Together we will write the next chapter of ALA’s legacy. With tremendous passion for the work and impact of libraries, I stand for election as ALA president and seek to leverage this great opportunity to promote, uplift, encourage, and endorse you, your steady efforts, and the values we represent as a profession. As an ALA … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Sam Helmick
Today, libraries and library workers are enduring simultaneous challenges of book bans, artificial intelligence, climate crises, surveillance, digital content price gouging, job burnout, and workplace safety. ALA must realign itself and its core values to empower our work and better support our communities during these turbulent times. As a first-generation college graduate and an emergent … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Raymond Pun
The announcement reads as follows: The candidates running for ALA president for the 2025–2026 term are Sam Helmick, community and access services coordinator at Iowa City Public Library, and Raymond Pun, academic and research librarian at Alder Graduate School of Education in Redwood City, California. Helmick is a current member of the ALA Executive Board … Continue reading Helmick, Pun Seek 2025–2026 ALA Presidency
With a passion for leadership, I make myself available to help speak out about matters of inclusion, community and team building, intellectual freedom, equal access, literacy, and career development. To quote my role model since the 3rd grade, Martin Luther King Jr. called so many to action by stating “the time is always right to … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Cindy Hohl
I have never been particularly fond of slogans. They are often too simple, too trite, and unnecessary. Sometimes, however, they are useful at getting to the heart of the matter. In my 35 years as a professional librarian, I have found my opening statement to be apt in describing my leadership style, my path forward, … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Eric D. Suess
ALA’s Nominating Committee has selected two nominees to contend in the upcoming election for ALA president. The candidates vying for the 2024–2025 term are Cindy Hohl, director of policy analysis and operational support at Kansas City (Mo.) Public Library, and Eric D. Suess, director of Marshall Public Library in Pocatello, Idaho. Hohl is past president … Continue reading Hohl, Suess Seek 2024–2025 ALA Presidency
I take this call seriously. I edit a reinvigorated reviews section for College & Research Libraries. I’ve served on Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) program planning committees, led information literacy standards and guidelines work, and presented on a broad range of topics at ALA and ACRL conferences. As a member of Core, I … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Emily Drabinski
Back when I was an MLS student, I received the kind of meaningful support from ALA that made me a lifelong admirer of this distinguished organization and its mission. It also reinforced why I was drawn to the profession after a career in library book distribution and bookstore retailing, where I witnessed firsthand how librarians … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Kelvin Watson
The October 5 presidential candidates statement reads as follows: Emily Drabinski, interim chief librarian at the Graduate Center, City University of New York, and Kelvin Watson, executive director of Las Vegas–Clark County (Nev.) Library District, are the candidates for the 2023–2024 presidency of the American Library Association (ALA). Drabinski has served as chair of the … Continue reading Drabinski, Watson Seek 2023–2024 ALA Presidency
I am honored to be on the ballot for ALA president for the 2022–2023 term. When I began my career in college as assistant to the Slavic cataloger at University of Pittsburgh, little did I know that libraries would afford me experiences unlike any other field. I have worked in academic, special, public, and state … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Stacey A. Aldrich
Our Association is facing internal and external challenges that can only be overcome by strong leadership and collaborative effort. I bring proven leadership and experience in corporate, nonprofit, and library settings to help navigate these challenges. I was a 2010 Emerging Leader and have served three terms on Council. I was a member of key … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Ed Garcia
As your president, I will lead with the Association’s core values, centering equity, strengthening advocacy, and promoting organizational excellence through connection and collaboration. I have and will continue to seek out, listen to, and act on the varied perspectives and experiences of our members to move ALA forward. As a 14-year member, past ALA Executive … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada
