Supporting DEI and Patron Needs with Strategic Collection Management: Introduction to Rittenhouse Book Distributors

Sponsored by Rittenhouse Book Distributors

Recorded on 05/08/2023
Posted in The Authority File

Episode 316

The Authority File has discussed diversity, equity, and inclusion topics in series past, often focusing on publisher and librarian perspectives. For this next series, we sit down with Nicole Gallo, Executive Vice President of Rittenhouse Book Distributors. As Nicole explains, Rittenhouse’s unique position as a distributor in health sciences allows access to viewpoints from the publishing and librarianship worlds. From this vantage point, Rittenhouse can build distinctive editorial and collection management strategies to support both parties and better disseminate DEI resources.

In this four-part series, Nicole shares her thoughts on how DEI collection policies and procedures have shifted over the years in response to patron demand, institutional guidelines, and racial justice activism. In addition, she chats about the importance of data to Rittenhouse’s operation, the benefits of sorting digital content by topic, and the urgency of communicating academic library budget constraints back to publishers. For this first episode, Nicole introduces us to her role and Rittenhouse’s mission of collecting content from publishers small and large to best serve customer needs. She also delves into the urgency of DEI resources in the health sciences publishing market, and the distributor’s goal of making trusted, peer reviewed, and vetted content equally available.


About the guest:

Nicole Gallo headshot

Nicole Gallo
Executive Vice President
Rittenhouse Book Distributors

Nicole Gallo is the Executive Vice President of Rittenhouse Book Distributors, LLC, and is in her 29th year with the company. She has worked throughout different divisions of the company starting in marketing, moving to sales, management, operations and now as EVP.  Her primary responsibilities are to ensure each department at Rittenhouse is working together to identify our customers’ needs and provide products and services to meet them.  She is Focused on new business development, innovative technology solutions and oversees the Rittenhouse Advisory Board. She has held several industry board positions including the American Medical Publishers Association, the health sciences committee of National Association of College Stores, and is currently serving as a member of ICBA’s Vendor Advisory Council.  As an industry expert she has presented at numerous industry meetings including ICBA, CAMEX, MLA, ALA, SLA, and the Charleston Conference. 


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We are pleased to announce that The Authority File won Best B2B Podcast at the 2023 Publisher Podcast Awards. The TAF team is thrilled to be honored with this award and extends congratulations to the fellow nominees.

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