Investing in Our Libraries, Investing in Our Future
ALA’s President is the primary public face and most visible advocate for the organization. The ALA President must have skills in building teams that involve members in accomplishing the association’s goals, be able to inspire and motivate, and be effective in representing a wide range of issues to the association’s members, the media, legislators and government officials, other organizations and the general public.
To this role I will bring:
- A career working in a wide range of libraries…a school library, a college/university, a public library and the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and the largest research library in the world.
- Experience as a manager…head of Media Services at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, director of Technical Operations at the Fairfax County Public Library, and head of the customer services, accounting and product development operations for the Cataloging Distribution Service at the Library of Congress.
- Experience as the manager of major nationwide projects with high visibility that involved hundreds and even thousands of people in and out of the Library of Congress…the Library of Congress Bicentennial Program (1998-2000) and National Book Festival (2001-2008).
- A knowledge of Capitol Hill and the political environment that is crucial to building federal legislative and financial support for libraries.
- Contacts with well-known and widely-admired authors…440 of whom have appeared at the National Book Festival over its 8-year history and are inherently advocates for libraries.
- Experience with fundraising, an important additional funding source for libraries in these difficult economic times.
As President, I will use my knowledge and experience from being an ALA Executive Board member (2007-2009), a Councilor-at-Large (2001-2007), a member of the Committee on Legislation (2001-2006) and Chair of COL’s Privacy Subcommittee for sustaining the health and vitality of ALA as an organization and to promote the issues that concern our membership and libraries: advocacy, better funding and salaries, intellectual freedom, diversity in our profession and our libraries, equitable access to information and library services, education and lifelong learning, and literacy.
As ALA President, my priority will be advocacy for libraries and library employees.
While we face a formidable economic situation both nationally and globally, we have a new President and Congress who recognize the value of libraries to our communities and in the educational process. They understand that knowledge is the foundation of our democracy. Yes, we have a challenge, but we also have an opportunity to "shine the light" on people’s dependence on their libraries during tough times. My experience working here on Capitol Hill is a valuable asset as we pursue the passage of legislation to provide funding for libraries…whether they are elementary and high schools, colleges and universities, or serving their local populations. I pledge that I will advocate for libraries with national, state and local political leaders and work with ALA and its members to ensure every potential piece of legislation that could provide support for libraries includes provisions for that support. As a former school librarian, I will work to bring recognition to the essential role of school libraries and school librarians in educating young people…through the SKILLS Act or whatever legislation can be used for this purpose.
Enlarging the breadth and visibility of advocacy efforts for both libraries and librarianship as a career by using the natural allies we have in the creative community of America’s popular authors, 440 of whom have appeared at the National Book Festival from 2001 to 2008.
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Providing fundraising expertise and other revenue options for building advocacy and support for libraries, including tools and training that any size of library can use to grow support for their programs.
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As ALA President, I pledge to defend the right to privacy for library users.
By summer, key controversial provisions of the USA Patriot Act are set to expire, including the one that gives the government the power to seize information from libraries. I will work with ALA’s staff, members and allies in defending the right to privacy for library users.
As ALA President, I pledge to defend our cornerstone principle of intellectual freedom and free access to information.
I will support transparency and access to government information and the halting of efforts in recent years to classify more and more of this information.
As we transition from the "ALA Ahead to 2010" strategic plan to one that covers 2010 to 2015, I pledge to support the vision of ALA and use my experience in building and working with teams to:
Increase the number and diversity of our members.
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Expand member opportunities within ALA.
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Develop global membership and promote the ALA "brand" and its products, services and training.
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This is an extraordinary time for our country with the opportunity to return to the ideals that made us the envy of nations throughout the world. It is a time of change for ALA as well. We can use the vitality and strength of the organization, its dynamic and dedicated members, and the voices of our friends and users to ensure that there is a financial base for libraries to prosper and for the profession to grow. I ask you to support this vision of an ALA that is part of the renewal of America by voting for me as President.