Simmons College

Dr. Camila Alire is Dean of University Libraries at the University of New Mexico. Previously, she was Dean Emeritus at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado and was Dean/Director of Libraries at the Auraria Library, University of Colorado at Denver for six years. She received her doctorate in Higher Education Administration from the University of Northern Colorado, holds an M.L.S. from the University of Denver and a bachelor of arts degree from Adams State College. She is the 2005-2006 President of ACRL and served as the National ACRL Conference Chair for 2005. She has chaired several ALA Committees, served on four ALA President's Special Advisory Task Forces and on ALA Council and Executive Board. She was president of REFORMA in 1994/95 and was named REFORMA Librarian of the Year in 1997. Her research focuses on library services for Latinos and other minorities, on library disaster recovery, and on recruitment and retention of minorities in the library profession and in higher education. She has presented workshops and talks on library marketing, leadership development, library advocacy, and on library services to Latino communities. She co-authored Serving Latino Communities and contributed to and edited a second book Library Disaster Planning and Recovery Handbook. She was chosen to be included in the ALA/ALTA National Advocacy Honor Roll 2000. In 1999, she was named Scholar-in-Residence for the Chicago Public Library System. She was awarded the first ALA Elizabeth Futas Catalyst for Change Award and National REFORMA's Librarian of the Year in 1997. In 1998, she was named by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in the country.