The mission of the MLS Learning Services Advisory Committee is to actively contribute to the development and continuous improvement of MLS learning services. Members offer fresh perspectives, strategic insights, and recommendations to ensure MLS learning opportunities effectively address the evolving needs of library workers across Massachusetts.
The MLS Learning Services Advisory Committee supports the development and continuous improvement of MLS learning services by providing strategic insights and recommendations. Members attend two annual meetings to offer feedback, engage with MLS programs to assess their impact, recommend relevant topics and resources, evaluate proposals, and promote MLS learning opportunities within their networks. Their contributions help ensure MLS learning services meet the evolving needs of library workers across the Commonwealth.
The committee comprises 12 members, including MLS staff and representatives from academic, public, school, and special libraries, ensuring diverse geographic and professional representation. Members serve a three-year term, starting and concluding with a fall meeting.
Kate Flewelling, MLIS, is the Director of Library Services on the Boston University Medical Campus. She has over 20 years of experience in education and health sciences, as a middle school teacher, National Library of Medicine Associate Fellow, coordinator of instruction in an academic health sciences library, and manager of a four-state health information outreach program, among other roles. A Distinguished Member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals, Kate currently serves on the Board of the Medical Library Association and as Program Chair for the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries.
Originally from Toronto, Antonia has lived on Cape Cod for almost 23 years. She received her undergraduate degree from Bennington College, completing a double major in dance and biology, and she has a Master’s degree in Biology from Queen’s University (Kingston, ON) and a Master’s degree in Museum Science from the University of Toronto. Since moving to the Cape, she has worked in five of the Town of Barnstable’s seven libraries and became Director of the Hyannis Public Library in November 2020. Her career interest has been the curriculum of the non-school setting, or how people learn in a comprehensive way outside of the classroom. Libraries are perfect entities for this kind of knowledge acquisition because they have different kinds of free, high-quality resources and support, they’re accessible, and they welcome everyone. Her current focus is using the Library to help people with “life literacy,” including promoting traditional literacy through non-traditional media and partnering with many different organizations to strengthen the Library’s ability to deliver critical information to, and empower, its users.
Margot Malachowski is an Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) in Region 7. The office is located at UMass Chan Medical School’s Lamar Soutter Library. Region 7 serves Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. NNLM provides training in PubMed.gov, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the consumer health website MedlinePlus.gov. Margot has worked in public, hospital, and academic libraries since 1996. She lives in Western Massachusetts.
Colleen Cunningham is the Assistant Library Director of Jonathan Bourne Public Library in Bourne, MA. She previously held a position as a Reference Librarian at Westbank Library, Austin, Texas. In Texas, Colleen was very involved in the Texas Library Association and was Treasurer for the Public Library District. Colleen held positions on the Legislative working committee for TLA and various committees and appointments.
Laurie Paszko is the Head Law Librarian at the Lawrence Law Library, one of the 15 public law libraries of the Massachusetts Trial Court. She holds a B.A. from Boston College and an M.S.L.I.S. from Simmons University. With over two decades of experience in special libraries, Laurie has served as a Reference Librarian at the Baker Library at the Harvard Business School, Library Supervisor at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, and Circuit Librarian before assuming her current role as Head Law Librarian at the Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries.
Seana Rabbito is the Children’s Department Head at the Waltham Public Library in Waltham, MA. Before joining Waltham in 2017, Seana worked as a Library Assistant in the Children’s Department of the J.V. Fletcher Library in Westford and the Gleason Library in Carlisle for 17 years. In her role as Children’s Department Head, Seana is dedicated to creating a fun and welcoming space for all, with the ultimate goal of making the Waltham Public Library Children’s Room the BEST Children’s room in the WORLD!
Mary Puleo is the Library Coordinator for the Everett Public Schools, K-12. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Emmanuel College, a Master’s in Education from Salem State University, and a Master of Library and Information Science from Simmons University. Mary has over twenty years of experience in both public and school libraries. Prior to becoming a librarian, Mary spent 11 years as a classroom teacher. As an educator and librarian, Mary made it a priority for students to have access to all aspects of library services.
Luke Steere, librarian teacher at Wilson Middle School in Natick, has been working in school libraries at the middle school level for a decade. As part of the MA School Library Association, Luke has co-edited newsletters, produced podcasts, served on conference committees, and acted as a voting member of the executive board.
Maria Palacio, MLIS, is the Director of Acton Libraries. Maria has over 20 years of experience in the public library field. Her work in libraries began with outreach in the community to the Spanish-speaking and Haitian communities in SW Florida. Her career work has taken her from library associate to library director and everything in between. Maria serves on the MLS Executive Board as well as on the Learning Services Advisory Committee.