ALA Announces 2020 Class of Emerging Leaders

For Immediate Release
Tue, 12/03/2019

Contact:

Beatrice Calvin

Manager, Professional Development

Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR)

312/280-4280

bcalvin@ala.org

The American Library Association (ALA) has selected fifty (50) people to participate in its 2020 class of Emerging Leaders. The program is designed to enable library staff and information workers to participate in project planning work groups, network with peers, gain an inside look into ALA structure, and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity early in their careers. See the list of participants (PDF).

The Emerging Leaders Working Group is excited to welcome the 2020 class. Co-chairs Pauline Stacchini and Audrey Barbakoff say they “look forward to working with this most recent cohort of talented and committed early career leaders who are eager to pursue leadership opportunities in the association. This year's class joins a distinguished group of alumni, many of whom continue to make significant contributions to ALA.”

The Emerging Leaders program will kick-off with a day-long leadership session during the ALA 2020 Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia. Following this session, which includes orientation and training, the program will continue in an online learning and networking environment for six months. The program culminates with a poster session where the 2020 Emerging Leaders will showcase the results of their project planning work during the ALA 2020 Annual Conference in Chicago.

The Emerging Leader participants commit to taking part in all aspects of the program and may have an opportunity to serve on an ALA, division, chapter, round table, or affiliate committee or workgroup upon completion.

For the first time ever, 100% —all fifty— participants have received sponsorships. The sponsors include ALA divisions, roundtables, state chapters, and ALA affiliate organizations. Each sponsor commits to financial support of an Emerging Leader in order to help defray costs of attending the ALA Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference.

The complete list of the selected participants and sponsoring organizations can be found on the Emerging Leaders webpage.

The ALA Emerging Leaders program is managed by the ALA Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR).