FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

April 25, 2005

Randy Nehrt
Pat McGuckin

White Names Anne Craig New Director of Illinois State Library

SPRINGFIELD — Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White has named Anne Craig of Springfield to be the new Director of the Illinois State Library.

White said the appointment takes effect May 1. Craig, 43, has been employed with the State Library since 1989 and currently serves as Associate Director, Library Automation and Technology. Craig replaces Jean Wilkins of Pleasant Plains, who retired as Director in December. Chief Deputy Director Mike Ragen of Springfield, who has served as Acting Director since Wilkins' retirement, will remain as Chief Deputy Director.

"Anne is innovative, personable, hard-working and proactive, and I am confident she will keep the State Library strong and responsive as Director," said White. "One of Anne's greatest strengths is her knowledge and expertise about technology, and how libraries must use computers, automation and technology to better serve the needs of patrons. Though the State Library's major task is to serve as the library for state government, Anne has helped the State Library become a computer-age source for information that can be accessed by anyone."

During her tenure with the State Library, Craig played a role in the development of such major initiatives as Find-it! Illinois (http://finditillinois.org/), the State Library's statewide digital library, and the Illinois Digital Archives (http://www.eliillinois.org/ida/), which brings together historical digital images from a number of libraries into one convenient site.

"Anne will carry on the State Library's mission to develop and promote libraries and provide librarians with training and continuing education opportunities that allow them to better serve library users," said White. "Illinois has an outstanding network of 4,000 public, school, academic and special libraries, and Anne is committed to working with me to strengthen that network and maintain our libraries as the best and most reliable source of information available to citizens."

During her tenure at the State Library, Craig has also served as Coordinator of Public Services, ILLINET/OCLC Network Coordinator and Reference Librarian. Prior to joining the State Library she worked at Founders Memorial Library at Northern Illinois University. Craig obtained both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Library and Information Studies degrees from NIU. A native of St. Charles, Craig comes from a family of librarians. She and her husband, Paul Knox, live in Springfield and have three children.