Comstock named to the Public Library Data Alliance
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All of us share a deep passion for and long-term dedication to the core motivations behind the
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founding of PLDA.
– Sharon Comstock
enior Lecturer Sharon Comstock has been named to the first roster for the Public Library Data Alliance (PLDA) by the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) and the National Information Standards Organization (NISO). Representing an array of stakeholders, this group will continue the work of the COSLA’s Measures that Matter initiative. The dozen founding members of the PLDA will work from ideas and concepts put forward by the Measures that Matter Action Plan Implementation Group, of which Comstock was a member. This work is expected to generate additional projects led by working groups comprised of subject matter experts and stakeholders drawn from volunteers beyond the core PLDA membership. The vision for the PLDA includes promoting thought leadership, coordination, commitment, resources, and momentum. It will engage broadly with diverse stakeholders to propose strategic actions around data that reflect the role and impact of public libraries at the local, regional, state, and national levels, and also create a communications infrastructure for the field. “All of us share a deep passion for and long-term dedication to the core motivations behind the founding of PLDA,”
Comstock said. “Very few professions have more than 100 years’ worth of data sets. Library staff past and present have a demonstrated commitment to measurement, and I think our opportunity now is to ask different questions. Community inquiry starts with a belief that the community is where the knowledge is.” Formation of the PLDA was one of the recommendations resulting from the Measures that Matter initiative. Funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS RE-0016-0181-16), the initiative centered on coordinating conversation and action around public library data gathering and use, allowing libraries to continuously improve services aligned with community needs and accurately represent the rich story of the twenty-first century public library. Comstock joined the iSchool in August 2019. She was previously an inquiry and impact officer at the Evansville (IN) Vanderburgh Public Library and adjunct instructor at Kent State University. Comstock holds a PhD in library and information science from Illinois and an MA from Northwestern University. Adapted from a joint COSLA and NISO news release
Career fairs go virtual
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he School of Information Sciences moved its career fairs to a virtual format this fall. The Virtual Career & Internship Fair hosted by the iSchool on September 23 was attended by 35 employers and 676 students, including 295 students from the iSchool. The Government, Library, Archives, and Museum (GLAM) Employers Virtual Career Fair was held on October 7, attracting 26 employers and 155 students from six library programs. Of the GLAM attendees, 83 students were from the iSchool, more than triple the number who participated last year.
INTERSECTIONS FALL 2020
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