Bradford Area Public Library, Executive Director, Rebecca Feightner has taken a leadership role at the state level with her election to the position of Chair for the Pennsylvania Northwest Chapter of the Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLa).  She will assume her role of Chair beginning in January 2025.  During 2024, she served as Vice Chair for the chapter.

Founded in 1901, the Pennsylvania Library Association is the state’s oldest professional library organization serving libraries, library employees, library trustees, and Friends of the Library groups. PaLa represents more than 1,300 personal, institutional, and commercial members affiliated with public, academic, special, and school libraries throughout the commonwealth. The association represents the profession in Harrisburg with the state legislature and provides opportunities for professional growth, leadership development and continuing education for librarians.

The Northwest chapter consists of Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties.  Membership in each of the eight PaLa chapters is a mix of library type (i.e. school, public, archival, academic, etc.) and professional interests. Each chapter consists of an executive committee that is comprised of several positions.  In her new role, Feightner will preside over two formal annual meetings, as well as monthly virtual gatherings.

As a member of PaLa, Feightner also sits on the Legislative Information Committee, which meets bimonthly for four hours.  This group stays current on proposed state legislation and remains in contact with state representatives to provide education on the importance of libraries to local communities.  Legislative updates are also provided to the eight state-wide library chapters.

Feightner also serves on the Seneca District Advisory Council.  The Seneca District represents the 17 libraries in the counties of Cameron, Elk, Forest, McKean, and Warren, of which BAPL is a member.

For the past two years, as a member of the Association for Rural and Small Libraries, Feightner has attended their annual September conference, where she has also been a presenter.