Hepburn, Lanza-Galindo running for 2022-25 ALA treasurer

CHICAGO – Peter Hepburn, head librarian at the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California, and Oscar Lanza-Galindo, associate dean, Library and Learning Commons, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, are the candidates for the treasurer of the American Library Association (ALA) for 2022-25.

Hepburn chaired the ALA Budget Analysis and Review Committee (2019-21) and was a member of the Executive Board (2016-2017) and the Finance and Audit Committee (2019-21) and an ALA Councilor at Large (2017-2020). He is currently serving as a member of the Committee on Organization (2021-23).

He is an active member of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). He is involved with the Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table (GNCRT), the Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT), the Rainbow Round Table (RRT), the Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT), the Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT), and the New Members Round Table (NMRT).

Hepburn holds an EdD from Arizona State University, an MLIS from McGill University, and a BA from the University of Victoria.

Hepburn said, "I am honored to be invited to stand for election.  The financial health of ALA is a critical consideration for us as an association as we continue to deal with the repercussions from the pandemic, including membership levels, the ability to stage in-person conferences and other activities. Even before the crisis, however, ALA’s financial health had been cause for concern.  For ALA to grow, we need to be on solid fiscal footing. That is key to the sustainability of ALA. As Treasurer, I will partner with the Executive Board, Council, divisions, round tables, and ALA staff to ensure that there is transparency around association processes, clear communication with the membership, and sound decision-making to carry the association forward."

Lanza-Galindo serves on the ALA Council (2020-present) and is a member of the ACRL 2022 President’s Program Planning Committee.

He is an active member of ACRL and Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures. He is involved with REFORMA: The National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-speaking.

Lanza-Galindo holds an MA in information and library services from the University of Arizona, an MA in Intercultural Service, Leadership, and Management from the SIT Graduate Institute, and is a doctoral student from the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Lanza-Galindo said, "A sincere thank you to all the candidates who serve and are running in this election. It is my honor, privilege, and responsibility to run as treasurer candidate. I am a first-generation student, an immigrant and indigenous person from Central America. These threads and identities form the lenses that I bring to everyday decisions and work. I will apply the same critical lens to ALA's finances, operational standards, and social awareness and action, while remembering there are people behind financial numbers, behind membership figures. As a library leader, I make decisions that directly impact lives, and I was taught early on that my actions have consequences that often go beyond immediate impact.  Affordance of membership dues is an issue that many librarians experience – I hear you, and I see you. If elected treasurer, I will strongly advocate that ALA identify cost-effective methods to expand membership and opportunities for active engagement. I look forward to hearing from many of you. In solidarity.”

Hepburn and Lanza-Galindo will engage in a virtual candidates' forum at 1 p.m. Central Time on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. Register for the forum today. The candidates will each have an opportunity to make a statement and will answer questions from members.

Ballot mailing for the ALA election will begin the second Monday in March on March 14, 2022 and will run through the first Wednesday in April on April 6, 2022. Individuals must be members in good standing to vote in the 2022 ALA elections. Renew your membership online or by calling 1-800-545-2433, option 1. For more information, please visit the ALA Election page: https://www.ala.org/aboutala/governance/alaelection

American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, ALA has been the trusted voice of libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit ala.org.

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