American Library Association Council elects three members to Executive Board

CHICAGO - The American Library Association (ALA) Council has elected Stephanie Chase, Sophia Sotilleo and Steven Yates to serve on the ALA Executive Board. The Executive Board election took place during LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience. Elected board members will begin a three-year term beginning in July 2023 and concluding in June 2026.

Chase is the executive director of Libraries of Eastern Oregon and founding principal of the Constructive Disruption consultancy. She holds a master’s in library and information sciences from Pratt Institute and bachelor of arts in English from the University of New Hampshire. She currently serves on the Public Library Association’s Board of Directors and is a member of her state chapter’s equity, diversity, inclusion and antiracism committee. She served as a member of the Forward Together Working Group, was a Public Libraries magazine columnist, and has been an ALA member for more than 10 years. She was twice the recipient of the Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL) Top Influencers in Local Government Award.

Chase said, “It is an honor to have been elected by my colleagues to serve on the Executive Board. I look forward to bringing my experience in public and school libraries, particularly in rural areas, my belief in open dialogue, curiosity, and transparency, and commitment to social justice to support our association at this critical time.”

Sotilleo is a dean of Thurgood Marshall Library in Bowie State University in Maryland. She holds a master’s in library and information sciences from Drexel University and bachelor’s in business management from Lincoln University. She has earned a Leadership Institute Academic Librarians Certificate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is currently the vice president of the Freedom to Read Foundation and has affiliations with the Intellectual Freedom Council, Black Caucus of the American Library Association and has been an ALA member for 12 years. She is the 2011-2022 Association of Research Leadership Fellow.

Sotilleo said, “It is an honor to be selected to serve on the Executive Board of ALA. As a member of the Executive Board, I look forward to sharing my experience and time to offer direction to prepare us for the future work ahead and support the work needed to carry out the mission and vision of the American Library Association.”

Yates is an associate professor and assistant director of the University of Alabama School of Library and Information Studies in Tuscaloosa. He holds multiple degrees, including a master’s in library and information studies, from the University of Alabama. An ALA member for 17 years, he is a policy corps advisory group member, presidential advisory group member for 2022-2023 ALA President Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada, and chair of the Committee on Library Advocacy. He is a current Friend at Large with the United for Libraries Board of Directors and has also been active with the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), serving as 2017-2018 president. He was the 2021 recipient of the Ken Haycock Award for Promoting Librarianship, American Library Association.

Yates said, “I am excited to serve our profession as a member of the Executive Board. Thank you to the Council members who placed their trust in the members of the 2023-2026 class to further our association’s mission while working with Executive Director Hall and all the fantastic ALA staff to support equity, access, and intellectual freedom for all.”

The ALA Executive Board manages the affairs of the association. It is composed of the president, president-elect, immediate past president, treasurer, executive director and eight members elected by Council from among the members of that body. For more information on the Executive Board, please visit http://www.ala.org/aboutala/governance/officers.

ABOUT AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, ALA has been the trusted voice for academic, public, school, government and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit www.ala.org.