current CORAL Board
The CORAL Board is composed of dedicated members who serve two-year terms, running from July through June.
Embedded Files
President
President
Valerie Darling | Southwest Research Institute
Meet Valerie, the curious Librarian at Southwest Research Institute, who gets to explore the depths of the ocean and the vastness of space! As a key member of a small team, Valerie wears many hats but primarily focuses on resource and research training, outreach, and library assessment. She has a special talent for curating and exhibiting rare book collections, making even the oldest tomes come to life.
Valerie is not just a librarian, but an active member of several state and national library associations, including the Texas Library Association – Special Libraries Division, the Special Libraries Association, and the American Library Association – Library Research Round Table. With her MLS from the University of North Texas and a BAAS in Psychology from Texas A&M University – San Antonio, Valerie has a wealth of knowledge and skills to offer.
But Valerie isn’t all work and no play. When she’s not organizing rare books or helping researchers find the information they need, you can find her exploring the great outdoors with her dog, trying out new recipes in the kitchen, or perfecting her latest DIY project. With her insatiable curiosity and contagious energy, Valerie is the kind of librarian you want on your team – and the kind of person you want to have a beer with after work.
– OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 23 version) [Large language model].Vice President
Vice President
Katie Thonen | St. Mary’s University
Katie Thonen is St. Mary's University's Electronic Resources and Serials Librarian. I have been in this position since 2022 but have worked in public, K-12, special, and academic libraries throughout my career. Before San Antonio, my family and I lived in Kansas City, so we are avid Chiefs fans! However, we have found a happy home in South Texas as we love the sunshine, food culture, and wealth of family-friendly activities. Being close to Grandma and Grandpa doesn't hurt either! I love to travel, eat, read, and laugh! Professionally, I have worked in various roles in the library, from putting books back on shelves to children’s programming, research, library instruction, and tech services. My favorite part of being a librarian is helping people achieve that ‘aha! moment’ after discovering the tidbit of information they need. My passion is reading to/with kids!
member-at-large
member-at-large
Aída Almanza-Ferro | Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi
Aída Almanza-Ferro is the Student Success Librarian at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, where she leads student-centered programming designed to advance academic success, nurture a sense of community, and promote discrimination-free library services for all students. She also provides research support, instruction, and assistance with open initiatives on campus.
Aída is an active board member of the Council of Research Academic Libraries (CORAL) and contributed a chapter to Liaison Engagement Success: A Practical Guide for Librarians. Her innovative Selena Week events have been featured in Library Journal and The Mesquite. In recognition of her contributions, she received the 2021 Texas A&M University-SA Employee Spotlight Award.
With 16 years of experience in academic and medical libraries, Aída holds a Master’s Degree in Library Science from Texas Woman’s University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Texas A&M International University. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
member-at-large
member-at-large
Renata C. Gibson | Northwest Vista College
Renata Gibson is a Public Services Librarian at Northwest Vista College. She holds an MSIS from U.T. Austin and BA in Art History from U.C. Davis. She has been working in academic libraries since 2001 and loves the thrill of the hunt for information! She spends her time at the Reference Desk and teaching Information Literacy classes, believes strongly in the role that libraries play in our lives and works every day to help students learn the joys of research. She is also the Liaison Librarian to the Art Department. She belongs to two book clubs and obsessively puts books on her TBR list. She spends as much time as possible outside and when not in the library you can find her gardening, camping, cooking, playing with her dog or reading (of course!)
HISTORIAN & NONPROFIT LEAD
HISTORIAN & NONPROFIT LEAD
Andrea N. Schorr | UT Health San Antonio
Andrea N. Schorr is the Head of Resource Management at UT Health San Antonio. In her role, she manages services and resources that support the teaching, learning, and research needs of the health sciences community. Andrea oversees four main service areas including: collection development, interlibrary loan, special collections, and 3D & virtual services. Andrea holds an MSIS from the University of North Texas and a BA in Psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio.
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