ALSC selects Meredith Steiner as 2016 Emerging Leader

CHICAGO — The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced Meredith Steiner of the San Francisco Public Library as its representative in the 2016 Emerging Leader program.

For the past year and a half, Steiner has worked as a children’s librarian at the San Francisco Public Library. In addition to being an ALSC member, she is also president of the Association of Children’s Librarians of Northern California (ACL), the California Library Association and REFORMA: The National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking. While attending the San José State University School of Information, she was awarded the Stella Bunch Hillis Award in Youth Services and The Begun Scholarship, given by the California Library Association.

As a full-time librarian, Steiner believes that effective leadership is built upon the idea that people are important resources and should be valued as such.

“I believe that great leaders treat people with respect and create a work environment supportive of open and constructive communication,” she said. “Great leaders also bring out the best in the people on their teams and are most satisfied when those team members are shining. As a youth services librarian I am committed to creating positive change in librarianship, that includes addressing issues of diversity in the field, in libraries, and in literature.”

“As a member of the 2014 ALSC National Institute Task Force, Meredith has proven her commitment to youth library leadership,” said ALSC President Andrew Medlar. “With her passion for volunteering and dedication to important developments in the field, we are very pleased to have her representing ALSC.”

As ALSC’s representative for the 2016 Emerging Leader program, Steiner will attend the 2016 Midwinter Meeting in Boston, as well as the 2016 ALA Annual Conference in Orlando.

The Emerging Leaders program enables newer librarians from across the country to participate in workgroups, network with peers, gain an inside look into ALA's structure and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity. Emerging Leaders receive up to $1,000 each to participate in the Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference, and each participant is expected to provide years of service to ALA or one of its units.

ALSC, a division of the American Library Association (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 ALSC’s website: www.ala.org/alsc.