Nominations Open for 2024 Jean E. Coleman Library Outreach Lecturer

CHICAGO - The American Library Association (ALA) is accepting nominations for the 2024 Jean E. Coleman Library Outreach Lecturer. The Jean E. Coleman Library Outreach Lecture is held annually during the ALA Annual Conference as a tribute to the efforts of the first director of ALA’s Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (now the Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services) to ensure that all citizens, particularly Native Americans and adult learners, have access to quality library services. Self-nominations are welcome.

The lecture is provided by an information professional, broadly speaking, whose work focuses on the mission of outreach and whose impact can be measured by their contributions to their local community, the broader library community, and/or library research. Nominees do not have to be librarians, but successful nominees have worked with diverse adult populations to provide quality library services and programs. 

Speakers are chosen from a list of nominees and may be a long-term outreach champion or have only recently made substantial contributions to the profession’s understanding of the current state of diversity, equity of access, literacy, and/or social justice as they relate to library outreach. Past speakers are listed on the Jean E. Coleman Library Outreach Lecture page.

The lecturer receives complimentary registration to ALA’s Annual Conference and is required to publish their lecture through ODLOS upon conclusion of the conference. Nominations may be submitted through the online nomination form, and should be received by 11:59PM Pacific time on March 15, 2024.

ONLINE NOMINATION FORM

For more information, please visit www.alaannual.org.

The Jean E. Coleman Library Outreach Lecture is open to all Annual Conference attendees. This year’s event is coordinated by the Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services Advisory Committee: Suzan Alteri (Chair), Lori Berezovsky, Kay Coates, Brooke Corso, Michael Dontrall Brown, Rhonda K. Gould, Sammie Johnson, II, Alda A. Migoni, Nadia Mira Orozco-Sahi, Sally Stieglitz, Lauren Nicole Tubbs, and Cathy Zimmerman.

Carrie Scott Banks, Ex-Officio Member, A. Phylicia Hutson, Ex-Officio Member, Kaypounyers “Kay P” Maye, Ex-Officio Member, Ramón García, Ex- Officio Member, and Gwendolyn N. Weaver, Ex-Officio Member. 

The ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services supports library and information science workers in creating safe, responsible, and all-inclusive spaces that serve and represent the entire community. To accomplish this, we decenter power and privilege by facilitating conversations around access and identity as they impact the profession and those we serve. We use a social justice framework to inform library and information science workers' development of resources. We strive to create an association culture where these concerns are incorporated into everybody's everyday work.

ABOUT AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

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 www.ala.org.