Honorary Membership

About the Honorary Membership
Honorary membership may be conferred on a living citizen of any country whose contribution to librarianship or a closely related field is so outstanding that it is of lasting importance to the advancement of the whole field of library service. It is intended to reflect honor upon the ALA as well as upon the individual.

Administered by:

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2022 Winner(s)

Jim Neal

Former ALA President and Treasurer Jim Neal elected to honorary membership

The American Library Association (ALA) Council elected former ALA President and Treasurer Jim Neal  to honorary membership in the association, the ALA's highest honor, during the virtual 2022 Library Learning Experience. Honorary membership is conferred in recognition of outstanding contributions of lasting importance to libraries and librarianship.

Neal was nominated in recognition of significant contributions to libraries and the profession of librarianship and his accomplishments as ALA president and treasurer and a member of ALA Council. He was a member of the ALA Executive Board when the Spectrum Initiative was launched and has actively raised funds on behalf of the program, as well as advocating for the establishment of DEI as a fourth strategic priority for the association.

"His contributions to libraries and the profession of librarianship are myriad and wide-ranging. The people, organizations, and policies his leadership and service have positively affected are countless. His mentorship of multiple generations of library leaders has had broad influence and impact across the profession," said nominator Damon E. Jaggars, vice provost and dean of university libraries, The Ohio State University.

 

 


Maureen Sullivan

Former ALA President Maureen Sullivan elected to honorary membership

The American Library Association (ALA) Council elected former ALA President Maureen Sullivan to honorary membership in the association, the ALA's highest honor, during the virtual 2022 Library Learning Experience. Honorary membership is conferred in recognition of outstanding contributions of lasting importance to libraries and librarianship.

Sullivan is honored for her lasting contribution to the field of librarianship through her service to the profession and ALA, her work on organizational change, leadership development, and her consulting practice that has reached thousands of librarians.

During her ALA presidency, she created the ALA Leadership Institute, an immersive leadership development program for future library leaders that she presented with Kathryn Deiss. It focuses on core competencies of leadership and is held annually in the Chicago area.