen Starr, whose terms have expired.

For more information about the National Museum and Library Services Board visit the Institute’s Web site at www.imls.gov/about/board.shtm.

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 123,000 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.