2009-2010 Annual Report

The Western Pennsylvania Law Library Association (WPLLA) 2009-2010 executive board members were Louise Beswick, president; Brian Eckel-Hare, vice president; Lauren Livingston Dick, past president; Patricia Roncevich, treasurer; Melanie Johnston, secretary; and Joel Fishman and Barbara Alexander-Klein, executive board members.

WPLLA committees were quite active this year, and we greatly appreciated their hard work.

• The programming committee (Susan Broms, Suzan Dolfi, Newkirk Barnes, Mary Stacy, Rita Young-Jones, and Louise Beswick) coordinated the October 2009 business meeting, three Lunch & Learn programs, the holiday party and the closing banquet. The Lunch & Learn programs included a session on Congressional research, led by Michele Kristakis of LexisNexis, in November 2009; an overview of genealogical research, conducted by Marilyn Holt from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, in January 2010; and a discussion of available resources at the Carnegie, moderated by Assistant Manager Richard Kaplan, in March 2010.

• The newsletter committee (Patricia Roncevich, Brian Eckel-Hare, Melanie Johnston, Michael Fleckenstein, and Kate Frey) worked diligently to deliver two outstanding issues. WPLLA is fortunate to have such a talented group who has committed themselves to keeping the members connected and informed through the newsletter.

• The scholarship committee, chaired by Rita Young-Jones, held an essay contest for a grant to attend the AALL Conference in Denver, Colorado, in July 2010. Linda Tashbook was the award recipient.

• The chapter’s website got a facelift, thanks to our hardworking Web administrator, Linda Tashbook. The website continues to be a wonderful tool for disseminating information among current members, and for recruiting potential members.

Marc Silverman of the University of Pittsburgh’s Barco Law Library received the newly created WPLLA Good Citizen Award, in recognition of his many years of performing good deeds and helping neighbors in need, at the closing banquet.

With the recent economic downturn, the board voted to not charge chapter dues to members that have lost their jobs.

The 2009-2010 executive board members are Joel Fishman, president; Melanie Johnston, vice president/president-elect; Louise Beswick, past president; Kate Frey, treasurer; Amy Lovell, secretary; and Newkirk Barnes and Barbara Alexander-Klein, executive board members.

I thank WPLLA for the opportunity to serve as president for the 2009-2010 year.