ALA announces new YALSA Executive Director

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) welcomes Candice Mack as the new Executive Director for the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of ALA.

She brings to ALA and YALSA years of experience not only with teen services in libraries but also with the American Library Association. Before joining ALA as staff, Candice Mack managed system-wide Young Adult Services at the Los Angeles Public Library for over 15 years and was most recently a Member-at-Large on the Public Library Association’s (PLA) Board of Directors. Candice has served as past President of the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA).  

She co-authored the “Civics in Society” chapter in Media Literacy for Justice: Lessons for Changing the World (2022), based on the Teens Leading Change civic engagement initiative she created at Los Angeles Public Library. Candice has also taught at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education and Information Studies since 2014 and is a past member of San José State University’s Youth Services Program Advisory Committee.  

Candice is a 2012 ALA Emerging Leader, a 2006 ALA Spectrum Scholar and was an inaugural member of the ALA Library Advocacy & Policy Corps. Her commitment to diversity, social justice, youth development and an unusual coincidence led her to pursue public librarianship. Her dedication to ALA and YALSA as a volunteer member leader led her to pursue her new position as YALSA Executive Director. 

About YALSA

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a Division of the American Library Association, has a mission that through networking, advocacy, and professional development, the Young Adult Library Services Association empowers all those involved in the profession to provide equitable, diverse and inclusive teen services. For additional information about YALSA’s role, key stakeholders, research and programs see: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/aboutyalsa.