Conchita Battle, director of NorthridgeÕs Advising Resource Center/EOP, is one of nine members appointed by the governor or legislature to determine policy and authorize allocations of state funds from the Library of California Act and the California Library Services Act.

"This appointment means a great deal," Battle said. "It will enable me to aid the community via library access and services."

During her four-year term that began in January, Battle and fellow board members will collect and disseminate information, serve as the central reference and research library for the state government and Legislature, advise and provide technical assistance and outreach programs for CaliforniaÕs public libraries, and develop automation systems to improve resource sharing and access to information.

Battle has directed NorthridgeÕs Advising Resource Center/EOP since 2002. She also has served as assistant director for Administration Academic Achievement Programs for the University of Maryland at College Park; assistant to the vice president for academic affairs at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania; and as an acting department head and assistant director of the Teacher Educational Program at Talladega College in Alabama.

She has also served as a research associate at The Philadelphia School Readiness Project and at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

During her career, Battle has published Competitive Strategy and Strategic Planning: A Case Study of Two Institutions of Higher Education and Building Bridges for Women of Color in Higher Education: A Practical Guide to Success.

California State University, Northridge has 33,000 full- and part-time students and offers 61 bachelorÕs and 42 masterÕs degrees as well as 28 education credential programs. Founded in 1958, it is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley and the fourth largest in the 23-campus CSU system. The university serves as the intellectual, economic and cultural heart of the Valley and beyond.