The American Library Association (ALA) announced on November 6 the candidates running for ALA president for the 2027–2028 term. They are Tamika Barnes, associate dean of Perimeter College Library Services at Georgia State University in Atlanta, and Becky Calzada, district library coordinator at Leander (Tex.) Independent School District. The announcement reads as follows:
Tamika Barnes currently serves as the Georgia Library Association (GLA) president-elect and will assume the role of president in 2026. She served on the GLA executive board from 2013 to 2021, the ALA Executive Board from 2018 to 2021, and ALA Council from 2015 to 2018 and 2019 to 2021. Barnes is a member of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and the Black Caucus of ALA. She has served on numerous ALA committees and groups, including the ALA Budget Analysis and Review Committee, two ALA presidential advisory committees, and the ACRL Conference Experience and Inclusion Committee. She is a Spectrum Scholar.
Barnes received several honors, including the 2021 GLA Bob Richardson Memorial Award and the 2017 Black Caucus of ALA Library Advocacy Award. She is also recognized as a 2024 Library Senior Fellow at University of California, Los Angeles, and a 2019 fellow at Leading Change Institute.
Barnes holds a BA in biology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MLS from North Carolina Central University in Durham.
“I am deeply honored to be nominated to stand for president-elect for the American Library Association,” said Barnes. “Libraries have shaped every part of my life and career—they represent access, equity, and the power of information to transform communities. This nomination is both humbling and inspiring, as it reflects the trust of colleagues who share a belief in advocacy, inclusion, and service. I am committed to leading with integrity, transparency, and collaboration, ensuring that our association continues to be a strong voice for libraries and library workers everywhere. Together, we can meet today’s challenges with courage and vision, advancing our shared mission to empower learning, strengthen democracy, and build more connected and equitable communities.”
Calzada served as 2024–2025 president of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and on the AASL board of directors from 2016 to 2022. She is a member of the Association for Library Service to Children, Intellectual Freedom Round Table, and the Library Instruction Round Table. Calzada has participated in numerous ALA committees and groups, including ALA’s Center for the Future of Libraries Advisory Group, ALA Policy Corps, and an ALA presidential advisory committee. Calzada is a member of the Texas Library Association (TLA), led as Texas Association of School Librarians division chair from 2016 to 2017, and is currently a member of TLA’s legislative committee.
Calzada is the recipient of several intellectual freedom awards, including the 2025 Eleanor Roosevelt Literary Freedom Award and the 2022 AASL Intellectual Freedom Award. She was recognized in People magazine’s 2023 Women Changing the World issue and is featured in the documentary The Librarians.
Calzada holds a BS in elementary education from Texas A&M University–Kingsville, and an MLIS from University of Texas at Austin.
“I’m honored to stand as a candidate for ALA president,” Calzada said. “Our association must be member-informed and continue to position libraries as critical democratic institutions in society where inclusion is valued and opportunities are available for all in every community and school we serve. We have been navigating rigorous, unyielding times, yet through it all, librarians and library workers have stepped up to the mark and answered the call to lead and serve. We remain resilient, dedicated, and hopeful in every micro-interaction that occurs daily in many vibrant library spaces across the country. With a proven record of building coalitions, I am prepared to listen, lead, and amplify the needs of ALA and rally ALA members to become engaged in their association.”
The ALA Nominating Committee also announced 18 candidates for 12 open councilor-at-large seats on November 6.
Barnes and Calzada will have an opportunity to make a statement and answer questions from members in a virtual ALA Presidential Candidates’ Forum to be held in winter 2026. More information to come.
Members who are interested in running by petition for ALA president may do so by completing a petition form with the signatures of no fewer than 200 ALA current personal members. View instructions on how to create an e-petition.
In addition to the petition, members must complete a Candidate Biographical Information Form. The information on this form will be used for the web ballot. Once the petition process is complete, all candidates are treated equally and appear the same on the ballot. The petition period for the 2026 election is open now through December 12.
Ballot mailing for the ALA election will begin on March 9, 2026, and will run through April 1, 2026. Individuals must be members in good standing to vote in the 2026 ALA elections. Renew your membership online or by calling 1-800-545-2433, option 1. For more information, please visit the ALA Election webpage.
