Mary Ghikas, ALA executive director

Challenge, Change, Opportunity

November 1, 2018

Over the coming months, our Association will be engaged in difficult but essential work. The task will require that we work together in good faith, trusting one another’s commitment to the important job of library workers and the power of libraries to transform individuals and communities of all types. The American Library Association (ALA) was … Continue reading Challenge, Change, Opportunity


Mary Ghikas, ALA executive director

Modernizing Our Association

June 1, 2018

In the November/December issue of American Libraries, ALA President Jim Neal issued a call to ALA members to consider the 21st-century effectiveness and agility of an organization with governance documents dating back more than 140 years. He called for a review of ALA’s organizational effectiveness with the aim of revitalizing the Association. At the 2018 … Continue reading Modernizing Our Association


ALA Executive Director Mary Ghikas

ALA Appoints Mary Ghikas as Executive Director through January 2020

January 25, 2018

“Mary has done an excellent job as interim executive director, and we are pleased to officially name her executive director through January 2020,” said ALA President Jim Neal in a January 25 statement. “Mary provides knowledge, experience, and stability to the Association during this important period of transition as she leads critical work in infrastructure, … Continue reading ALA Appoints Mary Ghikas as Executive Director through January 2020



Keith Michael Fiels

The “Kitchen Table” Conversations and ALA

January 8, 2014

Over the next several years, ALA will be leading a major initiative to help libraries of all types utilize proven community engagement tools and techniques to better understand their communities and to encourage community-based innovations in library service. This effort, which is part of the Association’s strategic goal of assisting in the ongoing transformation of libraries, … Continue reading The “Kitchen Table” Conversations and ALA