Barnes wins 2027-2028 ALA presidency

CHICAGO - Tamika Barnes, Associate Dean, Perimeter College Library Services, Georgia State University, has been elected 2026-2027 president-elect of the American Library Association (ALA).

Barnes received 3,827 votes, while her opponent, Becky Calzada, District Library Coordinator, Leander Independent School District (ISD) in Leander, Texas, received 2,742 votes.

Upon learning the outcome of the election, Barnes said, “I am deeply honored by the trust ALA members have placed in me. Throughout this campaign, I have listened to members across library types and career stages, and I will continue to lead with that same commitment to connection, transparency, and responsiveness. 

Together, we will foster an ALA that is bold in its advocacy, clear in its purpose, and prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead."

Barnes currently serves as the Georgia Library Association (GLA) president. She is also a member of the Freedom to Read Foundation, the Lois Ann Gregory-Ward Fellows Program committee, and the EBSCO Information Services Library Staff Development Award committee. Barnes served on the GLA Executive Board from 2013-2021. Barnes served on the ALA Executive Board from 2018-2021 and ALA Council from 2015-2018 and 2019-2021. She is a member of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and the Black Caucus of ALA. Barnes has served on numerous ALA committees and groups including the Budget and Review Committee (chair 2024-2025), two ALA presidential advisory committees, and the ACRL Conference Experience and Inclusion Committee. Barnes is a 1998 Spectrum Scholar.

Barnes received several honors including the GLA Bob Richardson Award and the Black Caucus of ALA Library Advocacy Award. She is also recognized as a Library Senior Fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles and a Leading Change Institute Fellow.

Barnes holds a BA in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an MLS from North Carolina Central University in Durham.

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.