Two iSchool alumni are included in Library Journal's 2021 class of Movers & Shakers, an annual list that recognizes 46 professionals who are moving the library field forward as a profession. Carmi Parker (MS/LIS '15) was honored in the Advocates category, and Claudia Șerbănuță (MS/LIS '09, PhD '17) was honored in the Change Agents category.
Parker is an ILS administrator for Whatcom County Library System in Washington. A nationally recognized content specialist, she has worked to make digital content sustainable for libraries as restrictions on ebook and digital audiobook lending affect library services. When Macmillan Publishers said they would sell only one copy of newly released titles to libraries during the first eight weeks of publication, Parker organized a national boycott, creating a toolkit including FAQs, talking points, and sample press releases. Her efforts led to Macmillan ending the embargo.
Șerbănuță is a library specialist for the Progress Foundation in București, Romania. Her passion is to make libraries in Romania and surrounding regions supportive of democratic principles and responsive to the needs of local communities. In September 2020, she led the first Occupy Library, an online international conference that brought together librarians from Central and Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Black Sea, and Caspian Sea regions to share ideas on how libraries can be more involved in their communities.
The iSchool congratulates these alumni for this prestigious recognition of their career accomplishments.