American Library Association Council elects four members to Executive Board for 2025-2028 term

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) Council has elected K.C. Boyd, Tatanisha Love, Janice Moore Newsum and Ziba Pérez to serve on the ALA Executive Board. Elected board members will begin a three-year term in July 2025 and conclude in June 2028.

K.C. Boyd is a school librarian at Jefferson Middle School Academy in Washington, D.C. Boyd holds a master’s in library and information science from Chicago State University, a master's in education administration and media communications from Governors State University, and bachelors in broadcast journalism from Southern University and A&M College. Boyd currently serves as an ALA Chapter Councilor and chairs the Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table. Boyd is the 2022 School Librarian of the Year by School Library Journal.

“It is a profound honor to have been elected to the American Library Association Council’s Executive Board by my esteemed colleagues. I am eager to bring my passion for innovation in library services, my dedication to fostering inclusive communities, and my unwavering belief in the transformative power of libraries to our association during this pivotal time. Together, we can continue to champion access to information and advocate for the vital role all libraries play in society,”Boyd said.

Tatanisha Love is a school library media specialist at Southwest Academy in Baltimore, Maryland. Love holds an education specialist degree from Notre Dame of Maryland University, a master's in library sciences from Towson University, a master's in education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and bachelor’s in English and liberal arts from Norfolk State University. Love is past president of the Maryland Association of School Librarians (MASL) and president-elect of the Citizens for Maryland Libraries. Love is also a member of the American Association of School Librarians, Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table, Coretta Scott King Book Award Round Table and Sustainability Round Table.

"I truly believe that we are stronger together. I look forward to working with others to highlight resources, tackle challenges, and build coalitions that promote libraries and literacy. Together, we can share the vital role librarians have in a democratic society,” Love said.

Janice Moore Newsum is associate professor (retired) at University of Houston. Newsum holds a doctorate and a master's in library and information studies from Florida State University, a master's in education from the University of St. Thomas and a bachelor’s in psychology and anthropology from Rhodes College. Newsum serves as the chair of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Round Table. She is a member of the American Association of School Librarians, Young Adult Library Services Association, Association for Library Service to Children, Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table, Intellectual Freedom Round Table, International Relations Round Table, Library Research Round Table, Library Instruction Round Table, and Round Table Coordinating Assembly.

"I am both humbled and honored to have been elected to the ALA Executive Board. My deepest gratitude to the Council for their confidence in me and my newly elected colleagues. It is with great excitement that I join this illustrious body to continue ALA's mission to create welcoming spaces where every person can be unapologetically, unashamedly, and authentically themselves,” Newsum said.

Ziba Pérez is a young adult librarian III at Los Angeles Public Library. She holds a master's in library and information science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a bachelor's in film & media studies and a bachelor’s in biological sciences with a minor in Chicano Latino Studies from University of California, Irvine. Pérez is an ALA Chapter Councilor and is on the board of directors for the Young Adult Library Services Association. She is a member of the Rainbow Round Table and REFORMA: the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking.

“I am honored to have been elected to the executive board of the American Library Association by my peers on the council. I am proud to be a public librarian serving teens in the city of Los Angeles and am excited to help guide the association over the next three years. Thank you,” Pérez said.

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 10 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 the American Library Association

The American Library Association (ALA) is the only non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated entirely to America's libraries and library professionals. For almost 150 years, ALA has provided resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. The ALA serves 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.