June 2021 C&RL News261

Julie Garrison, dean of university libraries at 
Western Michigan University, is the 84th 
president of ACRL. 

“It certainly is an extraordinary time to 
serve as ACRL’s President! I am honored to be 
taking on this role on behalf of the association 
as we continue living into our new academic 
and societal realities imposed by the pandemic 
and the dramatic events of the past year. I 
look forward to working with our members to 
highlight the many ways our staff and libraries 
have adapted, innovated, and learned to thrive 
during unprecedented conditions. Together, as 
a network of colleagues, I know that we will 
continue to inspire and support each other as 
we transform to meet the changing needs of 
our institutions and those we serve.

“Our association is grappling with ALA’s 
reorganization, coping with challenging fiscal 
times, and searching to find our next ACRL 
Executive Director. As a profession, we are 
challenging our traditions and practices to 
build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive 

environment for all within our academic li-
brary community. In spite of our challenges, 
we are making great strides in achieving the 
goals as outlined in ACRL’s Plan for Excellence 
through the tremendous efforts of ACRL com-
mittees, sections, and interest groups. We have 
much to do and I look forward to working with 
members in the coming year to advance ACRL’s 
mission and facilitate conversations about what 
is next for our association and profession.

“I will continue to foster a strong member-
driven community that welcomes multiple 
perspectives and works together to harness 
the profession’s opportunities and overcome 
our challenges. I am grateful to be working 
with a thoughtful and forward-looking group 
of board colleagues and such a talented, dedi-
cated group of ACRL staff as I transition into 
the role of ACRL President. I thank you again 
for your confidence in my ability to take on 
this role.”

During her 18 years of ACRL membership, 
Garrison has served as director-at-large on 
the ACRL Board of Directors (2012-16) and 
was a member of the ACRL Project Outcome 
Task Force (2017-18), the ACRL Standards 
for Libraries in Higher Education Task Force 
(2017), and the ACRL Research Coordinating 
Committee (2008-11), where she also served 
as chair (2010-11). She served as a member 
of the ACRL/DLS Guidelines Committee 
(2005-07) and the ACRL/DLS Web Commit-
tee (2003-07), where she also served as chair 
(2004-07). Her experience within LLAMA 
includes serving as a member of the LLAMA 

And the winners are . . .
The official results of the 2021 ACRL election

Julie Garrison Erin L. Ellis



C&RL News June 2021 262

Library Organization and Management Sec-
tion Financial Committee (2008-10) and the 
LLAMA Buildings and Equipment Section Di-
rectory of Library Building Projects (2008-09).

Garrison’s work with state, regional, and 
other national associations includes being a 
member of the portal: Libraries and the Acad-
emy Editorial Board since 2015 and serving 
as an accreditation commission member of 
the Council on Interior Design Accreditation 
(2011-16). She has held numerous positions 
within the Michigan Academic Library As-
sociation (MLA), including serving as chair 
of the Advocacy Committee (2017-19) and 
Administration Section (2016-17). She also 
served as member-at-large of the Michigan 
Library Association (MLA) Board of Directors 
(2011-14) and was chair of the MLA ACRL 
Task Force (2011). Her other work with MLA 
includes serving as cochair of Pre-Conference 
Programs (2005-06) and Annual Meeting 
Committees (2004-06).

During Garrison’s tenure at Grand Valley 
State University Libraries, they received the 
Excellence in Academic Libraries Award in the 
university category (2012). Over the course 
of her career, she codeveloped one of the first 
online evidence-based medicine continuing 
education courses for medical librarians and 
planned and executed two successful Off-
Campus Library Services Conferences, while 
serving as the director of OCLS at Central 
Michigan University. She served on the plan-
ning team of the inaugural “Re-Think It Con-
ference,” while working at Grand Valley State 
University. She served on the core project team 
that developed the vision and completed the 
planning for the new Mary Idema Pew Library 
at Grand Valley State University and led the 
Western Michigan University Libraries faculty 
and staff through a successful reorganization 
process designed to remove redundancies, 
streamline and align workflows, and improve 
overall efficiencies.

Erin L. Ellis, associate dean of research and 
learning services at Indiana University, has 
been elected vice-president/president-elect of 
ACRL.

“I’m deeply honored and humbled to be 
elected as ACRL’s next vice-president/presi-
dent-elect. My sincere thanks to the talented 
and thoughtful ACRL staff for their incredible 
support and guidance, and deep appreciation 
to Emily Daly who shared and navigated the 
election process with me. I also want to extend 
immense gratitude to ACRL members who 
exercised their right to vote this year. This 
role comes with tremendous opportunity, and 
responsibility, to advance the critically impor-
tant work that we do in academic libraries, to 
advocate on behalf of academic library workers 
and our college and research communities, and 
to collaborate and partner with our colleagues 
across ALA and with other higher education 
associations. I’m excited to join the Board and 
support the continued growth and advance-
ment of ACRL, particularly at this pivotal 
moment in its history. 

“There are complex matters ahead as we 
realize more fully the consequences of the 
pandemic and continue to work toward dis-
mantling systems of racism and oppression 
in our communities and workplaces. We’re 
facing a deep examination of our professional 
values and association priorities. I’m looking 
forward to working with the ACRL commu-
nity to determine where we can and need to 
redefine academic librarianship and library 
work, in addition to our vision for ACRL. I 
have no doubt that together we will continue 
to adapt, create, grow, and address challenges 
effectively to advance the work of ACRL and 
our profession. 

“Over the next few years, I’m eager to 
amplify ACRL and member successes, con-
front and reconcile where our community 
falls short, and develop productive avenues to 
receive and respond to constructive feedback. I 
hope to cultivate conditions where people can 
meaningfully contribute, thrive, and succeed 
in ACRL. I welcome the opportunity to listen, 
work, and develop with this inspiring commu-
nity, and strengthen connections throughout 
the association.” 

During her 16 years of ACRL member-
ship, Ellis has served as chair of the ACRL 
Appointments Committee (2015-17, 2018-



June 2021 C&RL News263

19), as a member of the ACRL Conference 
Invited Presentations Committee (2017-19), 
as a member of the Research Planning and 
Review Committee (2019-20), and as cochair 
of the President’s Program Planning Commit-
tee (2014-16, 2017-19). She was chair of the 
Publications Coordinating Committee (2017-
18; vice chair, 2016-17), during which time she 
served as ex-officio on the New Publications 
Advisory Board along with the C&RL, C&RL 
News, Academic Library Trends and Statistics 
Survey, CHOICE, Publications in Librarian-
ship, RBM, and Resources for College Libraries 
editorial boards. 

Ellis served as chair of the ACRL Student 
Learning and Information Literacy Committee 
(2012-13), where she served on the working 
group for, and contributed to, the writing of 
the white paper “Intersections of Scholarly 
Communication and Information Literacy: 
Creating Strategic Collaborations for a Chang-
ing Academic Environment.” As chair, she 
facilitated the committee’s transition from the 
Information Literacy Coordinating Committee 
to a committee representing one of ACRL’s four 
goal areas within the Plan for Excellence.

“I am delighted to have Erin L. Ellis join 
the ACRL Board of Directors as vice-president/
president-elect,” said ACRL Interim Executive 
Director Kara Malenfant. “She has made valu-
able contributions to ACRL, including serving 
on and chairing many committees, giving her 
direct insight into ACRL’s strategy and op-
erations. Erin’s knowledge of ACRL, academic 
librarianship, and higher education will be 
an asset to the Board as it continues to meet 
member needs and advance strategic priorities.”

Ellis has additionally held various posi-
tions with the ACRL Instruction Section (IS), 
including cochair of the IS Awards Committee 
(2011-13; member 2009-11), and cochair of the 
IS Membership Committee (2007-09; member, 
2006-07; intern, 2005-06.) She currently serves 
as cochair of the ACRL University Libraries Sec-
tion’s Future of University Libraries Discussion 
Group (2019-present).

He r  a c t i v i t y  w i t h  s t a t e ,  re g i o n a l ,  a n d 
national associations includes serving as sec-
retary of the ALA Library Instruction Round 

Table (2006-07), where she was also a member 
of the Conference Program Planning Committee 
(2004-06) and the Liaison Committee (2003-04). 
Currently, she is a member of the ARL Leadership 
Fellows Task Force (2021), the Libraries Public 
Services Directors team in the Big Ten Academic 
Alliance (2018-present), the Indiana University 
Arts and Humanities Council (2018-present), the 
Indiana University LGBTQ+ Alumni+Friends 
Association (2020-present), and the Indiana Uni-
versity Queer Philanthropy Circle (2020-present). 
Ellis was honored as an Association of Research 
Libraries Leadership Fellow (2016-17) and was 
part of Beta Phi Mu, Emporia State University, 
School of Library and Information Management 
(2002), and Sigma Tau Delta, Pittsburg State 
University, Department of English and Modern 
Languages (1999).

ACRL Board of Directors
Vice-President/President-Elect: Erin L. Ellis 

(1,109); Emily Daly (957).
Director-at-Large (4-year term): Mary Mallery 

(993); Gillian (Jill) Gremmels (987).
Director-at-Large (4-year term): Yasmeen Shorish 

(1,955).

Anthropology and Sociology Section 
(ANSS)
Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Elizabeth Fox (52); Ra-

chael Muszkiewicz (49).
Secretary (2-year term): Ilka Datig (51); Carolyn 

McCallum (48).
Member-at-Large (2-year term): Jylisa Doney 

(72); Tom Diamond (26).

Arts Section
Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Carla-Mae Crookendale 

(118).
Secretary (2-year term): Rebecca K. Friedman 

(86); Christine Davidian (37).

College Libraries Section (CLS)
Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Kimberley Bugg (316); 

Shaunna Hunter (230).
Secretary (1-year term): Heather James (299); 

Jamie Bounds Wilson (227).
Member-at-Large (2-year term): Elaine Gass 

Hirsch (292); Jayne Blodgett (237).



C&RL News June 2021 264

Community and Junior College 
Libraries Section (CJCLS)
Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Vicky Ames Hart (131); 

Howard C. Marks (97).

Distance and Online Learning Section 
(DOLS)
Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Chiméne E. Tucker (236); 

John Stawarz (136).
Secretary/Archivist (2-year term): Heather Blicher 

(216); Melissa Atkinson (146).
Member-at-Large (2-year term): Theresa Mastro-

donato (184); Sherry Mohr (174).

Digital Scholarship Section (DSS)
Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Pamella Lach (178); 

Amanda Tinkner (132).
Member-at-Large (2-year term): Beth Russell (221); 

Devin Soper (207); Jason Przybylski (102).

Education and Behavioral Sciences 
Section (EBSS)
Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Samantha Godbey (130); 

Mandy L. Havert (75).
Secretary (2-year term): Karen N. Reed (133); 

Kimberly Miller (62).
Member-at-Large (2-year term): James W. Rosen-

zweig (131); Trent Brager (65).

European Studies Section (ESS)
Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Brian Vetruba (68); Katie 

Gibson (31).
Secretary (1-year term): Kathleen Smith (52); 

Joanneke Elliott (41).
Member-at-Large (1-year term): Liladhar R. 

Pendse (51); André G. Wenzel (50).

Instruction Section (IS)
Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Carrie L. Forbes (426); 

Carrie Donovan (349).
Secretary (1-year term): Ernesto Hernandez Jr. 

(460); Anne Driscoll Melville (307).
Member-at-Large (2-year term): Amanda Nichols 

Hess (585); Clarence Maybee (493); Ryne 
Leuzinger (490); Nancy Gibson (445).

Literatures in English Section (LES)
Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Kristina De Voe (61); 

Mark Dahlquist (37).

Secretary (1-year term): Hillary A. H. Richardson 
(60); M. Leslie Madden (36).

Me m b e r - a t - L a r g e  ( 1 - y e a r  t e r m ) :  Pa i z h a 
Stoothoff (55); Sam Lohmann (41).

Po l i t i c s,  Po l i c y  &  I n t e r n a t i o n a l 
R e l a t i o n s  S e c t i o n  ( P P I R S )
Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Sara Arnold-Gar za 

(71); Mar y K. Oberlies (52). 
Secretar y (2-year term): Olivia Ivey (119).
Me m b e r - a t - L a r g e  ( 2 - y e a r  t e r m ) :  K e n y a 

Flash (121).

R a r e  B o o k s  a n d  M a n u s c r i p t s 
S e c t i o n  ( R B M S )
Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Melissa Hubbard 

(208); Sara Logue (126).
Secretar y (2-year term): Colleen Barrett 

(219); Jeremy B. Dibbell (104).
M e m b e r - a t - L a r g e  ( 3 - y e a r  t e r m ) :  A n n a 

C h e n  ( 1 6 8 ) ;  Ta m a r  E v a n g e l e s t i a -
Dougher ty (166). 

S c i e n ce  a n d  Te c h n o l o g y  S e c t i o n 
( S T S )
Vi c e - c h a i r / C h a i r - e l e c t :  B o n n i e  L .  Fo n g 

(234); Greg Nelson (56).
Secretar y (2-year term): Emily F. Gorman 

(152); Chapel Cowden (124).
Member-at-Large (2-year term): Tara Rad-

niecki (158); Sandy Avila (115).

U n i ve r s i t y  L i b ra r i e s  S e c t i o n 
( U L S )
Vice-chair/Chair-elect: Maura Seale (475); 

Rosan Mitola (443).
S e c r e t a r y  ( 2 - y e a r  t e r m ) :  S i a n  B r a n n o n 

(503); Laura Birkenhauer (364).
M e m b e r - a t - L a r g e  ( 3 - y e a r  t e r m ) :  M o u 

C h a k r a b o r t y  ( 5 9 9 ) ;  M i n h a o  J i a n g 
(524); Jason Kr use (422).

Wo m e n  a n d  G e n d e r  S t u d i e s 
S e c t i o n  ( W G S S )
V i c e - c h a i r / C h a i r - e l e c t :  C a i t l i n  S h a n l e y 

(141); Janine Kuntz (33).
Secretar y: Erin Hvizdak (167).
Me m b e r - a t - L a r g e  ( 2 - ye a r  t e r m ) :  Mo n i c a 

D. Por ter (167).