Jay Schafer Elected to Lyrasis Board of Trustees
NEWS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: 6/28/11
CONTACT: LESLIE SCHALER, (413) 545-0162, lschaler@library.umass.edu
UMASS AMHERST LIBRARIES ANNOUNCE
JAY SCHAFER ELECTED TO LYRASIS BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Amherst, MA - In May, Jay Schafer, Director of the UMass Amherst Libraries, was elected by his peers to the Board of Trustees of LYRASIS, the nation’s largest regional non-profit membership organization serving libraries.
Jay Schafer has been a member of the UMass Amherst community for the past ten years and has been Director of Libraries since 2004. He earned his degree in librarianship from the University of Denver and served in library administrative positions at a number of institutions including the University of Colorado at Denver.
Schafer combines his expertise in library collection building, resource sharing, and facilities space planning with a deep dedication to providing innovative, high quality service to library users. The Learning Commons in the W.E.B. Du Bois Library is one successful example of his belief that libraries must evolve to meet the needs of today’s students while maintaining the high standards expected of a nationally ranked research library.
With a collective history that dates back to 1936, LYRASIS continues its mission of supporting libraries and information professionals by offering creative solutions and increased savings opportunities through collaboration, consulting, digital and preservation services, professional development, and group purchases.
Comprised of more than 2,500 members, serving more than 6,000 institutions, the diverse LYRASIS membership is located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Southeast, and West regions of the U.S. While large in scale, LYRASIS works closely with library professionals and their staff to build and maintain valued relationships, frequently connecting with them through site visits, conferences, and e-communications.
Inspired by the constellation of “Lyra,” one of the galaxy's brightest stars and guiding lights, and the suffix, “sis,” which denotes a process of change, the name reflects the objective of LYRASIS to provide guidance to information professionals and support them and their institutions as they serve their communities through the ever-changing library landscape.
For more information, contact Carol Connare (413-545-0995, cconnare@library.umass.edu).
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Last Edited: 30 December 2011
