New PALNI Director Starts Aug. 1

Kirsten Leonard named PALNI Executive Director

Kirsten Leonard named Executive Director of the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI)


MCLS is pleased to report that the PALNI Executive Committee has announced the hiring of PALNI’s new Executive Director, Kirsten Leonard. PALNI contracts with MCLS to run PALNI’s integrated library system.  MCLS staff members provide maintenance, support, and training for the PALNI shared Aleph system at the MCLS Indianapolis office.

Kirsten has a number of years of experience in academic libraries in Indiana and has extensive experience with the implementation of information technology to support undergraduate education. Kirsten is enthusiastic about joining PALNI and looks forward to working with the membership to move PALNI's program beyond support of an integrated library system.  Kirsten writes "My commitment to being a leader in innovation and management of electronic information is coupled with an equal desire to optimize how change is managed in the library field."  This perspective will serve PALNI well as she helps the membership develop PALNI into a more dynamic organization which is better equipped to meet the needs of members.



Kirsten graduated from Case Western with a double major in history and literature and received a Masters in Literature with high honors from Case, and a Masters in Library and Information Science from Wayne State University.  She has held positions at Kettering University, Ball State University and Indiana University, Kokomo libraries.  At Kokomo she has been given an increasing range of responsibilities which have included cataloging, government documents and institutional research. She has had significant responsibility for the development of IU Kokomo's information technology infrastructure.  All of this education and professional experience prepares her well for the position of PALNI Executive Director.


PALNI anticipates an aggressive strategic planning effort in the next twelve to eighteen months which will lead to further enhancement of PALNI’s services to its members.


Kirsten Leonard will begin her work with PALNI on August 1, 2010. 

[29 Jul 2010]