Washington, DC - President William J. Clinton has nominated Bobby L. Roberts of Little Rock, Arkansas, and Joan R. Challinor of Washington, DC, to serve second terms on the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS). Both nominations require Senate confirmation.
On October 28, 1999, the President announced his intent to nominate Bobby L. Roberts for a second five-year term as a member of the Commission. Dr. Roberts was first appointed to the Commission in 1994; his first term was completed on July 19, 1999. As the Director of the Central Arkansas Library System in Little Rock, a position he has held since 1989, Dr. Roberts manages ten libraries. From 1978-1982 and 1984-1989, he served as the Head of Archives and Special Collections at the University of Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. He has taught courses on American history, archival administration, and library science.
During his first term as a Commissioner, Dr. Roberts provided the Commission with expert guidance on the implementation of the Library Services and Technology Act. He also served on the Commission's committees on library statistics and child abuse in the digital environment. Both his professional training and his practical experience were of great value to the Commission in its efforts to plan for the varied library and information needs of the people of the United States.
Dr. Roberts received a B.S. degree from the University of Central Arkansas, Conway, a M.L.S. degree from the University of Oklahoma, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. His postdoctoral study includes seminars and institutes on research libraries and management, and he has taught university courses in American history, criminal justice, and western civilization. Dr. Roberts was selected 1997 Librarian of the Year by Library Journal. He is an accomplished author, publishing in the fields of U.S. history, librarianship and archival management. In 1998 he and Carl Moneyhon authored Portraits in Conflict: A Photographic History of Texas. It is the seventh book in a proposed twelve volume series, published by the University of Arkansas Press.
On November 10, 1999, the President announced his intent to nominate Joan R. Challinor for a second five-year term on the Commission. Dr. Challinor was first appointed to the Commission in 1995. She is chairperson of the Advisory Committee of the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University, and a director of Knight Ridder, a newspaper and electronic publisher. She served as a research associate at the National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian Institution from 1984 to 1990. From 1976 to 1984, Dr. Challinor served as a professorial lecturer at American University in Washington, DC. She served as a member of the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation from 1990 to 1994.
Dr. Challinor brings to the Commission a wealth of experience and service at the institutional, national and international levels. Dr. Challinor serves on the Commission's executive committee. She also serves as chair of the Commission's international committee and as the lead Commissioner for Sister Libraries: A White House Millennium Council Project. The goal for Sister Libraries is for public and school libraries in the United States to pair with other libraries worldwide, focusing initially on programs specifically planned for children and teenagers.
Dr. Challinor received B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in history from American University, and she received The American University Distinguished Alumni Award in 1985.
NCLIS Chairperson Jeanne Hurley Simon welcomed the news of both reappointments and said, "We are pleased and extremely fortunate that President Clinton has named Bobby Roberts and Joan Challinor for second terms on the Commission. Their expertise, knowledge, and professionalism will continue to strengthen all our deliberations."
The U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science is a permanent, independent agency of the federal government charged by Public Law 91-345 to advise the President and Congress on the library and information needs of the nation and the policies and plans necessary to meet those needs. The Commission discovers the needs of the people; translates those needs into recommendations for national policy, and coordinates implementation of national and international library and information services with federal, state and local governments in the United States and with other public and private organizations.