Conference Committee

Current Committee Members

Rachel Shankles, Chair
LIBM Practicum Coordinator
UCA
891 Hwy 7
Bismarck, AR  71929
501-276-4949
Shankles08@gmail.com

Phillip Shackelford
Library Director
South Arkansas Community College
El Dorado, AR 71730
870-864-7116
pshackelford@southark.edu

Kristen Cooke
Deputy Director
Arkansas State Library
kristen.cooke@arkansas.gov

Ron Russ
Electronic and Public Services Librarian
Arkansas State University-Beebe
1000 West Iowa Street
Beebe, AR 72012
501-882-8959
rsruss@asub.edu

Crystal Gates
Executive Director
William F. Laman Public Library System
2801 Orange Street
North Little Rock, AR 72114
501-404-2919
crystal.gates@lamanlibrary.org   

Susie Kirk
Library Technician
Henderson State University
1100 Henderson Street
Arkadelphia, AR  71999
870-230-5307
kirks@hsu.edu

Britt Anne Murphy
Library Director
Hendrix College - Bailey Library
1600 Washington Avenue
Conway, AR 72032
501-450-1288
murphyb@hendrix.edu

Tina Murdock
Director SLIM Program
Emporia University
Bailey Library
Hendrix College
1600 Washington Ave
Conway, AR  72032
501-450-5248 C
620-487-5658 W
tmurdock@emporia.edu

Tonya Ryals
Assistant Director
Craighead County Jonesboro Library
315 Oak Ave
Jonesboro, AR  72401
870-206-9980 W
tryals@libraryinjonesboro.org

John McGraw
Director
Faulkner County Library System
501-327-7482
John.mcgraw@fcl.org

Stewart Fuell
PR Specialist, Social Media Coord
Central AR Library System
100 Rock Street
LR, AR 72201
501-918-3095 W
sfuell@cals.org

Jeff Whittingham
Professor
Dept of Teaching and Learning
UCA
111B Mashburn Hall
Conway, AR  72035
501-450-5445 W
Jeffw@uca.edu

Jessica Riedmueller
Faculty Librarian
Torreyson Library Rm 112
UCA
501-450-5233 W
Jriedmueller@uca.edu

Becky Fischer
User Experience Librarian – Outreach
Benton Branch, Saline Co Library
1800 Smithers Benton, AR 72015
501-778-4766 ext. 1302
beckyf@salinecountylibrary.org

Jill Heard
Lake Hamilton High School Library
Hot Spgs, AR 71913
501-276-2330 C
Jillana.heard@lhwolves.net

Mission and Responsibilities

The Conference Committee is responsible for the overall planning, execution, and evaluation of the annual conference.

Past Committee Chairs

2020 - Philip Shackelford
2019 - Crystal Gates
2018 - Daniel Fouts, II
2017 - Rebecka Virden
2016 – Shawn Manis
2015 – Devona Pendergrass
2014 – Kay Bland & Nicole Stroud
2013 – Nicole Stroud
2012 – Nicole Stroud
2011 – Holly Mercer
2010 -  Dwain Gordon
2009 -  Dwain Gordon
2008 – Judy Casey
2007 – Kay Bland
2006 – Dwain Gordon
2005 – Renee LeBeau-Ford
2004 – Frances Morgan
2003 – P.J. Williams & Quanta Wyatt
2002 – Karen Russ
2001 – Mary Furlough
2000 – Dwain Gordon & Sheryl Robinson
1999 – Kaye Talley
1998 – Jenny Petty

Past Conference Sessions & Themes

2020 - Charting New Waters
2019 - Joint Conference w/SELA: Looking Back, Moving Forward
2018 - Make it Happen: Arkansas Libraries Transform
2017 - Spice Things Up At Your Library
2016 – Powered By Change
2015 – Rope It, Brand It, Own It
2014 – Libraries Tweet All About It
2013 – Making Connections, Meeting Needs Down The Road
2011 – ArLA Centennial Conference