2023 ALLUNY Elections – Meet the Candidates

Who is eligible: Registered members only. Sign up or renew for free here.
When to vote: Now until 5/10/2023 at 11:59 PM.
How to vote: A link to voting will be sent via the ALLUNYMEM listserv to all registered members. If you did not receive an email, please contact Membership Chair Elaine Knecht.

President

Jessica Petitto has held several different positions at Syracuse University College of Law Library since 2003. Currently she is the Technical Services Librarian and a University Senator as well as the chair of the Senate Library Committee. She received her MLS from Syracuse University in 2016. Jessica simultaneously worked on the children’s floor of the Onondaga County Public Library from 2017-2020. She has been a member of ALLUNY for over a decade and served as the vendor relations chair as well as made arrangements for countless Spring Institutes. In her spare time Jessica enjoys visiting museums, hanging out with dogs and supporting Arsenal football club!

Co-Vice President

Karen Oesterle is an Associate Director of Legal Research Development at the Practising Law Institute (PLI). After completing her MBA, Karen began working for Matthew Bender, later LexisNexis, serving legal, government, and corporate clients in VA, DC, and NY.  She completed her MLIS in 2011 and became a law librarian in 2015.  After 7 years at the New York Law Institute as Reference Librarian and Head of Reference, she joined PLI in her current role.

Co-Vice President

Chris Lund is the Principal Law Librarian for the New York Unified Court System’s Sixth Judicial District, covering the counties of Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Madison, Otsego, Schuyler, Tioga, and Tompkins. After earning a JD at Cornell Law School, Chris spent five years practicing commercial real estate law at small law firm on Long Island. He then spent several more years working in Manhattan law firms while earning his MLIS from St. John’s University until being hired as the Law Librarian for the Sixth JD in December, 2018, where he has been working ever since. In his current position, he is responsible for managing the seven courthouse law libraries and the three law library/public library partnerships in his district, along with the district Help Center. He currently resides in the city of Cortland with his partner Meghan and their two cats.

Volunteering/Professional Organizations:
* Friends of the Cortland Free Library (2018-Present); President (2020-Present)
* New York Library Association (March 2020–Present); Friends of the Library Section, Board Member-at-Large (2021-Present); Intellectual Freedom Committee, FLS Representative (2022-Present); Intellectual Freedom Roundtable, Member (2023-Present)
* Unified Court System Law Libraries Association (Jan 2020–Present); Co-Treasurer (2021-2022); First Vice President (2022-Present)
* Broome County Bar Association (2019–Present); BarNotes Newsletter Committee, Layout Editor (2021-Present)
* American Association of Law Libraries (2013–Present); Copyright Committee (2021-2024); LISP-SIS Blog Committee (2022-Present); Government Law Libraries SIS (2020-Present); Legal Information Services to the Public SIS (2020-Present)
* Law Library Association of Greater New York (2013-2018); Student Relations Committee, Co-Chair (2015-2017)

Secretary

Lisa Worhacz is the Manager of Information Services at Harter Secrest & Emery LLP in Rochester, New York.  She has 13-years’ experience as a private firm manager/law librarian and prior professional experience at the New York State Library and as a high school history teacher.  Lisa graduated from Ithaca College with a B.S. in History Education and a minor in Business Administration, SUNY Cortland with an MSEd, and SUNY Albany with an MSIS.  She is an active participant in ALLUNY, AALL, and ILTA.  

“I value the professional connections and opportunities for continuing education ALLUNY provides to its members.  I hope to use my position on the board to encourage participation and help secure ALLUNY’s future.”         

Treasurer

Angela Patti has been a member of ALLUNY for over 25 years. Through ALLUNY, I have made connections, forged professional relationships, and attended many programs that have enriched my career and enhanced my ability to do my job successfully. Having benefitted so much from the organization, I look forward to the opportunity to give back to it.

Experience:
* Principal Law Librarian, Supreme Court Library, Buffalo (2019 – present)
* Senior Law Librarian (2010 – 2019)
* Law Librarian (1998 – 2010)
* Reference Librarian, Phillips, Lytle, Hitchcock, Blaine & Huber, Buffalo (1993 – 1998)
* Librarian I, Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (1991 – 1993)

Education:
M.L.S., State University of New York at Buffalo, 1989.
B. A., State University of New York at Buffalo, 1988.

Professional Activities:
* ALLUNY member (1994 – present)
* ALLUNY Vendors & Corporate Sponsors Co-chair (2014 – 2017)
* New York State Unified Court Law Libraries Association (fka Pro Se) member (1998 – present)
* Treasurer (November 2021 – present)
* Daemen College, Paralegal Studies Program
* Advisory Committee member (2012- present)

Board Member

Allison Perry has worked at Bond Schoeneck & King in Syracuse, New York for 18 years.  Starting as a Reference Librarian, she is now Manager of Research and Information Services.  Prior to Bond she worked at Gaylord Information Systems in various sales and marketing roles. 

Allison has been a member of Special Libraries Association of Upstate NY holding various positions from editor, local area coordinator, to President and Director.  She is looking to expand her role with ALLUNY as a Board Director.

Board Member

Nina Scholtz is a librarian at Cornell Law Library, where she manages its research and instruction programs. A member of ALLUNY since 2012, she has served as Board member (2016-18), Vice-President (2018), President (2018-19), and Immediate Past President. Nina received her B.A. and J.D. from University of California, Berkeley, and her M.L.I.S. from University of California, Los Angeles.

Board Member

Deborah Simonik is a Librarian at Bousquet Holstein PLLC in Syracuse NY.

Experience: 
* Jacksonville University Carl Swisher Library (2020-2021)
* University of Scranton Weinberg Memorial Library (2020)
* Tioga County Family Court, Owego NY (2003-2020)

Education:
* MLIS – Drexel University (2019)
* BBA (Technology Management)
* SUNY Alfred (2015)
* AAS (Court and Real Time Reporting)
* SUNY Alfred (2012)

Professional Affiliations:
* ALLUNY (2021-present)
* NEFLIN (2020-2021)
* Pennsylvania Library Association (2020-2021)

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2023 ALLUNY Spring Meeting

When: Friday, May 12 from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM
Where: Syracuse University College of Law
Deadline: Registration closes on Friday, April 21

ALLUNY invites you to connect with your colleagues at this year’s Spring Meeting.  The Spring Meeting will provide you with the opportunity to grow your local professional network.  Our agenda includes speed networking, breakout sessions to discuss challenges and successes by library type and/or position, and business/organization planning.  Come prepared to socialize! Sign up for vacant volunteer committee positions to help secure and direct the future of ALLUNY.  Learn from your colleagues and make your voice heard.  The $15 fee will cover breakfast, lunch, and parking.  Registration can be completed online. Agenda is forthcoming.

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2022 ALLUNY State of the Profession Report

Last year, the Board solicited input from the membership on a range of topics. While the responses were limited, the feedback we received was fairly consistent and not unexpected. Thank you to all who took the time to respond. The 2022 ALLUNY State of the Profession Report is now available for download.

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