Valerie Perry Named Special Libraries Association Fellow
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 22, 2016) — Valerie Perry, director of Branch Libraries and head of the Agricultural Information Center at University of Kentucky Libraries, has been named a Special Libraries Association (SLA) Fellow. The SLA Fellowship recognizes mid-career information professionals for their past, present and future service to the association and the profession. No more than five SLA members may be selected for the fellowship each year.
SLA Fellows are called upon and expected to advise the association's board of directors and alert the membership to issues and trends warranting action. Individuals receiving the honor may use the title “Fellow of the Special Libraries Association.” Perry's SLA Fellowship was conferred last week during the 2016 SLA Annual Conference, held June 12-14, in Philadelphia.
Soon after joining SLA in 1998, Perry took on leadership roles in the Kentucky chapter, serving as secretary, archivist, chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, and subsequently as president in 2012. She has been treasurer of the Science-Technology Division and business manager of Sci-Tech News and has also served in numerous leadership roles in the Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition Division, including chair for two consecutive terms (2009 and 2010) and conference program planning chair.
At the association level, Perry is currently a member of the SLA Nominating Committee. She has also served on the SLA Board of Directors as past division cabinet chair (2014) and on the Member Preferences Task Force, the Volunteer Experience Task Force, and the Online Content Advisory Council.
As much as her colleagues admire her extensive knowledge of agricultural and biological sciences, Perry is equally revered for her outgoing personality and eagerness to help and teach others. She has been honored several times for her many contributions to SLA and the information profession. The Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition Division gave her its Distinguished Member Award in 2007, and the Kentucky chapter of SLA honored her with the Kentucky Chapter Professional Award (2007) and the Larry Besant Professional Award (2014).
The SLA is a nonprofit international organization for innovative information professionals and their strategic partners. SLA serves information professionals in more than 60 countries and in a range of working environments, including business, academia and government agencies. SLA promotes and strengthens its members through learning, advocacy and networking initiatives.
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