Governance

Lanza-Galindo withdraws candidacy for 2022-25 ALA treasurer

CHICAGO — Oscar Lanza-Galindo, associate dean, Library and Learning Commons, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, has withdrawn his candidacy for treasurer of the American Library Association (ALA).

United for Libraries welcomes six new board members

EXTON, Pennsylvania — United for Libraries welcomes six individuals to its board. Mary Soucie, Camille McCutcheon, Kathy Kosinski, Peter Pearson, Ben Carter, and Debbie Smart have been appointed to board positions effective immediately. Each newly appointed member has active experience in library advocacy.

ALA announces slate of petition Council candidates

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) announces that the following individuals have filed petitions for the Councilor-at-Large position on the ALA Council for the 2022 ALA Election:

The American Library Association opposes widespread efforts to censor books in U.S. schools and libraries  

CHICAGO - Due to a dramatic uptick in book challenges and outright removal of books from libraries, ALA's Executive Board and the Boards of Directors for all of ALA's eight divisions have released the following joint statement regarding attempts to remove materials that focus on LGBTQIA+ issues and books by Black authors or that document the Black experience or the experiences of other BIPOC individuals:  

ALA Nominating Committee announces councilors-at-large candidates

CHICAGO - The American Library Association (ALA) announced that 68 candidates are running for 34 at-large seats on the ALA Council.

The following candidates were accepted by the Nominating Committee (listed alphabetically by last name):

Tarida Anantachai
Interim Head, Learning and Academic Engagement
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
(Academic)

Antonio Apodaca
Education & Outreach Coordinator
Ventura County Library
Ventura, CA
(Public)

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.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nikole Hannah-Jones and Isabel Wilkerson announced as ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition featured speakers

CHICAGO – The American Library Association today announced that Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of “The 1619 Project, A New Origin Story,” Nikole Hannah-Jones will open the virtual 2021 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, June 23-29, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” Isabel Wilkerson will be the ALA President’s Program featured speaker, invited by Julius C. Jefferson, Jr., ALA President.

Mary Davis Fournier named PLA executive director

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) announced today the appointment of Mary Davis Fournier as executive director, Public Library Association (PLA), a division of ALA. Her first day in her new role will be Monday, June 14.

ALA Nominating Committee seeks candidates for 2022 election

CHICAGO — The Nominating Committee for the 2022 ALA election is soliciting nominees to run on the 2022 spring ballot for the offices of ALA president-elect, treasurer, and councilor-at-large.

The Nominating Committee will select candidates to run for president-elect and treasurer and no fewer than 51 candidates for the 34 at-large council seats to be filled in the 2022 spring election.

The president-elect will serve a three-year term: as president-elect in 2022-23, as president in 2023-24, and as immediate past president in 2024-25.

Gordon Baker elected 2022-2023 United for Libraries president

EXTON, Pennsylvania — Dr. Gordon Baker, Dean of Libraries, Emeritus at Clayton State University and chair of both Georgia Library Association and Southeastern Library Association’s Trustees, Friends and Advocates Division and Section, has been elected 2022-2023 United for Libraries president. Baker will serve as president-elect during 2021-2022 under 2021-2022 United for Libraries President Charity Tyler.