A03:019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 14, 2003
GOVERNOR DAVIS NAMES MEMBERS TO
THE LIBRARY OF CALIFORNIA BOARD
SACRAMENTO - Governor Gray Davis today announced the appointments
of Penny Kastanis, Michael Keller, Sonia Levitin, Lucy Lin, Paymaneh Maghsoudi,
Sarah Margaret Pritchard, and the reappointment of Victoria Fong as members of
the Library of California Board.
Ms. Kastanis, 66, of
Sacramento, has worked in education for nearly 30 years. She is working as a
Faculty/Coordinator for the School Library Media Teacher Credential Program at
California State University, Sacramento, and Executive Director for the
California School Library Association. Previously, Ms. Kastanis was Director of
Educational Technology and Learning Resources for the Sacramento County Office
of Education from 1986 to 1999. She was State President of the California Media
and Library Educators Association from 1990 to 1991 and a Trustee for the Los
Rios Community College District from 1987 to 1992. Ms. Kastanis is a member of
the California School Library Association and the California Reading
Association. She earned bachelor and master of arts degrees from California
State University, Sacramento.
Mr. Keller, 57, of Stanford,
has spent over 30 years in various capacities dealing with libraries and is
nationally recognized as one of the leading experts on digitized libraries. He
is the University Librarian/Director of Academic Information Resources and the
Publisher/Founder of High Wire Press at Stanford University since 1994 and
1995, respectively. Mr. Keller is Publisher of the Stanford University Press.
He is a member of the Board of Directors for Alibris, an internet book
distribution company and is an advisory board member for ebrary.com, an e-book
distribution company. He is the founding member and Chairman of the Executive
Committee of the Digital Library Federation, as well as a member of the
Bohemian Club of San Francisco. Mr. Keller earned a bachelor of arts degree
from Hamilton College, a master of arts degree from State University of New
York, Buffalo, and a masters of library science degree from State University of
New York, Geneseo.
Ms. Levitin, 68, of Los
Angeles, has been an Instructor for the UCLA Writer's Program since 1974. She
has published numerous books and has received several honors and awards
including the National Jewish Book Award and the PEN Award for fiction. Ms.
Levitin is a frequent guest lecturer throughout the country including
engagements with the Association of Jewish Libraries and the Simon Wiesenthal
Center. She is a dedicated volunteer and advisory member at the Library and
Archives of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Museum of Tolerance. Ms. Levitin is
also a founder of the Once Upon A World Book Award and an advisory board
member for the Tools for Tolerance to Enhance Library Services
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LIBRARY BOARD 222
Program at the Simon
Wiesenthal Center. She earned a bachelor of science degree from the University
of Pennsylvania.
Ms. Lin, 59, of Seal Beach,
has been a Librarian/Teacher at Long Beach Unified School District since 1973.
She is a Librarian at Lowell Elementary School, which has been honored with the
Governor's Reading Award and was featured as a Model Library by the California
State Librarians Association. Ms. Lin is also the Librarian at Bixby Elementary
School, which achieved the greatest growth in API scores and received a visit
from First Lady Sharon Davis in 2000. She has been a member of the California
Teachers Association since 1971, the Librarians Association of Long Beach and
the Teachers Association of Long Beach since 1973 and the Computer User in
Education (CUE) since 1992. Mrs. Lin earned a bachelor of arts degree from
National Taiwan University, and a master of arts degree from the University of
Oregon.
Ms. Maghsoudi, 45, of Chino
Hills, has been the Library Director of Whittier Public Library since 2001. She
previously was Library Director for Azusa City Library. Ms. Magsoudi is a
member of the American Library Association and a member of the Legislative
Committee of the California Library Association. She is also a board member of
the California Association of Library Trustees and Commissions (CAL TAC), the
Hodge Foundation and the Whittier Public Library Foundation. Ms. Magsoudi is
the recipient of the YMCA of San Gabriel Valley Woman of Achievement Award. She
earned a bachelor of arts degree from The Pars College in Tehran, Iran, and a
masters degree from the University of Oklahoma.
Ms. Pritchard, 47, of Santa
Barbara, is the University Librarian at the University of California, Santa
Barbara, a position she has held since 1999. Prior to that, she was Director of
Libraries at Smith College, the Associate Executive Director for the
Association of Research Libraries in Washington D.C., and a librarian in
various capacities at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Ms. Pritchard
is also a member of the American Library Association, California Library
Association, the National Women's Studies Association, and the American Association
for Higher Education. She earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University
of Maryland, and master of arts degrees from the University of Wisconsin.
Ms. Fong, 57, of Tiburon, has
served on the Library of California Board since 1996. She was a member of the
Marin County Free Library Commission from 1992 to 2001, serving two years as
President from 1994 to 1996. Ms. Fong is also a trustee for the
Belvedere-Tiburon Library Agency Board and has been the Director of the
Peninsula Library Foundation since 1993. She earned bachelor and master of arts
degrees from the University of Michigan.
The mission of the
Library of California Board is to ensure that all Californians have free and
convenient access to all library resources and services for the enrichment of
their lives and for lifelong learning, regardless of their age or ethnicity, or
any geographical, financial or administrative constraints. Members do not
receive salaries. These positions do not require Senate confirmation.
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