Neal, Thornton running for 2025-2028 ALA treasurer

CHICAGO — Larry Neal, library director of Clinton-Macomb Public Library in Michigan; and Joel Thornton, Associate Dean, Collections and Scholarly Communication, University of Utah, are candidates for the treasurer of the American Library Association for 2025-2028.

Neal has been the library director at Clinton-Macomb since 2006. Prior to that, he was assistant director at Clinton-Macomb, and he worked at the Rochester Hills Public Library as a page/clerk/systems and facilities manager, and as head of tech. He also served as an adjunct clinical associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Information (2017-23).

He is a member of the Public Library Association and served as PLA president (2014-15). He is currently on the PLA Budget and Finance Committee and an ALA Policy Corps Fellow. He is a member of the Rainbow Round Table and the Intellectual Freedom Round Table. He served on the ALA Executive Board (2020-23), ALA Council (2017-23), ALA Budget and Review Committee, and ALA Finance and Audit Committee. He was also president of the Michigan Library Association earlier in his career.

He holds an MSI-LIS from the University of Michigan, an MBA from Oakland University, and a BA in Spanish/German/Honors College from Oakland University.

“It is an honor to be invited to stand for election at this critical juncture in ALA’s history. We will be celebrating our sesquicentennial, onboarding a new Executive Director, and implementing a new Operating Agreement. At the same time, we will be making difficult decisions on how to achieve ALA’s financial stability for the short term and sustainability for the long term,” Neal said. “We must ensure ALA’s services and products align with the changing needs and expectations of our 50,000 members while providing good value for their hard-earned membership dollars. As Treasurer, I will bring ample experience, expertise, patience, and diplomacy to the position. Future generations of library workers are counting on all of us to work together to overcome ALA’s numerous challenges which are significant but not insurmountable.”

Thornton is a Spectrum Scholar who has worked as the associate dean for collections & scholarly communication at the University of Utah since 2022. Before that, he was director of research & instruction at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and interim associate dean for research & learning also at the University of Arkansas. He began his career in libraries at Texas A&M University.

He is a current member of the Association of College & Research Libraries, the Black Caucus of ALA, and the Association for Information Science and Technology. He has served as treasurer and chair of the finance committee of the Fayetteville (AR) Public Library Foundation Board. He is on the Budget & Finance Committee for the Center for Research Libraries and is the BCALA treasurer. He served as a mentor for the Library Leadership and Management Association section and the Spectrum Scholars program and served on the ALA – BRASS Education Committee.

Thornton holds a Master of Science in Operations Management and a Project Management Graduate Certificate from the University of Arkansas. He also holds a Master of Science in Information Science from the University of North Texas and a Bachelor of Business Administration–Accounting from Pittsburg State University. A current ARL Leadership Fellow, he has completed the Harvard Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians and the ARL Leadership and Career Development Program.

“I am delighted to stand for election as ALA treasurer. As a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a librarian, I am uniquely qualified for this role. Trust and transparency represent core values of the CPA’s code of ethics, which I would adhere to in serving the members’ interests,” Thornton said. “As treasurer, I will collaborate with leadership and stakeholders to ensure that members receive the expected value from the association. Additionally, identifying solutions to increase organizational resiliency and the ability to thrive in any economic environment will be a key focus. If elected treasurer, through a fresh perspective, unique expertise, and collaborative engagement, I will work to address long-standing challenges like escalating operational costs and declining revenue to best position ALA for the future.”

Neal and Thornton will have an opportunity to make a statement and answer questions from members in a virtual ALA Treasurer Candidates' Forum to be held in February 2025. More information to come.

Members who are interested in running by petition for ALA Treasurer, you may do so by completing a petition form with the signatures of no fewer than 200 ALA current personal members. Here are instructions for creating an e-petition by December 13, 2024. In addition to the petition itself, members must complete a Candidate Biographical Information Form. The information submitted on this form will be used for the web ballot. Once the petition process is completed, petition candidates and nominated candidates are treated exactly the same. They are not differentiated on the ballot because they are on equal footing and are all viable candidates for these positions. The petition period for the 2025 election is open now and will close on December 13, 2024.

Ballot mailing for the ALA election will begin on March 10, 2025, and will run through April 2, 2025. Individuals must be members in good standing to vote in the 2025 ALA elections. Renew your membership online or by calling 1-800-545-2433, option 1. For more information, please visit the ALA Election webpage.

About the American Library Association

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 of libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit ala.org.