American Library Association Council elects two members to Executive Board for 2026-2029 term

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) Council has elected Lesliediana Jones and Shauntee Burns-Simpson to serve on the ALA Executive Board. Elected board members will begin a three-year term in July 2026 and conclude in June 2029.

Jones is director of the Arthur Neef Law Library at Wayne State University Library Systems and assistant professor at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit. She holds a master’s in library and information science and juris doctor from Wayne State University, and a bachelor of arts in English literature from the University of Michigan. Jones currently serves as councilor at large on the ALA Council, president of the Freedom to Read Foundation and member on the Committee on Legislation.

“Today, the library community needs us to stand strong and defend the right to read,” said Jones. Thank you to ALA members for recognizing I am ready to stand for you by electing me to the Council. Thank you to my Council colleagues for recognizing that I am ready to stand strong for ALA by electing me to the Executive Board.”

Burns-Simpson is the director, youth & family services at the District of Columbia Public Library, Wahington, D.C. She holds a master’s in library and information science from Queens College, New York and a bachelor of fine arts in dance from Long Island University, New York. She currently serves as an ALA councilor representing the Black Caucus of ALA (BCALA) and as president of the Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table. Burns-Simpson also serves on the Freedom to Read Foundation Board and will continue serving on the PLA Board of Directors until her term on the ALA Executive Board begins after the adjournment of the 2026 Annual Conference in Chicago.

“I’m deeply honored and grateful to be elected to the ALA Executive Board at such a pivotal moment for our profession,” said Burns-Simpson. “This moment is about community, collective strength, and the power of libraries to change lives. I’m excited to serve alongside dedicated colleagues and help build an ALA where every member and every community can thrive.”

The ALA Executive Board provides the strategic and fiduciary oversight of the association. It is composed of the president, president-elect, immediate past president, treasurer, executive director and 8 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 is the largest non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to America’s libraries. The ALA mission is to empower and advocate for all libraries and library workers to ensure equitable access to information for all. For 150 years, ALA has provided resources for information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more information, visit www.ala.org.