2024-2025 Candidates & Referendum

2024-2025 Candidates & Referendum

Thank you to our excellent candidates for standing in the 2024-2025 Public Library Archives and Special Collections (PLASC) Section election! Please take some time to review the candidate statements below so you can make an informed choice.

You will be voting for:

• one Co-chair, for a two-year term; and
• one Secretary, for a one-year term.

We are also holding a referendum on revisions to the Section’s standing rules, as detailed below. The proposed revisions will restructure officer positions from a vice-chair/chair to a co-chair governance structure to enhance continuity of leadership and sustain participation through shared responsibilities.

Ballots will be managed by SAA staff through Survey Monkey; keep an eye on your inbox for when the ballot opens!

Co-Chair Candidate

Erinn Barnes

Photo Archivist, Pikes Peak Library District

Bio: Erinn Barnes presently holds the role of Photo Archivist at Pikes Peak Library District in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Since embarking on my journey in public libraries in 2010, I felt an immediate sense of belonging. Over the years, I transitioned into the realm of Special Collections/Archives, initially serving as reference staff and eventually assuming the role of photo archivist following the completion of my MLIS in 2019. My responsibilities encompass the preservation of our extensive photographic collections, overseeing diverse digitization endeavors, and the ongoing work needed to maintain and grow our digital collections. I also dabble in web archiving and digital preservation. Additionally, I actively engage in providing patron reference and research services, particularly focusing on local history and genealogy. I hold an MA in History from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, and an MLIS from San Jose State University, accruing a cumulative 14 years of experience in public libraries. I enjoy focusing on meeting the varied needs of our community through archival and special collections resources.

Candidate Statement: 

In my capacity as the webmaster for the 2023-2024 PLASC steering committee, I have found the experience to be both enriching and educational. I am eager to embrace augmented responsibilities and advocate for our cause as a potential Co-Chair. I am passionate about spotlighting the commendable endeavors undertaken in public library settings and fostering authentic connections with colleagues across the nation. I am acutely attuned to the challenges we confront in garnering recognition within our institutions and communities, and this awareness will guide my contributions to the committee. Public libraries occupy a distinctive and multifaceted role within our communities. It is imperative to exchange best practices and innovative approaches to fulfill this unique role. I am enthusiastic about learning from others and contributing to the realization of PLASC's objectives for 2024-2025.

Secretary Candidate

Jill Tominosky

Local History & Adult Services Librarian, Guilderland Public Library

Bio: Jill Tominosky is a Certified Archivist and NYS Librarian, with a DAS Certification. Her current role is Local History Librarian for the Guilderland Public Library, where she is responsible for the acquisition and preservation of regional texts and manuscripts. She is a University at Albany MSIS graduate, with a concentration in Archives & Records Management and holds a BA in Museum Studies from the University of Rochester. Archives are a second career for Jill, who has over 20 years of Marketing and Communications experience for Cultural Heritage, Nonprofit and Higher Education Institutions.

Current service roles include Communications Committee & Advertising Editor for the Mid-Atlantic Archivist (MARAC), and Columns Editor for the Marketing Libraries Journal. Past service roles include: Program & Communications Leader for the Capital Area Archivists NY (2022-2024), SAA Graduate Archival Education Subcommittee (2023-2024) and the Cultural Competency Task Force for the Academy of Certified Archivists (2020-2022). Previous archival positions include: NEH Project Archivist for Union College Special Collections & Archives, New York State Library's Manuscripts & Special Collections Unit, and ConnectNY Library Consortia. She was also the 2023 Recipient of the Karen A. Stuart Local History Collection Conference Award (MARAC). 

Candidate Statement:

Throughout my years of committee work, I have found wonderful collaboration and community among my peers, with a strong focus on advocacy, preservation and discovery. That said, there is a disconnect in experiences and resources when compared to our colleagues at university, private, or state collections. Being part of the PLASC section committee would prove vital to the conversations and challenges that Public Librarians who care for special collections face. It is my hope that my years of communications experience will only benefit the PLASC Committee, and help to engage and amplify the voices of our members. 

Standing Rules Revisions

Summary of revisions

Revisions to the PLASC Standing Rules (highlighted in yellow in PDF below) include the following:

1.    Updated the language throughout replacing “Roundtable” with “Section” and “newsletter” with “microsite”

2.    Revised Officers (section IV. B.) as follows:

a.    Replaced “Chair” and “Vice Chair” with “Co-Chairs” serving a two-year term, staggered (e.g. one Co-Chair position will be open for the 2024-2025 term while the current Vice Chair transitions to second Co-Chair in 2024-2025)

b.    Vice Chair duties are subsumed under Co-Chair duties

c.    Co-Chair duties remain the same as previous Chair duties except the duties are now shared; and

3.    Throughout document, replaced “Chair” with “Co-Chairs.”

See attachment, Revised PLASC Standing Rules (PDF).