The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee (DEIA) of the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) announced earlier this month that Judith Fraenkel, Senior Director of Product Management at Ex Libris, part of Clarivate, is becoming its new Committee Chair. This appointment extends Fraenkel’s volunteer work as a committee member, which started in January 2024, and follows her extensive experience and efforts leading the library solutions DEIA initiatives at Ex Libris.
Fraenkel will lead a committee of 24 volunteer members to champion NISO’s DEIA policy to help achieve NISO’s goal of social justice and belonging in all NISO’s activities. The DEIA Committee provides guidance on issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the context of its global work in developing, maintaining, and publishing technical standards related to publishing, bibliographic, and library applications.
“I am deeply thankful and honored for the opportunity to chair the DEIA committee of NISO. It’s exciting to help drive initiatives that reflect NISO’s commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable environment for all,” said Fraenkel. “The efforts of my fellow volunteer members of the group are instrumental in making a significant impact on our industry, setting a standard for others to follow, and promoting positive change throughout the field.”
Fraenkel plays a central and instrumental role in Ex Libris DEIA initiatives at organizational, community, and product levels. She’s delivered impact in ushering internal educational programs, spearheaded greater alignment with the ELUNA and IGeLU user communities, and has contributed DEIA guidance across various Ex Libris integrated library system services. This includes successful community-driven DEIA enhancements to the Central Discovery Index (CDI) and both Primo and Summon discovery services.
The NISO DEIA Committee serves as a resource to the NISO community, including the NISO Board, the staff, Topic Committees, Working Groups, and other committees. Details about the committee and its charge, composition, and deliverables can be found in the committee charge document. Further committee information and the NISO DEI Policy can be found on the NISO website.
