Laura Barnes

Librarian / Clearinghouse Specialist
lbarnes@wmrc.uiuc.edu

Laura L. Barnes has been the Librarian/Clearinghouse Specialist at WMRC since 1995. Her responsibilities include responding to reference queries from WMRC staff and the public; cataloging library materials; and updating and maintaining the library section of the WMRC web site. Her main area of expertise is knowing how to find environmental information quickly and efficiently. Ms. Barnes earned a B.A. in History and an M.S. in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. From 1993 to 1995, she worked as an information specialist on several national pollution prevention information projects at WMRC. She was a speaker at the Special Libraries Association's Annual Conference from 1998-2000 at the "Winner's Circle of Science Web Sites" session. In addition, she taught a workshop at the Lincoln Trail Libraries System entitled "Finding Government Information on the Internet." She has also spoken to several classes at the University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science about environmental and special librarianship. She has served on the Special Libraries Association Illinois Chapter Board of Directors as Downstate Director and is currently serving as a Special Interest Director on the Lincoln Trail Libraries System Board of Directors. She is also participating in the Illinois State Library's Synergy Library Leadership Program.