Camila Alire elected 2009-2010 ALA president
Contact: Macey Morales
Manager, Media Relations
(312) 280-4393
mmorales@ala.org
For Immediate Release,
May 2, 2008
Camila Alire elected 2009-2010 ALA president
(CHICAGO) Camila Alire, dean emerita at the University of New Mexico and Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo., has been elected president of the American Library Association (ALA) for the 2009-2010 term. Alire won over J. Linda Williams, coordinator of library media services for Anne Arundel County public schools in Annapolis, Md. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
As ALA president, Alire will be the chief elected officer for the oldest and largest library organization in the world. Established in 1876, the ALA is the "voice of America's libraries" and has more than 65,000 members. Its mission is to provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.
Alire was elected with 8,956 votes. Williams received 7,102 votes.
Alire will become president-elect in July 2008, and will assume the ALA presidency in July 2009, following the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. She will serve a one-year term as president.
"What an unbelievable honor to have been elected as ALA's President-elect," said Alire. "I am looking forward to working with all ALA units and members to further advance the value of our nation's libraries and library workers.
"Additionally, I look forward to encouraging ALA members to get more involved in this great association whether virtually or in person. I want to thank all of the people who believed in me and supported me during this election."
Alire, is currently professor of practice (adjunct) for Simmons College’s Ph.D. program in managerial leadership and adjunct professor for San Jose State University Library & Information Science’s executive MLIS managerial leadership program.
She served as dean of libraries at the University of Colorado at Denver and worked as a community college library director, special library director, school librarian (K-12) and assistant to the dean/instructor at the University of Denver’s LIS program.
Alire currently chairs the ALA Committee on Legislation and chaired several committees including the ALA’s Nominating Committee; Committee on Education and American Libraries Advisory Committee; the 2005 ACRL National Conference Committee; the Colorado Council on Library Development board; several Colorado Association of Libraries committees; and several regional library system-governing boards.
Alire is a past president of the Association for College and Research Libraries (ACRL) (2005) and served as the national president (1993-94) of the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking (REFORMA).
She has served on ALA Council, ALA Executive Board and the Association for Research Libraries board.
Alire was named to the ALA/ALTA National Advocacy Honor Roll for her library advocacy work; received the Mountain Plains Library Association’s Legislative Award; and named Scholar-in-Residence for the Chicago Public Library System. She received the first ALA Elizabeth Futas Catalyst for Change Award and National REFORMA’s Librarian of the Year.
She was honored by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in the country.
Alire also co-authored books on library services to Latino communities, disaster recovery, and leadership and has written extensively on diversity.
ACRL is a division of the ALA. REFORMA is an Affiliate of the ALA.
For complete election results please visit http://www.ala.org/ala/ourassociation/governanceofficeb/electioninfo/election2008.cfm .
