Karen Schneider
Dean of the Library, Sonoma State University
Karen G. Schneider is Dean of the Library at Sonoma State University. She joined SSU in January 2015, her fifth time in a senior leadership role. She recently led a major renovation of her library’s busiest wing that established a “Student Success District.” In 2019 she was elected to ALA Executive Board and she is a commissioner for the Sonoma County Library. She has taught library science classes and presented widely on change management, intellectual freedom, and the role of optimism in leadership. Her awards include the 1998 University of Illinois iSchool Alumni Association Leadership Award and the 2014 Elizabeth Futas Catalyst for Change Award from ALA. She has a Masters in Library Science from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. in Managerial Leadership in the Information Professions from Simmons College. She lives in Santa Rosa, California with her wife Sandy and their cat, Squeak.
