About Us
dona weisman and Judy Daniluk are consultants for public libraries.
Follow The Elephant in the Library on Twitter: @theEITL
dona weisman
Libraries enrich lives by providing universal access to knowledge, information and quality library services, and each library is as unique as the community it serves. Those two realities keep dona focused on studying public library issues and trends — both current and timeless — and sharing her findings, whether by coordinating effective training or by serving as a librarian/consultant … or both.
Specialties
- Coordination of training for library staff, supporters, stakeholders
- ADA compliance and universal accessibility in libraries
- Library-hosted accessibility fairs
- Library program/event planning and coordination
- Nonprofit-governed public libraries
- Boards and Friends groups
- Open Government in Texas relative to public libraries
- Grant research, proposal and management
Serving as a librarian/consultant for the North and Northeast Texas Library Systems exposed dona to nearly 200 North Texas public libraries, serving populations of 236 to over a million, as each grappled with providing services appropriate to its own unique sub-urban, urban or rural community. She has 2 decades of experience in planning, coordinating and implementing 1-hour to 3-day training events for library staff, supporters and stakeholders and has participated in nonprofit governance and strategic planning both as a nonprofit staff member and as a Board member. As an assistant branch manager in Dallas, she gained front-line experience in serving a diverse neighborhood, marketing the library to the community and supervising staff. Experience as a youth services librarian in Dallas, a DoD school librarian in Germany and a teacher of high school journalism, advertising, photography and English grammar/composition in Austin have provided keen insight into serving youth and partnering with community schools and organizations.
dona earned both her M.L.I.S. and B.A. (Secondary Ed.) at UT-Austin, and a Nonprofit Management Certificate from the Center for Nonprofit Management & Brookhaven College. She is a certified True Colors™ facilitator and co-authored the Texas Reading Club Program Planning Manual Furry Tails! Funny Tales!
You can reach dona by email at dweisman {at} elephantinthelibrary.com
Follow dona on Twitter: @wdona
Judy Daniluk
Technology has become an inevitable part of library services, but sometimes there are speed bumps that need to be smoothed out before a library can make full use of it. Judy seeks to help libraries use technology to improve service to their patrons and advance their missions.
Judy was the webmaster and technology consultant for NTLP from 2007 to 2013. During that time, besides managing NTLP’s website and other Internet resources, Judy assisted libraries using Plinkit for their websites, served as coordinator for the North Texas Library (Evergreen) consortium, and provided general consulting on topics related to technology and Internet use in libraries.
Before entering the library world via the MLS program at the University of North Texas, Judy earned a BA in Secondary Education followed by graduate work in Linguistics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an MS in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University. In previous lives she was a high school math teacher, a translator for the Department of Defense, and a software developer. Apart from the library world, she serves as an independent website manager for several nonprofits and small businesses.
You can reach Judy by email at jdaniluk {at} elephantinthelibrary.com
Follow Judy on Twitter: @jdaniluk