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Who We Are

Mission Statement​

The Museum and Library Alliance of the Greater Lehigh Valley aims to provide

professional development opportunities for Lehigh Valley museum and library staff

and to foster a network of common resources and opportunities for collaboration.

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Goals

1. Aid in the professional development of museum and library employees
through presentations, symposiums, and workshops.

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2. Encourage and facilitate cross-collaboration between museums and libraries

in the greater Lehigh Valley.

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3. Combine resources to aid in greater impact of Lehigh Valley museum

and library programs and exhibitions.

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4. Establish an online resource forum for LV museum and library professionals.

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Contact Us

mlalehighvalley@gmail.com

 

Executive Committee Members

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Julia Brennen
Bethlehem Area Public Library

Julia Brennan has lived in Bethlehem her whole life and plans to stay. She is currently a Youth Services Librarian at the Bethlehem Area Public Library and creates free programming for families to enjoy. She reads, draws, and plays video games in her spare time. A member of the deaf community, she preserves and works on fostering community in the Lehigh Valley.

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Beth Brevick
Backstage Library Works

I'm a grandmother, but I'm not afraid to put on an inflatable T-Rex costume and run around the grocery store. I have a fascination with Punxsutawney Phil and love going on weekend trips to explore new places with my husband. And, though I'm a skeptic, I enjoy ghost hunting every once in a while. Cats > Dogs

Susan Falciani Maldonado
Muhlenberg College

Susan's favorite thing is putting rare books and archival material into the hands of undergraduates and seeing what magic can happen. She is particularly interested in the use of college history as a lens through which students can examine historical events, culture, and society. Susan lives in NJ in a (finally!) renovated Victorian house with her husband and three cats.

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Kristen Leipert
Bethlehem Area Public Library

Kristen works closely with the local history and reference collections and answers an assortment of patron questions on a daily basis. She spent 18 years as an archivist with a side of librarianship and is now a librarian with a side of archiving, but has always enjoyed the people part of each the most. In her spare time, she fetches snacks for her children but would rather be knitting.

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Emily Marchello
National Museum of Industrial History

I care for the artifacts and help develop exhibits at the National Museum of Industrial History. When I’m not at work, I can be found on my small family farm riding horses, taking care of turkeys, or playing with our dogs.

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Claire McRee
Allentown Art Museum

Claire is the associate curator at the Allentown Art Museum, where she especially enjoys working with the textile collection and brainstorming playful ways for visitors to interact with exhibitions. Outside of work, her interests include reading, trying new recipes, and indigo dyeing.

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Daphne Meyer
National Canal Museum

Daphne heads up the National Canal Museum in Easton. She's probably the only museum director in the area that has equine employees - mules Hank and George!

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Matthew Rothfuss
Bethlehem Area Public Library

Matthew Rothfuss is the Head of Reference at the Bethlehem Area Public Library. He has an MA in American History and an MLS with a concentration in Local and Archival Studies. In his spare time he enjoys film, classic console gaming, hiking, cooking, and travel. He lives in Bethlehem with his wife, daughter, and their two cats.

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