Charles Wilt named ALCTS executive director

Contact: Larra Clark


312-280-5043

ALA News Release


For Immediate Release


June 2001

Charles Wilt named ALCTS executive director

The American Library Association (ALA) is pleased to announce that, effective April 30, Charles Wilt is the executive director of the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS), a division of the ALA. Wilt has been acting executive director in LAMA and ALCTS since March 5, and he will continue as acting executive director for LAMA, pending successful completion of that search.

Wilt joined ALA in 1999 as deputy executive director of ALCTS/LAMA, coming to ALA from a position of budget and planning manager for the University of Texas at Arlington Libraries. Previous positions included managerial positions in bookstores (Varsity Bookstore and Borders Books and Music, both in Dallas), science librarian (Kenyon College in Ohio) and various positions, including library director at the Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia.

"Charles Wilt brings a raft of fresh ideas and innovative approaches to supporting ALCTS programs and initiatives," said ALCTS President Carlen Ruschoff, who chaired the selection committee. "He is truly member-focused in his thinking and clearly wishes to bring librarians to ALCTS and ALCTS to librarians. The ALCTS board looks forward to working with Charles and his staff in pursuing the new directions of our strategic plan."

He has a B.A. in psychology from Emory University and an MLS from the University of Pittsburgh. In addition, he completed Ph.D. coursework in library science at Texas Woman's University and did graduate work in art history at the University of Georgia. Wilt is a member of Beta Phi Mu.

In addition to ALA, he has been a member of the Texas Library Association, North Dallas Chamber of Commerce, Association of Library and Information Science Educators, Special Libraries Association and other professional groups. Wilt served on the Library Advisory Committee for the Plano Independent School District and worked with other community and civic groups.

In addition to Ruschoff, the search committee was made up of Bill Robnett (president-elect, ALCTS), Martin Kurth (chair, ALCTS membership committee), Pamela Bluh (chair, ALCTS fundraising committee) Cathleen Bourdon (executive director, ASCLA/RUSA) and Dorothy Ragsdale (director, ALA Human Resources).

ALCTS has about 5,000 members. The division is responsible for the following activities: acquisition, identification, cataloging, classification, and preservation of library materials development and coordination of the country's library resources; and those areas of selection and evaluation involved in the acquisition of library materials and pertinent to the development of library resources.