For immediate release | October 8, 2013
Fiore and Williams named 2013-2014 co-chairs of planned giving campaign
CHICAGO - Carole D. Fiore and J. Linda Williams have been named as co-chairs of the American Library Association’s 15x15 campaign. In June 2012, ALA launched 15x15, with the goal of raising $15 million in planned gifts to ALA by 2015.
Fiore and Williams will take over for the 2013-2014 campaign. They replace Jim Neal, vice president for information services and university librarian at Columbia University, who served as founding chair during the past year and launched the campaign.
As of Sept. 30, 2013, 44 individuals have been recognized as an ALA Legacy Society member because they made a new gift or reconfirmed their planned giving commitment to the Association. Carol Fiore and her husband, Stan, and Linda Williams are members of the ALA Legacy Society.
“Carole and Linda will make a great team to lead this year’s 15x15 Campaign,” said ALA President Barbara Stripling. “Both have been strong advocates for the Association and have inspired countless ALA members and library supporters to get more involved in the association. I look forward to working with both of them over the next year. When the campaign began, it was hard to imagine the support ALA would receive since this is the first-ever association-wide planned giving campaign. The campaign is now nearing 25 percent of the goal, and over the past year, 10 new individuals have come forward and designated ALA as a beneficiary in their estate plans. I am grateful for so many to step up to the challenge and for the support from across all divisions and round tables.”
Carole Fiore is the founder of Training and Library Consulting. Fiore has worked in both school and public libraries in Philadelphia and in various locations in Florida. She is a former member of the Board of Directors for the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and served as ALSC president in 2001-2002. Fiore was also active in the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) and the Public Library Association (PLA). As an independent consultant, Fiore has worked with libraries to develop long range and strategic plans. She also works with libraries on staff development, human resources issues and coaching staff. Fiore is a founding member of Partners in Literacy of the Big Bend and worked with several early childhood organizations in Florida. She served as project manager for the Institute of Museum and Library Services–National Leadership Grant funded research project, Do Public Library Summer Reading Programs Impact Student Achievement?, which was based at Dominican University. While working for the State Library of Florida, the Florida Library Youth Program under Fiore’s direction was awarded a John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award and a Davis Productivity Award. In addition, under her direction, Florida was the first state to implement a statewide Born to Read program; she was also instrumental in initiating the PRIME TIME Family Reading Time® program in Florida. Fiore has served as a visiting instructor at the School of Library and Information Studies, Florida State University, and has taught children's literature at the College of Education, University of Tampa (Florida).
“From the smallest to the largest gifts, every ALA Legacy Society member’s generosity is building a better association and enriching the lives of future generations,” said Carole Fiore. “Over my 33 years as an ALA member and a charter member of the ALA Legacy Society, I have observed the membership rise to the challenge of funding future needs in a grand way, which makes me proud of our association. We can’t often quantify the satisfaction and reward for giving, but we all know it exists. I am happy to be part of the campaign over the next year and honored to serve with Linda.”
J. Linda Williams recently retired from Anne Arundel County Public Schools, where she was coordinator of Library Media Services. Before joining Anne Arundel County, Williams held an administrative position in Prince George’s County and served as a specialist in Library Media Services and Educational Technology at the Maryland State Department of Education. She is the vice-president, incoming president of the University of Maryland iSchool Alumni Association. Williams has been a member of ALA for 37 years and has been involved with various ALA divisions and round tables. She has served on the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Board of Directors and as AASL president in 2005-2006. Her Association career includes serving on the Library Leadership and Management Association’s (LLAMA) Board of Directors, and as Junior Members Round Table president. Williams has also served as an ALA councilor-at-Large and a member of the Council Budget Analysis and Review Committee (BARC) as well as serving or heading several ALA committees such as chairing the ALA Membership Committee and the Council Policy Monitoring Committee. Williams served on the ALA Executive Board from 2011-2013 and will complete the ALA Executive Board term of Sylvia Norton, who became the executive director of AASL in October.
“Carole and I are excited by the positive response about the campaign so far, and I look forward to talking to ALA members and library supporters over the next year about creating a lasting benefit for generations to come,” said Linda Williams. “ALA is a community of great strength, character and resources. I wanted to do my part for ALA because it really made a difference in my career and in my life. My attorney and tax advisor helped me through the steps to make a legacy commitment to ALA.”
To learn more about the ALA 15x15 planned giving campaign and becoming a member of the ALA Legacy Society to help ensure the long-term strength of the Association, please visit http://www.ala.org/plannedgiving/about-alas-15x15-planned-giving-campaign.
About the American Library Association
The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with approximately 58,000 members in academic, public, school, government, and special libraries. The mission of the American Library Association is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.
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Contact:
Michael Gallego
Development Associate
American Library Association
Development Office
mgallego@ala.org312-280-3215
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