The American Library Association (ALA) announced on July 25 that Sam Helmick, community and access services coordinator at Iowa City Public Library, will be the 2024–2025 president-elect, effective immediately. They will serve as ALA president for the 2025–2026 term.
Helmick is replacing Raymond Pun, academic and research librarian at Alder Graduate School of Education in Redwood City, California, who stepped down from the member-elected position in June because of health reasons. The ALA Executive Board recommended Helmick, and they received ALA Council’s confirmation on July 23, following a process outlined in the ALA Bylaws.
“I am honored to be appointed as president-elect of the American Library Association,” Helmick said in the July 25 statement. “Together, we will continue to elevate the essential work of ensuring informational access for all and upholding intellectual freedom. The collective efforts of ALA members and library workers around the globe empower communities, enrich lives, and safeguard the principles of open knowledge and free expression.”
Helmick was an ALA Executive Board member until their term concluded in early July. They are immediate past president of the Iowa Library Association, former chair-elect of the Intellectual Freedom Round Table, and former chair of the Iowa Governor’s Commission of Libraries.
They have served on the ALA Policy Monitoring Committee as well as committees for the Network of the National Library of Medicine, the Stonewall Book Awards, the Young Adult Library Services Association’s Michael L. Printz Award, the Reference and User Services Association’s Sophie Brody Medal, and others. Helmick is a 2016 Emerging Leader and an author, consultant, and instructor for social media marketing and graphic design.
Helmick holds an MLIS from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor’s in human services from Iowa Wesleyan University in Mount Pleasant.
