Laurie_ArpAtlanta, GA – April 3, 2015 – Laurie Gemmill Arp, LYRASIS Director of Digital and Preservation Services, was appointed by the State Board of Education of Ohio to the Ohio State Library Board. She was sworn in to her new role at the March 19, 2015 meeting of the State Library Board and began her service at that time. Her new role for the Ohio State Library Board will not impact or change her role at LYRASIS.

Laurie has more than 20 years of experience working with libraries and other cultural heritage institutions. As the LYRASIS Director of Digital and Preservation Services, she directs the activities related to digitization and preservation, including training and consulting services. She is also responsible for establishing and managing the Digitization Collaborative (originally the Mass Digitization Collaborative) and for working with members and business partners to digitize and increase access to collections. In addition, she has extensive experience serving on boards and committees including the Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board, the Ohio Electronic Records Committee, and ALA’s Collaborative Digitization Interest Group. She received her MLIS from the University of California, Los Angeles; her MA in European History from the University of California, Irvine; and her BA in European History from the University of California, San Diego.

Of her new role with the Ohio State Library Board, she says, “I am honored to be appointed to the Ohio State Library Board, and I look forward to the opportunity to support the goals set forth by the current members of the Board, which embody an effort to position the State Library and other Ohio libraries to improve the lives of Ohioans. I look forward to bringing my knowledge and expertise to help forward these worthwhile and important goals.”

Kate Nevins, LYRASIS Executive Director, says, “A huge congratulations to my colleague Laurie Gemmill Arp on her appointment to the Ohio State Library Board. She is a wonderful representative for libraries in Ohio and beyond, and as an organization we are privileged to have such expertise and experience among our ranks.”

The State Library of Ohio is governed by a five member board whose members are appointed to five year terms by the State Board of Education. Under the Ohio Revised Code, section 3375.01, members of the board cannot be recent members of the State Board of Education and cannot serve on the Board of Trustees of any other library while on the State Library Board. When a position becomes available on the Board the State Library Board sends out a call for nominations to the Ohio Library Community and then forwards three recommendations to the State Board of Education for their consideration.

Her term with the Ohio State Library Board will run from March 19, 2015 through 2018.