
List of Key Project Staff and Collaborators
RJ@PL Project Staff
- Bharat Mehra. (PI/Project Director) (Professor & EBSCO Endowed Chair in Social Justice), School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alabama. Email: bmehra@ua.edu
- Kimberly Black. (co-PI), Department of Computer, Information and Mathematical Science and Technology, Chicago State University: kblack21@csu.edu.
- Baheya Jaber. (Research Assistant) (Doctoral Candidate), School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alabama. Email: bsjaber@crimson.ua.edu.
- Kaurri C. Williams-Cockfield. (Research Assistant) (Doctoral Student). College of Communication and Information Sciences, University of Alabama. Email: kcwilliamscockfield@crimson.ua.edu.
RJ@PL Partners (State Library Agencies)
RJ@PL partners are committed to the grant and interested to serve (or assign a designee) on the RJ@PL Advisory Board and RJ@PL Diversity + Domain Task Force.
- Denise Rae Lyons [current], Commissioner, Kentucky Department for Libraries & Archives (KY): denise.lyons@ky.gov. Terry Manuel [past], Commissioner; State Librarian; Archivist and Records Administrator, Kentucky Department for Libraries & Archives (KY): Terry.Manuel@ky.gov.
- Dr. Nancy Pack, Director, Alabama Public Library Service (AL): npack@apls.state.al.us.
- Irene M. Padilla, State Librarian, Maryland State Library Agency (MD): irene.padilla@maryland.gov.
- Maria Sochor, Assistant State Librarian, Tennessee State Library and Archives (TN): Maria.Sochor@tn.gov.
- Sandra Gioia Treadway, Librarian of Virginia, Library of Virginia (VA): sandra.treadway@lva.virginia.gov.
- Julie Walker, State Librarian & Associate; Vice Chancellor for Libraries, Georgia Public Library Service (GA): jwalker@georgialibraries.org.
RJ@PL Partners (Individual Libraries/Library Systems)
- Tonya Aikens, President & CEO, Howard County Library System (MD): tonya.aikens@hclibrary.org.
- Valeria Bell, Executive Director, Athens Regional Library System (GA): vbell@athenslibrary.org.
- Lee Burchfield, Director, Louisville Free Public Library (KY): Lee.Burchfield@lfpl.org.
- Scott R. Firestine, Library Director, Richmond Public Library (VA): Scott.Firestine@richmondgov.com.
- Janine M. Langston, Executive Director, Birmingham Public Library (AL): janine.langston@cobpl.org.
- Melanie Huggins, Executive Director, Richland Library (SC): MHuggins@RichlandLibrary.com.
- Clint S. Rudy, Director of Libraries, Suffolk Public Library (VA): crudy@suffolkva.us.
- Joan Sherif, Director, Northwestern Library System (Allegheny, Stokes, Surry, Yadkin Counties) (NC): jsherif@nwrl.org.
- Roosevelt Weeks, Director of Libraries, Austin Public Library (TX): roosevelt.weeks@austintexas.gov.
RJ@PL Diversity + Domain Task Force
- Damera Blincoe, Manager of Equity Assessment, Louisville Free Public Library, Louisville, Kentucky: Damera.Blincoe@lfpl.org.
- Leelynn C. Brady, Library Services Coordinator – Community Learning, Suffolk Public Library, Suffolk, Virginia:
lbrady@suffolkva.us. - Nan Carmack, Director, Library Development and Networking, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia:nan.carmack@lva.virginia.gov.
- Dr. Kelly Clark, Chief DEIB Officer, Howard County Library System (HCLS), Marland: kelly.clark@hclibrary.org.
- Dr. Tameka Hobbs, Library Regional Manager, African American Research Library and Cultural Center, Broward County Libraries Division, Fort Lauderdale, Florida: THOBBS@broward.org.
- Carmaleta McKinnis-Williams, Equity & Inclusion Program Manager, Austin Public Library, Austin, Texas: carmaleta.mckinnis-willaims@austintexas.gov.
- Brittany Smith, Assistant Manager, Richland Library Sandhills, Columbia, South Carolina: BSmith@richland.com.
- Reba Williams, Titusville Branch Manager, Birmingham Public Library Titusville Branch, Birmingham, Alabama: rjwilliams6@crimson.ua.edu.
- Hilary Writt, Workforce and Adult Services Consultant, Kentucky Department for Libraries & Archives (KY): hilary.writt@ky.gov.
Note: Other collaborators are getting elicited (as appropriate) now that the proposal application has been accepted for funding.
