Leslie Burger writes: “I’m an optimist by nature, a true believer that anything is possible and can be accomplished with ingenuity, creative problem solving, collaboration, and hard work. ALA, as an organization, has survived and thrived for nearly 150 years—through wars, economic downturns, changing political environments, and pandemics. With each of these challenges, we rose to the occasion with strong leadership, consistent messaging, and a membership base that devoted its efforts to sharing stories about the important work of all libraries and how they support the communities they serve.”