Committees

Current Committees

  • GRANTS COMMITTEE

    Chairs

    Sarah Kammer, Chair
    Head of Public, Faculty and Student Services
    University of South Dakota

    Paul Riermaier, Vice Chair
    Reference Librarian
    University of Pennsylvania Law School

    Committee Members

    Jan Bissett
    Daniel A Brackmann
    Meg Butler
    Catherine Chick
    Cynthia Condit
    Matt Cooper
    Emily Donnellan
    Katelyn Golsby
    Kris Niedringhaus

    Genevieve Tung

    CHARGE

    The RIPS-SIS Grants committee solicits applications for the AALL Leadership Academy/AALL Management Institute and AALL Annual Meeting, evaluates grant applicants, and recommends travel grants to selected applicants based on need and available RIPS-SIS Grant funds to the RIPS-SIS Executive Board.

  • LEGAL RESEARCH COMPETENCY

    Chairs

    Susan Azyndar, Vice Chair
    Associate Director
    Notre Dame Law School

    Committee Members

    Tracy Eaton
    Rebecca Fordon
    Jenny Ham
    Alisa Holahan
    Joyce Manna Janto
    Miriam Murphy

    CHARGE

    Develop a body of knowledge and implement activities to support and inform stakeholders about legal research competency.

  • LEGAL RESEARCH TEACH-IN

    Chairs

    Clare Willis, Chair
    Research and Instructional Services Librarian
    Northwestern University School of Law

    Ashley Krenelka Chase, Vice Chair
    Associate Director
    Stetson University College of Law

    Committee Members

    Brandy Ellis
    Matthew Flyntz
    Heidi Heller
    Kevin Rothenberg
    Pamela Smith
    Katie Siler
    Sue Silverman
    Melissa Strickland
    Jill Sturgeon

    CHARGE

    Solicit content, and administer the creation, marketing, and distribution, of Legal Research Teach-In Kits (compiled legal research instructional materials) annually.

  • Membership Task Force

    Chair

    Genevieve Tung, Chair
    Assistant Director
    Rutgers Law School

    Committee Members

    Ashley Ahlbrand
    Shari Berkowitz Duff
    Shawn Friend
    Malikah Hall
    Becky Mattson
    Kristen R. Moore
    Jason Zarin
    Annmarie Zell

  • NOMINATIONS

    Chairs

    Alyson Drake, Chair
    Instructional Services Librarian
    Fordham Law Library

    Kathleen Darvil, Vice Chair
    Associate Librarian for Public Services & Adjunct Professor of Law
    Brooklyn Law School Library

    Committee Members

    Emily Donnellan
    Karin Johnsrud
    Cassandra Patterson

    CHARGE

    The Nominations Committee is charged with selecting candidates for SIS elections. The committee follows Article VI: Nomination and Election of Officers and Members-at-Large of the RIPS-SIS Bylaws in performing its duties. Specifically, the committee proposes a slate of candidates, including two candidates for each open office, and administers the electronic balloting system for the election.

  • ONLINE TRAINING

    Chairs

    Matt Timko, Chair
    Academic Technologies and Outreach Services Librarian
    Northern Illinois University College of Law

    Melissa Strickland, Vice Chair
    Reference Librarian
    Louisiana State University
    Paul M. Hebert Law Center Library

    Committee Members

    Therese Clarke Arado
    Meg Butler
    Madeline Cohen
    Timothy Gallina
    Grace Lo
    Clanitra Stewart Nejdl
    Dajiang Nie
    Lisa Peters
    Sue Silverman

    CHARGE

    Plan and coordinate online training opportunities for the RIPS-SIS membership. Develop tools, publications, forums, and programs of use to librarians involved with and interested in online instruction.

  • PATRON SERVICES

    Chair

    Matt Cooper, Chair
    Assistant Director for Public Services
    Ohio State University Moritz Law Library

    Katelyn Golsby, Vice Chair
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    University of New Mexico Law Library

    Committee Members

    Madeline Cohen
    Shari Berkowitz Duff
    Nicole Dyszlewski
    Tracy Eaton
    Brandy Ellis
    Kelly Johnson
    Clanitra Stewart Nejdl
    Dajing Nie
    Gail McDonald
    Kristen R Moore
    Matthew Neely
    Jenna Pontious
    Lei Zhang

    CHARGE

    Develop tools, publications, and programs of use to librarians, library staff, or other information professionals who provide direct services to patrons. Select topics and moderators for roundtables at the Annual Meeting.

  • PROGRAM

    Chair

    Becky Mattson, Chair
    Head of Faculty and Research Services and Professor of Legal Research
    Penn State Law

    Committee Members

    Tanya Johnson
    Heather Joy
    Emma MacGuidwin
    Kris Niedringhaus
    Kevin Rothenberg
    Katie Siler
    Sarah Starnes
    Julia Tedjeske
    Colleen Williams
    Lei Zhang

    CHARGE

    Assist RIPS members with program, workshop, and poster presentation proposals for Annual Meeting educational programs. Solicit topics relevant to RIPS members, assist in developing and refining proposals, connect members with others interested in proposing programs on similar topics, and answer member questions about the proposal process in general.

  • PUBLIC RELATIONS & RECRUITMENT

    Chairs

    Emma Wood, Chair
    Public Services Librarian
    University of Massachusetts- Dartmouth School of Law

    Jenna Pontious, Vice Chair
    Riverside County Law Library

    Committee Members

    Jessica Almeida
    Catherine Chick
    Shari Berkowitz Duff
    Karin Johnsrud
    Geraldine Kalim
    Sarah Kammer
    Paul Riermaier

    CHARGE

    Publicize the projects and activities of the SIS by sending periodic notices to the AALL Spectrum and other AALL-affiliated publications. Maintain an active Twitter presence for RIPS. Recruit new members by coordinating representation at CONELL, and manage marketing displays and giveaways at our SIS table in the exhibit hall at the Annual Meeting.

  • RESEARCH INSTRUCTION

    Chairs

    Robin Schard, Chair
    Associate Director
    University of Miami School of Law Library

    Kelly Leong, Vice Chair
    Head of Reference
    Fordham University Law Library

    Committee Members

    Ashley Ahlbrand
    Ashley Arrington
    Susan Azyndar
    Meredith Capps
    Rebecca Fordon
    Timothy Gallina
    Alisa Holahan
    Heather Joy
    Shannon Kemen
    Grace Lo
    Taryn Marks
    Kimberley Mattioli
    Lisa Peters
    Jill Sturgeon
    Theresa Tarves
    Matt Timko

    CHARGE

    Provide research instruction resources through well-organized and user-friendly formats. Select topics and moderators for roundtables at the Annual Meeting.

  • Scholarship

    Chair

    Jessica Almeida, Chair
    Associate Librarian Public Services
    University of Massachusetts- Dartmouth School of Law

    Sarah Starnes, Vice Chair
    Associate Law Librarian
    University of Akron Law Library

    Committee Members

    Ashley Ahlbrand
    Cynthia Condit
    Kathleen Darvil
    Heidi Heller
    Joyce Manna Janto
    Tanya Johnson
    Heather Joy
    Geraldine Kalim
    Pamela Smith
    Colleen Williams

    Charge

    The RIPS-SIS Scholarship Committee encourages and promotes the scholarship of RIPS members. The committee will provide resources for publication opportunities, facilitate collaboration on scholarly projects among members from all library types, and assist in publicizing member works.