Medlar elected ALSC 2015-2016 president
For Immediate Release
Mon, 05/05/2014
CHICAGO — Andrew Medlar, assistant commissioner for collections, Chicago Public Library, has been elected vice president/president-elect of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).
“I'm extremely grateful and honored to be able to serve our collaborative community, which shares such a strong commitment to ‘creating a better future for children through libraries,’” Medlar said. “I look forward to working together with ALSC members and staff as we move forward, reach out, and give back in so many ways, from leading effective national advocacy to supporting the impactful individual experiences that happen in thousands of libraries every day and last a lifetime.”
Medlar received his MLS in 1996 from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and began his career at the Dayton Metro and Brooklyn Public libraries. An ALA member for 18 years, he currently serves as ALSC’s division councilor and has served on ALSC committees, including Budget, Caldecott and Sibert. He also has served on numerous ALSC task forces, including Friends of ALSC, Award Service & Social Media Review and Online Continuing Education Strategy. He is a member of the ALA Council Orientation Committee and co-convener of the ALA Youth Council Caucus.
In addition to his ALSC/ALA activities, Medlar also is active on the state level. He serves on the Illinois Library Association’s Public Policy Committee and as chair of the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award Nomination Committee.
Medlar was named the America Reads Spanish Librarian of the Year in 2009 by the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade & Spanish Association of Publishers Guild, and in 2008 received Librarian of the Year honors from the Chicago Public Library Board of Directors.
Three members were elected to serve on the ALSC Board of Directors: Doris Gebel, Northport -East Northport (N.Y.) Public Library; Julie Roach, Cambridge (Mass.) Public Library; and Kay Weisman, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
The newly elected vice president and board members will be seated to the ALSC Board of Directors in July 2014, at the close of the ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas.
In addition, a proposed change to ALSC Bylaws Article V, Sec. 3: Officers and Duties was adopted, resulting in the following revised language (new language is underscored):
In the event that the office of president becomes vacant, the vice-president shall become president and shall continue to fulfill the duties of the vice-president until the results of the next election are certified. In the event that the office of vice-president becomes vacant, the Board of Directors shall elect from among its members in the second or third year of service a person to assume the responsibilities of vice-president and succeed to the presidency. In the event that the office of fiscal officer becomes vacant, the Board of Directors shall elect from among its members in the second or third year of service a person to assume the responsibilities of fiscal officer for the remaining of the three-year term. In the event that the office of ALA/ALSC councilor becomes vacant, the Board of Directors shall elect from among its members in the second or third year of service a person to assume the responsibilities of ALA/ALSC councilor for the remainder of the three-year term. Due to the unique nature of the position, the New-to-ALSC director shall be excluded from eligibility for interim appointments.
Individuals elected to serve on the 2016 Caldecott, Newbery and Sibert Committees, and the 2017 Wilder Committee, are:
2016 Caldecott: Lauren Anduri, Oakland (Calif.) Public Library; Alan R. Bailey, Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C.; Brian Fahey, Wilmington (Del.) Friends School; Jill Bellomy, Highland Park Middle School, Dallas; Karen MacPherson, Takoma Park Maryland Library; Sarah Bean Thompson, Springfield-Greene County Library, Springfield, Mo.; Tess Prendergast, Vancouver, B.C., Canada; and Tessa Michaelson-Schmidt, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Madison.
2016 Newbery: Allie Bruce, Bank Street College of Education, New York; Cheryl Lee, Palo Alto (Calif.) City Library; Christine Scheper, Queens (N.Y.) Library; Destinee Sutton, King County Library System, Burien (Wash.) Library; Eric Barbus, San Francisco Public Library, North Beach Branch; Joanna Ward, County of Los Angeles Public Library, Calif.; Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, Wis.; and Ty R. Burns, Clear Creek ISD, League City, Texas.
2016 Sibert: Alan Bern, Berkeley (Calif.) Public Library; Eric Gomez, Hallandale Beach (Fla.) Branch Library, Broward County Library; Grace W. Ruth, San Francisco; Nick Glass, TeachingBooks.net, Madison, Wis.; and Susan Dove Lempke, Niles (Ill.) Public Library.
2017 Wilder: Maria E. Gentle, Arlington (Va.) Public Library; Carolyn Phelan, Northbrook (Ill.) Public Library; and Kathleen T. Isaacs, Pasadena, Md.
Starr LaTronica, current ALSC president, has appointed the following award committee chairs: Rachel Payne, Brooklyn (N.Y.) Public Library, 2016 Caldecott Award Committee chair; Ernie Cox, Prairie Creek Intermediate School, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 2016 Newbery Award Committee chair; Elizabeth Overmyer, Berkeley, Calif., 2016 Sibert Award Committee chair; and Chrystal Carr Jeter, Cleveland, Ohio, 2017 Wilder Award Committee chair. Ellen Riordan, current ALSC vice president/president-elect, will appoint the remaining members of these committees, as well as members of ALSC’s other prestigious award committees this fall.
ALSC, a division of ALA, is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. With a network of more than 4,000 children’s and youth librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty, ALSC is committed to creating a better future for children through libraries. To learn more about ALSC, visit their website at www.ala.org/alsc.