Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE - Jennifer Snoek-Brown, reference librarian at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Karrmann Library, was recently selected as one of the winners of the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) WeLead Initiative. The WeLead (Wisconsin Emerging Librarians Exploring and Developing) Initiative was launched this year to attract new WLA members and to help prepare a new generation of library leaders.

New or "emerging" librarians or library students were encouraged to apply for the new program, from all over the state and from any type of library (academic, public, special or school library). Only four librarians were selected as winners, or "protégés." Each protégé will receive a one-year WLA membership, stipends to attend WLA conferences for the next three years, leadership roles in WLA committees and task forces, special leadership programming opportunities, and a professional mentorship with a WLA member.

As part of her personal statement in her WeLead application, Snoek-Brown wrote, "I am passionate about the value of libraries and the vast array of skills librarians and library staff offer and this passion influences all that I do, both as a librarian and as an individual." She added, "To borrow from Jonas Salk, 'I feel that the greatest reward for doing is the opportunity to do more.' I look forward to taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the WeLead Initiative." Snoek-Brown joined the Karrmann Library in February 2005.

The WeLead Initiative is led by the WLA WeLead Task Force, formerly the Membership Committee. For more information on the WeLead Initiative, please visit their website athttp://www.wla.lib.wi.us/welead/.

Contact: Jennifer Snoek-Brown, reference librarian, Karrmann Library, (608)342-1192, snoekbrownj@uwplatt.edu