Cantron M. Quarles Selected as 2024 Lois Ann Gregory-Wood Fellow

The American Library Association has selected Cantron M. Quarles as the 2024 Lois Ann Gregory-Wood (LAGW) Fellow. Quarles will receive a stipend totaling $2,500 to offset the cost of attending the 2024 LibLearnX experience in Baltimore and the ALA 2024 Annual Conference in San Diego.

Currently, Quarles works as a Circulation Supervisor (Library Services Coordinator) at the Ruth Lilly Medical Library in Indianapolis, Indiana. He expects to receive his MLS from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis this year. He is also a champion for the expansion of diversity within the library profession. He stated, “My advocacy for diverse voices and perspectives within the field is a driving force in my career and is one of the foremost reasons I am interested in ALA governance.” He believes that “fostering diversity and inclusion is not just a goal but a responsibility for all of us” ─ particularly those who work in libraries.

Quarles believes that “the Lois Ann Gregory-Wood Fellows award program presents a golden opportunity to bridge the gap between his current role and his aspirations to contribute to ALA's governance.” He says he is “eager to learn from experienced mentors, benefit from their wisdom, and gain firsthand experience in the decision-making processes that shape our profession's future.”

Winning the LAGW Fellowship adds to Quarles’ long list of accomplishments. He serves as Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis’ (IUPUI) Staff Council Representative (2022-23). He was the recipient of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association’s (BCALA) Breaking Barriers Grant (2022), the Leadership, Activism, and Academic Excellence Award (2018), the John T. Neighbours Medallion & Scholarship (2014), and the Carson Scholar Award (2013).

Quarles is committed to continue to learn and grow and be an integral part of the library profession. Commenting on his connectedness, he stated, “my active involvement with professional associations, such as the Indiana Library Federation, Indiana University Librarians Association, and American Library Association, reflects my dedication to staying engaged with the library community and advocating for enhancing library services. I am particularly proud to be a part of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA). This organization aligns with my commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion within the profession.”

The Fellowship was conceived in honor of Lois Ann Gregory-Wood, who worked at ALA for fifty years, and for 27 of those years, served as the ALA Council Secretariat. For thousands of ALA members, she was the face of ALA Council and governance. After 50 years of service to ALA, Gregory-Wood retired in 2018. The Lois Ann Gregory-Wood Fellows Program is a mid-career conference scholarship program which celebrates Gregory-Wood’s leadership and accomplishments, and also seeks to encourage understanding and participation in the ALA governance processes.

For more information on the Lois Ann Gregory-Wood Fellows Program, visit the award page.

The Lois Ann Gregory-Wood Fellowship is administered by the ALA Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR).