ACRL Candidates for 2026

A Look at Who’s Running

Russell Michalak is the Director of Library & Archives at Goldey-Beacom College, a position he has held since 2011. Prior to his current role, Michalak served as the Western Americana Manuscripts Librarian at The Claremont University Consortium Library (2008–2010) and as a Librarian Fellow at Duke University (2005–2007).

During his 21 years of ACRL membership, Michalak has served as a member of the ACRL Conference Scholarships Committee (2025–2027), as co-chair of the ACRL 2025 President’s Program Planning Committee (2023–2025), a member of the ACRL Professional Development Committee (2024–2026), chair of the ACRL New Roles & Changing Landscapes Committee (2023–2024), and convener of the ACRL Leadership Discussion Group (2021–present). Michalak also served as chair of the ACRL Membership Committee (2021–2022) and as a member of the ACRL Awards Task Force (2021–2022) and the ACRL Representatives Assembly (Membership Promotion Task Force) (2021–2022), a member of the Leadership and Recruitment Nomination Committee (2019–2021).

Michalak has also held various leadership roles within the ACRL Digital Scholarship Section (DSS) (2021-present), including chairing committees and convening interest and discussion groups, as well as contributing to the broader ACRL leadership structure. Michalak’s experience with ALA includes serving as chair of the CORE (ALA) Collection Development Issues for the Practitioner Interest Group (2021–2022) and as co-chair (2020–2021).

Beyond his ACRL and CORE service, Michalak’s activity with state, regional, and national associations includes serving as Webmaster, Archivist, and Chapters Council Representative of the ACRL Delaware Valley Chapter (2023–present); co-chair of the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) Collaborative Collections Lifecycle Infrastructure Project (CCLIP) Working Group (2023–2024); executive committee member of the Division of Emerging Learning Technologies (DELT), Association for Educational Communications and Technology (2017–2019); executive committee member of the College & Research Libraries Division (CRLD), Delaware Library Association (2017–2019); board member of the Wilmington Public Library (2019–2022); board member of the Tri-State Library Cooperative (2017–2019); and board member of the Museum of Art and History in Ontario, California (2008–2010).

His leadership emphasizes ethical technology adoption, collaboration across institutions, and mentoring emerging library professionals. Michalak’s honors and awards include the ALA Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT) Innovation in Instruction Award (2025); the Americans and the Holocaust: A Traveling Exhibition for Libraries Grant (ALA & USHMM, 2025); regional host for ACRL’s OER Roadshow (2024); NISO Plus Scholarship Award (2022); Top 5 Article on “COVID-19 Pandemic: A Year in Review,” ACRL DOLS Research & Publications Committee (2021); Charleston Library Conference Up & Comer Award (2018); first place for the Immersive Learning Award—Linear Category, Association for Educational Communications & Technology (2017); ACRL Member of the Week (March 20, 2019); and Featured Collection of the Month for the Billy E. Barnes Collection, CONTENTdm, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2007).

Other notable accomplishments for Michalak include modernizing a specialized academic library at an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution through data-driven leadership and strategic partnerships. His initiatives expanded digital access, preserved archives through large-scale digitization funded by a $225,000 grant, completed a full reclassification project ahead of schedule, and secured over $825,000 in grants and partnerships to advance technology, collections, and student support.

He co-authored Toxic Dynamics: Disrupting, Dismantling, and Transforming Academic Library Culture (ACRL Press, 2024) with Trevor A. Dawes and Jon Cawthorne. His other publications include Russell Michalak, Elias Tzoc, and J. Denice Lewis, “Practical Considerations for Adopting Generative AI Tools in Academic Libraries” (Journal of Library Administration, 2025) and Russell Michalak, Monica Rysavy, and Trevor A. Dawes, “What Degree Is Necessary to Lead? ARL Directors’ Perceptions” (College & Research Libraries, 2019).

Yasmeen Shorish is the Director of Data & Scholarly Communications at James Madison University, a position she has held since 2020. Shorish has held several other positions at James Madison University, including Data Services Coordinator (2016–2020) and Physical and Life Sciences Liaison Librarian (2011–2016). Prior to this, Shorish served as a Production Manager at Frost Lighting Co. of Illinois (2000–2009).

During her 16 years of ACRL membership, Shorish has served as a director-at-large on the ACRL Board of Directors (2021–2025), chair of the ACRL Research and Scholarly Environment Committee (2018–2019) and vice-chair (2017–2018), and chair of the selection committee for the ACRL Research Data Management Road Show Curriculum Designers and the Road Show Presenters (2015–2017). She has also served as chair of the ACRL Digital Scholarship Section Nominating Committee (2017), a mentor for the ACRL Dr. E. J. Josey Spectrum Scholar (2016), and as a member of the ACRL Health Sciences Interest Group Information Literacy Task Force (2011).

Shorish has held various positions within the ACRL Digital Curation Interest Group, including past convener (2014–2015), convener (2013–2014), vice-convener (2012–2013), and recorder (2011–2012).

Shorish’s experience with ALA includes being a member of the ALA Spectrum Scholarship Jury (2017) and the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association.

Shorish’s activity with state, regional, and other national associations include serving on the SPARC Board of Directors, (secretary, 2025), SPARC Steering Committee (member and interim chair, 2023–2025), Academic Data Science Alliance Leadership Summit, conference planning committee, (session chair, 2020), Digital Library Federation (DLF) Advisory Committee, (member, 2017–2021), Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Fellowship for Digital and Inclusive Excellence Advisory Group (member, 2017–2020). Shorish also served on the Data Curation Network (DCN) Advisory Panel, (2018–2019), DLF Technologies of Surveillance Working Group, (co-founder and convener, 2017–2018), Research Data Access and Preservation (RDAP) Conference Committee (co-chair, 2017), and the SLA-DBIO Home Page Subcommittee of the Public Relations Committee (member, 2010–2011).

Shorish’s honors and awards include the University of Illinois iSchool Alumni Association (ISAA) Leadership Award, (2022), the James Madison University Madison Scholar Award, (2020–2021), the University of Illinois, Health Sciences Information Management Award, (2011) and the Northeastern Illinois University, Award of Merit in Recognition of Outstanding Research, (2009). She was an ARL 1 DLF Forum Fellow for Underrepresented Groups (2015), ALA Emerging Leader (2013), ARL Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce Scholar (2010), and ALA Spectrum Scholar (2009). Shorish graduated from Northeastern Illinois University, Summa Cum Laude (2009).

Other notable accomplishments for Shorish include her proposed model for research data management professional development for liaison librarians, which was accepted by the ACRL Board of Directors in 2015. While on the ACRL Board of Directors, Shorish advocated for and helped codify the transition of the ACRL EDI Committee to a goal area committee in 2022.

Shorish helped transition SPARC operations to an independent nonprofit organization in 2025. She co-created the Vancouver Statement on Collections as Data; one outcome of the Mellon-funded Collections as Data: Part to Whole grant in 2023. She served on the project team for “Responsible AI in Libraries and Archives,” an IMLS grant to support ethical decision-making for AI projects in libraries and archives (2022–2025) and received an IMLS National Forum grant to surface community needs around collective open-access collection development in 2019.

Additionally, Shorish helped gather information and set a strategic vision for the proposed independence and eventual formation of RDAP as a professional association (2017–2018). As chair of the ACRL Research and Scholarly Communications Committee, Shorish participated in the production and promotion of a new scholarly communications research agenda, which was published in 2019.

Her publications include Mannheimer, S., Rossmann, D., Clark, J., Shorish, Y., Bond, N., Scates Kettler, H., Sheehey, B. and Young, S.W.H. “Introduction to the Responsible AI Special Issue.” Journal of eScience Librarianship 13(1): e860. https://doi.org/10.7191/jeslib.860 (2024); Association of College and Research Libraries. Open and Equitable Scholarly Communications: Creating a More Inclusive Future. Prepared by Nancy Maron and Rebecca Kennison with Paul Bracke, Nathan Hall, Isaac Gilman, Kara Malenfant, Charlotte Roh, and Yasmeen Shorish. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries. https://doi.org/10.5860/acrl.1 (2019); and Shorish, Y. Special Issue: The Role of Scholarly Communication in a Democratic Society. Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication. 6(2), p.eP2257. DOI: 10.7710/2162-3309.2257 (2018).

ACRL Board of Directors

President-elect: Russell Michalak, Director of Library & Archives at Goldey-Beacom College; Yasmeen Shorish, Director of Data & Scholarly Communications at James Madison University.

Director-at-Large: Eric Edwards, Interlibrary Loan Librarian, Illinois State Library.

Director-at-Large: Jill Sodt, Director of Library Services, Mott Community College.

Anthropology and Sociology Section

Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Jylisa Kenyon, Social Sciences Librarian, University of Idaho.

Member-at-Large: Doss Hill, Instructional Services Librarian & Coordinator of Information Literacy and Outreach, Lycoming College.

Arts Section

Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Courtney Stine, Director, Bridwell Art Library, University of Louisville; Leah Sherman, Visual and Performing Arts Librarian, Florida State University.

Community and Junior College Libraries Section

Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Marc Meola, Information Literacy Librarian, Community College of Philadelphia; Laura Mondt, Coordinator of Library Services, Northern Essex Community College.

Secretary: Christopher Bienvenu, Librarian, South Louisiana Community College.

Member-at-Large: Kris Goss, Director of Library Learning Hub, Helena College - University of Montana; YiPing Wang, Head Librarian, Laney College.

College Libraries Section

Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Jason Keinsley, Library Director, Lindsey Wilson University.

Secretary: Krista Pegnetter, Reference and Instruction Librarian, Assistant Technical Professor, King’s College.

Member-at-Large: Sarah Sheehan, Director of Public Service, Manhattan University; Kristin Fowler.

Digital Scholarship Section

Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Jennifer Hootman, Coordinator of Digital Scholarship & Data, University of Kentucky.

Secretary: Whitney Russell, Open Scholarship Librarian, Augusta University; Maxwell Gray, Digital Scholarship Librarian, Raynor Library, Marquette University.

Member-at-Large: Charlie Bennett, Public Engagement Librarian, Georgia Tech Library; Diana Castillo, Business/Social Science Data Librarian, Oregon State University; Kaylee Alexander, Research Data Librarian, University of Utah.

Distance and Online Learning Section

Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Chelsea Nesvig, Research & Instruction/Global & Policy Studies Librarian, University of Washington Bothell/Cascadia College; Mollie Peuler, Librarian for Online Instructional Design, Appalachian State University.

Secretary/Archivist: Lia Horton, Online Learning Librarian, University of New Hampshire; Kelly Safin, Librarian, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg.

Member-at-Large: Anthony C. Joachim, Instructional Design Librarian, William Paterson University/David & Lorraine Cheng Library; Christina Norton, Online Learning Librarian, Bradley University.

Education and Behavioral Sciences Section

Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Carin Graves, Michigan State University.

Member-at-Large: Dawn Cadogan, Librarian for Education and Human Development, NYU; Nicole Carpenter, Research Librarian for Social Sciences at the University of California, Irvine

European Studies Section

Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Milan Pohontsch, Cataloger, Brigham Young University.

Secretary: Marissa Bischoff, Humanities & European Studies Catalog Librarian, Brigham Young University Lee Library; Sarah Burns Gilchrist, Associate Librarian, American University.

Member-at-Large: Hélène Huet, European Studies Librarian, The University of Florida.

Instruction Section

Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Camille Abdeljawad, Director of Library Services, Park University; Nicole LaMoreaux, Director of Library Services, LIM College.

Secretary: Megan Hodge, Head, Student Success, Virginia Commonwealth University; Kendra Macomber, Head of Student Success, Colorado State University.

Member-at-Large: Kate Johnson, Literary and Creative Arts Librarian, University of Iowa; Jennifer Beach, Associate Dean of the Greenwood Library, Longwood University; Jason Dupree, Director of Libraries, Southwestern Oklahoma State University; Danica E. White, Teaching, Learning, & Engagement Librarian, Howard University.

Literatures in English Section

Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Peter Hesseldenz, Academic Liaison for Literature and Humanities, University of Kentucky W T Young Library; Eric Jeitner, User Experience Librarian, Stockton University.

Secretary: Whitney Bevill, Humanities Librarian, Appalachian State University; Laura Semrau, Humanities Librarian, Baylor University.

Member-at-Large: Jeanne Ewert, English and American Literature, Film and Folklore Librarian, George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida; Teresa Gray, Curator of Rare Books, Vanderbilt University.

Politics, Policy, and International Relations Section

Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Kimberly MacVaugh, SFS and Government Librarian, Georgetown University.

Member-at-Large: Rosalind Tedford, Director for Research and Instruction, Wake Forest University; Patricia Takacs, Political Science Librarian, University of Florida.

Rare Books and Manuscripts Section

Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Rebecca Bramlett, Curator, Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries; Audrey Pearson, Head of Library Technical Services, The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Member-at-Large: Maggie Kopp, Rare Books Curator, Brigham Young University; Kasia Leousis, Associate Professor, Special Collections & Archives Instruction Librarian, Auburn University Libraries.

Science and Technology Section

Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Chapel Cowden, Health & Sciences Librarian, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; Jeanne Hoover, Head, Scholarly Communication, East Carolina University.

Publicity Officer: Dan Broadbent, Physical and Computer Sciences Librarian, Brigham Young University; Laurie Neuerburg, Sciences Head Engagement Librarian, University of Iowa.

Member-at-Large: Andrea Pritt, STEM Librarian, Pennsylvania State University Libraries ; Michelle Mussuto, Librarian, Agriculture, Natural Sciences, & Sustainability, California State University Chico.

EDI Officer: Gissel Rios, Open Science and Collections Librarian, UCLA Library.

University Libraries Section

Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Jane Hammons, Teaching and Learning Engagement Librarian, The Ohio State University; Kate Langan, Professor, Engagement Librarian, Western Michigan University.

Member-at-Large: Victoria Antwi, Research & Learning Librarian, Stetson University DuPont - Ball Library; Delores Carlito, Head of the Mervyn H. Sterne Library Department of Research and Learning, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Olivia Chin, Scholarly Communication Librarian, The University of Tennessee.

Women and Gender Studies Section

Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Janice Grover, Academic Excellence Librarian, University of Wyoming.

Secretary: Joshua Salmans, Outreach & Engagement Librarian, Texas Tech University.

Member-at-Large: Ashley S. McGuire, Assistant Professor/Engineering & Chemistry Liaison, University of Alabama at Birmingham.