News briefs

The meeting location, agenda and online registration details will be announced in the next few weeks. (If you will be unable to attend in-person, please watch for details on how you can view portions of the meeting that will be broadcast live on the Web.)

The Americas Regional Council meeting will provide an open forum to discuss issues of importance to its members and to advise OCLC about its products, services, policies and operating direction. The Americas Regional Council Executive Committee, members of OCLC Board of Trustees, Global Council and OCLC Management will be present for interactive discussions. Bring your ideas and be ready to participate.

Comprised of members from libraries and other cultural heritage organizations from Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean and the United States, The Americas Regional Council is part of the OCLC cooperative’s new governance structure that consists of three Regional Councils and a Global Council to facilitate member-to-member discussions across the cooperative.

Remember, every member has a voice! The Americas Regional Council is interested in what you have to say. Plan now to make this meeting a part of your ALA Midwinter experience.

If you have questions about the meeting or the Americas Regional Council, please contact Patrick Wilkinson, the Chair of the Americas Regional Council at wilkinso@UWOSH.EDU.

Learn more about OCLC Global Council and the three Regional Councils.

October is National Cooperative Month—and what better way to celebrate than to publish our debut issue of OCLC Cooperative eNews, a monthly newsletter dedicated to all U.S. OCLC members. Cooperative eNews will feature member libraries and cultural heritage institutions and celebrate how we are all achieving more through cooperation and innovation. Future editions will include member stories, information on upcoming events, learning opportunities and support tips.

View the first issue of OCLC Cooperative eNews online

Subscribe to OCLC Cooperative eNews

Your new Member Services Team will help you make sure you are getting the most out of your OCLC membership.

The Member Services Team expands your regional connections with other members, providing you with more opportunities to participate in and contribute to successful communities of practice. Member Services staff learn from you—to get a sense of how OCLC can better meet your library’s needs and to keep you informed and engaged in the OCLC cooperative.

From hosting regional Members Meetings to visiting your library, these regionally based librarians discuss your institution’s use of OCLC products and services, observe workflow processes and connect you to training, research, membership reports and other valuable resources.

We invite you to meet our team. To contact OCLC Member Services, call 1-800-848-5878.

	Chris Martire, Groups and Consortia Chris Martire joined OCLC in April 2009, to lead OCLC’s U.S. Member Services team. She has over 20 years of experience serving libraries through program management positions with online publishers, eBook technology providers, and consortia. Chris earned her undergraduate degree from Connecticut College.
	James Galbraith, Midwest/Central U.S. Jim Galbraith started at OCLC as Associate Product Manager for NetLibrary in October 2008, and moved to his current role as Member Services Consultant in August 2009. Jim has a strong background in collection development, having served as Head of Collection Development at the University of California, Irvine and Wake Forest University, and as Assistant Director for Collection Development at Columbia University. Jim earned his MLIS as well as his undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and also holds a master’s degree in history from the University of Illinois.
	Daphne Kouretas, Western U.S. Daphne Kouretas, Member Services Consultant, joined OCLC in August 2009. Daphne previously coordinated research communication and access at the UK’s largest funder of community initiatives, the Big Lottery Fund. She has also managed a collection on community health in developing countries, provided consultancy services, and facilitated networking and learning among resource centers in east Africa and south Asia. Daphne earned her master’s in information science at City University, London in 2005, and her undergraduate degree from Oberlin College.
	Ellen Mizio, Southern U.S. Ellen Mizio joined OCLC as Training and Support Coordinator in September 2008, and moved to her current role as Member Services Consultant in April 2009. Ellen previously worked as Member Services Manager at the Tampa Bay Library Consortium in Tampa, Florida, where her responsibilities included working with new members, providing cataloging consulting services to member libraries, and managing multiple cataloging projects. She began her career in libraries at Florida Southern College as a catalog librarian for five years. Ellen obtained her MLS from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University.
	Carole Myles, Northeastern U.S. Carole Myles joined OCLC as a Member Services Consultant in June 2009. Prior to this position, she worked at Assumption College for six years, serving as Head of Reference and Instructional Services. Carole has also worked for information companies, such as SilverPlatter Information, Books 24x7, Ingenta and Credo Reference (formerly xrefer) in various management roles. Carole has an MLIS from Simmons College, and her undergraduate degree from Trinity College of Vermont.
	RJ Pettersen, Member Services Support RJ Pettersen joined OCLC August 2009, and supports both members and the Member Services team. He also coordinates regional conferences and events. RJ recently graduated from American University, where he studied literature and served American University’s radio station, WVAU, as a digital music librarian.