[July 11, 2008] After 37 years of state service, Library Program Manager Beth Perry has shelved her talking books, hung up her web, and left government information services in the hands of the colleagues she left behind at the Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS) in the Rhode Island Department of Administration. Beth has worked at OLIS since its inception in 1996, and at its forerunner, the Department of State Library Services (DSLS).

Beth joined DSLS in 1988 as Chief of the Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. She served in that position until 1997 when she was appointed Library Program Manager for Public and Government Information Services. From 2006 to 2007 she served as Acting Chief of Library Services. Prior to coming to DSLS, Beth was State Librarian at the Rhode Island State Library for four years. From 1971 to 1984 she held positions at the James P. Adams Library at Rhode Island College, from Senior Reference Librarian through Assistant Director and Associate Professor.

While Beth has held many positions over the years, she has always been dedicated to meeting the information needs of people with disabilities and making government information readily available to both state workers and the public. She helped develop the Government Information website, still the definitive list of RI government information. She was also the chair of the state government Webmakers group for many years, pioneering efforts to make state websites both a destination for government information and accessible to users with disabilities. In addition, Beth worked actively in the area of preservation and disaster planning for libraries and cultural institutions.

A native of Spokane, Washington, Beth received her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Master of Library Science from the University of Washington at Seattle. She has served on committees for various library organizations and task forces, including the American Library Association, the Rhode Island Library Association, the NELINET Preservation Task Group, the New England Documents Conservation Center Advisory Committee, and the Rhode Island Governor's Conference on Libraries and Information Services. She served as project director for the RI Council for the Preservation of Research Resources whose work resulted in the development of a disaster manual and a preservation plan for the state's cultural resources, as outlined in the 1992 report Bricks and Mortar for the Mind: Statewide Preservation for Rhode Island. She has held the positions of Vice-President and President of the Rhode Island Library Association and served as a board member for the Rhode Island Historical Society. Beth has also served on the Governor's Commission on Disabilities ADA Task Force and Equipment Committee, and was a long serving board member of TechACCESS, Rhode Island's center for assistive technology.

Beth will be greatly missed at OLIS and the organizations with which she worked. She plans on staying in Rhode Island "for now" and looks forward to enjoying her retirement, particularly the summer. Best wishes, Beth!

Beth Perry receives a citation from the Library Board of Rhode Island, chaired by Mark McKenney (far left), at its June 16 meeting. She also received a citation from Governor Donald Carcieri for her 37 years of state service.