Connie Zimmer knew at the age of five that she wanted to be a librarian.
She was inspired to pursue her dream later in her youth by school librarian Ruby Smith at Temple Hill School in Barren County, Ky.
Mrs. Smith would be proud of her pupil now.
Zimmer, who serves as assistant professor of secondary education and coordinator of the instructional technology program at Arkansas Tech, has been elected president of the Arkansas Library Association for 2010.
“One of the items that industries look at when they are choosing locations for their operations are libraries,” said Zimmer. “They look at the school libraries, the public libraries and if there is a university in a given town they look at the library there. Libraries really are a crown jewel in the economic development of a community.
“Libraries are being used more during the current economic downturn,” continued Zimmer. “The monthly statistics on the usage of library resources and the number of items being checked out is amazing right now.”
Zimmer has been a member of the Arkansas Library Association since she joined the faculty at Arkansas Tech in 1990.
She obtained both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Western Kentucky University.
A former librarian in both schools and public libraries in Kentucky, Zimmer also taught library science as an adjunct professor at Western Kentucky before coming to Arkansas Tech.
Her community involvement since arriving in Russellville has included service on the Pope County Library Board of Trustees and the Arkansas Association of Instructional Media Board of Directors.
Zimmer has also served as second vice president of the Russellville Lions Club and as chair of the Arkansas Diamond State Primary Book Awards Committee.
She received the 2003 Leadership Award from the Arkansas Association of Instructional Media and the 2007 Retta Patrick Award from the Arkansas Library Association.
Zimmer said that one of the highlights of her year as president will be hosting the Arkansas Library Association/Southeastern Library Association Conference that will be held in Little Rock Sept. 26-28.
For more information about the Arkansas Library Association, visit www.arlib.org.
For more information about educational opportunities at Arkansas Tech related to careers in library services, contact Zimmer at (479) 968-0434 or czimmer@atu.edu.
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