ALA Election Archives | American Libraries Magazine

Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Steven Yates

By Steven Yates | March 2, 2020

This year has already been historic for ALA. We have a new executive director and soon a new home in Chicago. These changes, along with the organizational review process, call for all of us to lend a hand. As a dedicated volunteer with leadership experience, I would like to work alongside you as your 2021–2022 … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Steven Yates →

Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Patricia “Patty” Wong

By Patty Wong | March 2, 2020

America’s libraries are the cornerstones of social democracy. We face many challenges as a nation: changing demographics and how to provide equitable access and service to all differing views about public support for public services privatization challenges to the freedom to read, write, and speak barriers to access shifting landscapes for publishing and digital access … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Patricia “Patty” Wong →

Farrell Elected ALA Treasurer

April 10, 2019

Farrell received 5,221 votes, while her opponent, Andrew K. Pace, executive director of technical research at OCLC in Dublin, Ohio, received 2,735 votes. Farrell will step into her role as treasurer at the close of the 2019 ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. Upon learning the outcome of the election, Farrell remarked, “I am honored … Continue reading Farrell Elected ALA Treasurer →

Jefferson Wins 2020–2021 ALA Presidency

April 10, 2019

Jefferson received 5,108 votes, while his opponent, Lance Werner, executive director of Kent District Library in Comstock Park, Michigan, received 3,011 votes. As ALA president, Jefferson will be the chief elected officer for the oldest and largest library association in the world. He will serve as president-elect for one year before stepping into his role … Continue reading Jefferson Wins 2020–2021 ALA Presidency →

Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Julius C. Jefferson Jr.

By Julius C. Jefferson Jr. | March 1, 2019

It is an exciting time to be a member of the American Library Association (ALA). ALA can and will play an important role at this critical juncture in the history of our profession and our country, and it must stand united to speak with one voice: to advocate for the education of an informed citizenry; … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Julius C. Jefferson Jr. →

Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Lance Werner

By Lance Werner | March 1, 2019

The American Library Association (ALA) and libraries are in a unique position to help, heal, and lead. We must bring more civility and critical thought into the world through kindness, empathy, and love. Libraries are on the front line, doing an outstanding job of serving the underserved. But there is also an opportunity to bring … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Lance Werner →

Meet the Candidates for ALA Treasurer: Maggie Farrell

By Maggie Farrell | March 1, 2019

ALA is at a critical time with changes in Association leadership positions, increased operational costs, flat-to-decreasing membership, and declining revenue. Librarians and library workers have a variety of choices for professional development, service, and engagement, so ALA needs to adapt to the changing expectations of the library profession if it is to remain relevant and … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA Treasurer: Maggie Farrell →

Meet the Candidates for ALA Treasurer: Andrew K. Pace

By Andrew K. Pace | March 1, 2019

ALA’s treasurer does what you might expect, but there’s more to the job than many realize, especially in the coming three years. Of course, I will dedicate myself to ALA’s financial success. But I will also help make sure ALA invests its assets to align with key priorities: advocacy; information policy; professional and leadership development; … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA Treasurer: Andrew K. Pace →

The Librarian Identity Crisis

By Peter Coyl | May 17, 2018

A total of 39,634 failed to vote on the question. Yet of those who did, a majority stated they wanted the executive director to be a librarian. The question is not so much about a skill set but about the relevance of our degree and our profession. It makes one wonder how important the library … Continue reading The Librarian Identity Crisis →

ALA Announces Election Ballot Measure Results

April 11, 2018

The proposed amendment to ALA Policy A.4.1.1, which would require ALA’s next executive director to hold an ALA-accredited master’s degree, was not approved. A minimum of 25% of ALA members was required to vote in order to carry the amendment forward. A total of 10,405 voted on this question, representing 20.79% of the eligible voters—3,890 … Continue reading ALA Announces Election Ballot Measure Results →

Brown Wins 2019–2020 ALA Presidency

April 11, 2018

Brown received 6,066 votes, while her opponent, Peter Hepburn, head librarian of College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita, California, received 4,066 votes. As ALA president, Brown will be the chief elected officer for the oldest and largest library association in the world. She will serve as president-elect for one year before stepping into her role … Continue reading Brown Wins 2019–2020 ALA Presidency →

Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Peter Hepburn

By Peter Hepburn | March 1, 2018

To thrive, libraries and library workers need a strong and healthy professional association that advocates for us and for those who come to our facilities or who use our online resources, enabling them to benefit from the wide range of services we offer. Within our library community, we must have an association that is itself … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Peter Hepburn →

Latest Library Links

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Jessica Leigh Hester writes: “If time at home has you missing life in the stacks or sifting through old papers in search of pieces of the past, fear not: You can do the same thing online. Slews of institutions are in the market for armchair archivists—volunteers who can generate knowledge by clicking through digitized resources, deciphering handwriting, or tagging photos. Several institutions have already seen an uptick in digital detective work since the start of the pandemic. Here are a few projects you might consider.”
Atlas Obscura, Mar. 23
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Kathi Kromer writes: “Libraries were included in the largest economic stimulus package in history, which passed March 27. The $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act includes $50 million for the Institute of Museum and Library Services for digital inclusion projects and more than $30 billion in relief for schools and colleges, plus billions more for state and local governments and nonprofit organizations. The stimulus package also includes libraries—on Main Street, in schools, and on campuses—as part of a massive, long-overdue effort to ensure digital equity in America. Read a summary of CARES Act provisions for libraries, education, and cultural heritage institutions.”
The Scoop, Mar. 27
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Timothy Inklebarger writes: “Shortages of surgical masks, N95 respirator masks, safety goggles, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) have created a desperate need among health care workers as the pandemic escalates. Archivists and conservators from university libraries across the country have been pitching in to help bridge the supply gap, donating their supplies of the PPE. Through networking with local health care providers, libraries are getting lifesaving supplies where they’re needed most. Eric Alstrom, head of conservation and preservation at Michigan State University Libraries, says that he first heard about libraries making donations on an ALA listserv for preservation administrators.”
AL: The Scoop, Mar. 27
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Lara Ewen writes: “Keeping libraries safe is important for both workers and guests. But during the current COVID-19 pandemic, questions about how to do that—particularly when it comes to materials and surfaces—have complicated answers. It’s an unprecedented situation. Conservators, who are experienced in diagnosing and repairing collection damage, say that historical information on sanitizing library materials is lacking. Despite anecdotal evidence in a 2019 article in Smithsonian Magazine, Evan Knight, preservation specialist at the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, says there’s very little historical data available. ’[There’s] nothing published or shared from previous epidemics,’ he says.”
AL: The Scoop, Mar. 27
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Leanne Ellis writes: “The best response of a capable educator is to focus on student learning no matter what. While some educators lament the influx of emails, technology directives, and response time to take students online, others take on the challenge of learning the best practices and tools for teaching students in a virtual environment. None of this work is easy. Switching instruction from in-person to Google Classroom, for example, involves thought and preparation: how to manage student accounts and work, design lessons, post content, communicate, guide discussions and responses, give useful feedback, and grade work. And that’s just for one class. Here are some pointers to keep in mind.”
Knowledge Quest blog, Mar. 27
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Kate Conger and Erin Griffith write: “As life has increasingly moved online during the pandemic, an older generation that grew up in an analog era is facing a digital divide. Often unfamiliar or uncomfortable with apps, gadgets, and the internet, many are struggling to keep up with friends and family through digital tools when some of them are craving those connections the most. According to a 2017 Pew Research study, three-quarters of those older than 65 said they needed someone else to set up their electronic devices. A third also said they were only a little or not at all confident in their ability to use electronics and to navigate the web. Families are finding new apps and gadgets that are easy for older relatives to use.”
New York Times, Mar. 27
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Alex Harrington writes: “Most academic library employees across the country have been working from home for the better part of two weeks now. What about our part-timers and student workers? In my library, I have two dozen part-time employees whose assigned job is exclusively working at the service desk when the rest of the staff has gone home for the evening or weekend. This is not work that can be done from home, or when the physical space of the library is not in use—checking items in or out, providing basic computer assistance to users, and counting the cash drawer. So what can they do?”
ACRLog, Mar. 27

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