Smith to lead Middle East Librarians Association

Program head of the Aga Khan Documentation Center to become organization's 44th president

Istanbul

The Middle East Librarians Association (MELA) has elected Sharon C. Smith, program head of the Aga Khan Documentation Center at MIT, as vice president and president-elect. Smith begins a four year term at the end of November and will become MELA’s 44th president in November 2016. She will also serve as program chair for the association’s 2016 annual meeting in Boston.

MELA was founded in 1972 to improve the quality of area librarianship through the development of standards for the profession and education of Middle East library specialists; to compile and disseminate information concerning Middle East libraries and collections; to encourage cooperation among members and Middle East libraries, especially in the acquisition of materials and the development of bibliographic control; to cooperate with other library and area organizations in projects of mutual concern and benefit; and to promote research in and development of indexing and automated techniques as applied to Middle East materials.