James Neal to Deliver Bryant Jackson Lecture at Illinois State University

Illinois State University's Milner Library will host James Neal as the Bryant Jackson lecturer on Wednesday, April 27, at 2 p.m. in the Bone Student Center Old Main Room. A reception will follow the lecture. The lecture and reception are free and open to the public.

Neal is the vice president for Information Services and the university librarian at Columbia University. He is a member of the OCLC Board and is treasurer of the American Library Association (ALA) as well as serves on the ALA Council and Executive Board. He previously served as chair of the Budget Advisory and Review Committee for ALA, president and board member of the Association of Research Libraries, chair and board member of the Research Libraries Group (RLG), and chair of the RLG Program Committee of the OCLC Board. 

Neal is a consultant and published author, focusing in the areas of scholarly communication, intellectual property, digital library programs, organizational change and human resource development.  He was selected the 1997 Academic Librarian of the Year by the Association of College and Research Libraries and was the 2007 recipient of the ALA's Hugh Atkinson Memorial Award and the 2009 ALA Melvil Dewey Medal Award.  In 2010, Neal received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Alberta.

The Bryant Jackson Lectureship was established in 2003 by former University Librarian Joe Kraus to honor his associate university librarian. Over a 26-year period, Jackson held numerous positions in Milner Library. The Lectureship recognizes his dedication, excellence and leadership. An annual event, the lectureship features prominent speakers and scholars in the field of library and information science.