New SLIM dean has Kansas family ties

When Ann O'Neill assumes leadership of ESU's School of Library and Information Management, it will feel like coming back home.

O'Neill accepted the position last month and will be taking over for interim dean Diane Bailiff this summer.

"My family is from western Kansas. My father was born and raised in Ransom and mom was born and raised in Atwood. I spent a lot of summers in Atwood with my grandmother," she explained. "When it comes to Kansas, I understand the culture and the people."

"I have been very impressed and pleased with the warm welcome I have received from everyone at ESU. This has confirmed my initial impression that I am coming to an exciting and dynamic place," she added.

O'Neill will assume responsibility for one of the country's leading library science programs, especially in the field of distance learning. With groups of students from a 12 state area from as far away as Oregon and Utah, O'Neill faces the challenge of getting to know a large area of service.

"I anticipate in my first year, I'll be doing a lot of travel to become acquainted with students, professionals and state librarians. They'll want to know who I am and what I do. This is also part of enhancing the visibility of the school."

O'Neill will also be in charge of the school's upcoming reaccredidation, a task she is familiar with in her present position as Director of Accreditation for the American Library Association.

O'Neill hopes to build upon ESU's national reputation by encouraging librarians across the country to take a closer look at the quality of the school's graduates.

"I want to be sure that the broad library and information studies profession knows that we do more than just distance education. We educate excellent librarians and information professionals."

She will also encourage further development of the school's international projects in Eastern Europe, Africa and elsewhere.

"These experiences are valuable because these days information is global. Our students -- be they undergraduates, master or doctoral students-- need to know how they fit into the global community," she said.

Last Updated July 2, 2007>