Meet the candidates Vote in the election this spring

Loida Garcia-Febo Terri Grief Scott Walter

he ACRL Board of Directors posed the • ALA will have a place and a voice at Tfollowing questions to the candidates the decision-makers’ table, particularly for (Grief and Walter are ACRL members) for those in our communities with no voice. ALA president, and C&RL News is pleased to We will amplify their concerns to Congress, publish their responses. Each candidate was at the state house, in city councils, and to given 1,200 words in which he or she could school boards. respond to six questions and contribute an • ALA will build coalitions with like- optional opening statement; the responses are minded partners sharing our values. identified under each question. • ALA will facilitate joint work among its units to promote diversity and equity in our Opening statement profession and association. Loida Garcia-Febo: I am a , an • ALA will train our members to flourish advocate, and an activist. Libraries change throughout their careers to lead, serve, and lives for Americans in every community in empower our libraries, patrons, and com- our nation. Our strong value system propels munities. us to create new ways to help children read, • ALA will advance our concerns through assist job seekers, support first-generation actions conveyed by pillars of ALA’s Strategic college students, and connect battered Plan—advocacy, information policies, diversity women and children with shelters. and inclusion, and professional and leadership Thanks to our work, libraries remain the development. true bastion of intellectual freedom, democracy, These are challenging times, and I am diversity, and social responsibility in our com- confident that together, we can bring change. munities. Given the threats we face to these core values, we cannot afford to stay on the sidelines. Strong experience • I have been a librarian in academic, My vision for the association school, and special libraries in Puerto Rico, • ALA will be the leading voice advocating and public library in Queens; for libraries and library users while maintaining • consultant, educator, and mentor of new our core values. ;

C&RL News March 2017 146 • advocate for libraries at United Nations was, this election takes place in the shadow with civil society partners, private and public of one of the most unexpected turns ever organizations; and in American politics, and one that has al- • advocate at grassroots and national ready shown us how hard we must work levels to impact policy. in defense of free speech, copyright, an independent press, net neutrality, a diverse Strong leadership student body, etc. Many of us in ACRL built • I am currently a member of the ALA our lives in libraries around the idea of col- Executive Board, Finance and Audit Com- laboration, and the need for a collaborative, mittee, IFLA Governing Board, and chair of action-oriented mindset has never been Action for Development Through Libraries; clearer. We have a renewed mandate to • chaired the Intellectual Freedom Round work with campus colleagues to promote Table, International Relations Committee, information literacy, media literacy, and and the Committee on Membership Meetings engaged citizenship, and alongside faculty, to establish ALA’s Annual Virtual Meeting; students, and community groups to advocate • served on ALA’s round tables, divisions, for our core values in support of institutional and not-for-profits like the Gates Foundation mission, especially as these align with our Global Libraries; and was commitments to intellectual freedom, social • REFORMA President (2009–10). justice, and the public good. We have not faced challenges like these in my lifetime, As ALA president, I will build on the and ACRL members have much to contribute Libraries Transform communities partner- to the work ahead. ship launched by , Maureen I bring to ALA leadership over 20 years of Sullivan, and ; the career experience working in higher education and development initiatives of Courtney Young; collaborating with campus and community the Libraries Transform campaign of Past partners to design and deliver programs that President ; the Expert in the make a difference for our librarians, faculty, Library focus of ALA President Julie B. staff, and students. I bring a passion and Todaro; and the Libraries Lead theme of commitment to our field shared with many ALA President-Elect Jim Neal. I will work of you during a career that has allowed with ALA divisions, members, chapters, the me to teach, write, and speak to local, Librarian of Congress, and international state, national, and international audiences colleagues to advance our profession. I am about the value of libraries. I bring a “bias eager to work with you as ALA president. toward action” that has allowed me to work Thank you for your vote. alongside many of you to bring changes to academic libraries, move discussions of the Scott Walter: Thank you for the opportu- future of libraries forward, and make certain nity to share some ideas with fellow ACRL that libraries are seen as valued partners in members. all endeavors where we should have a role. Let’s begin by acknowledging that higher Now is not a time to be timid in defense of education has been under pressure for higher education, libraries, or the fundamen- years, and that my home state of Illinois is tal liberties that both have worked to ensure. on the leading edge of this trend. Economic You have never known me to be timid. changes, demographics, and partisan politics ACRL members must be leaders on cam- have come together to present an unprec- pus, in our communities, and in ALA, as we edented challenge to financial support for work to defend the values that brought us higher education, individual students, and into this field. I know you are, and I invite our state library consortium. As challenging you to learn more about my candidacy at as our situation in higher education already www.walter4ala.org/.

March 2017 147 C&RL News 1. What do you see as the greatest fall and rise, division-wise, according to the challenges facing ALA in the coming conference year, but we have to do some few years? very harsh self reflection if we find a common Garcia-Febo: Libraries are pillars of public reason. Attracting new members should be a education. Libraries are changing lives in our priority, not so much because we need the communities every day. We will face chal- numbers, but we should be evangelical about lenges to keep libraries open, provide services our message and our importance to their daily to all—immigrants, first-generation college lives. I know that many school libraries are students, persons with disabilities, and LGBT isolated and they do not see the connection populations. Access to information, which as to ALA. However, when we can talk about per the United Nations is a human right, will the Every Student Succeeds Act and the role be challenged by modifications to NSA, net that ALA played in the passage of that, this neutrality, filters, censorship, privacy, broad- should resonate as a reason to join. I want to band access, copyright matters, and access to add members to help them, not just to add e-resources. members to our rosters. Grief: There are several things that I see Walter: As ALA president, I will work with as challenges. The first one is the retirement all members and ACRL to support our mem- of ALA staff that have been instrumental in bers’ developing knowledge, initiatives for the success of ALA. Don Chatham, publish- student success, retention, and information ing; Keith Fiels, executive director; and Emily literacy. Additionally, I believe that libraries Sheketoff, Washington Office, have years of building capacity through education will relationships and contacts with both members strengthen resilience long after the threats and other associations that will be hard to rep- over our core values have been destroyed. licate. I have faith that the search committee Together, we can bring change to impact for executive director and the ALA Executive policies, and benefit our profession and our Board will find a great person to take over as communities. executive director and he or she will lead our The greatest challenges seem to stem from association through staff changes. the unprecedented assault on free speech, Another challenge is the current threats freedom of inquiry, independent media, ac- to our core values. We have to remain strong cess to information, and the idea of the public together as an association, and we have to good that have become part of mainstream develop strong relationships with others who politics. This represents not only a threat to are being threatened with this. We’ve had close the core values on which our professions are ties to the ACLU, but we must become even founded, and to information policies crucial tighter aligned with them. There are many, to our ability to provide library services, but many others, including First Amendment Co- also to our ability to recruit, retain, and en- alition, Planned Parenthood, National Science gage our membership. An ACRL member was Foundation, NAACP, American Bar Associa- one of the co-organizers of Atlanta’s March tion, Mexican American Legal Defense, and for Social Justice and Women, and all ALA Education Fund, that will be standing up for members will face personal choices in the our democrat values. coming years about where to devote their Attracting new members and retaining cur- time, energy, and passion to make a differ- rent members is a constant challenge. If we ence for the issues and people who matter are meeting the needs of members, retaining most to them. ALA must commit to making should be easy. If we are losing members, we a difference on those things that matter to need to do some analysis. If that analysis re- our members and our profession if it is to veals that the lapsed member felt that ALA and/ continue to engage them and if it is to play or their division wasn’t meeting their needs, it the meaningful role in their lives, and our gives us room to grow. I know that numbers national dialogue, that it should.

C&RL News March 2017 148 2. Are there specific initiatives you Walter: ALA has established a role in the would like to see ALA tackle? fight against “fake news,” but this is only part Garcia-Febo: Every library worker is an of a broader initiative that must be pursued advocate. Together, we can bring change around critical thinking about information in advocating for services for all in our commu- lifelong learning, especially as a requirement nities, equity, diversity, inclusion, information for informed democracy. ALA must think in policies, funding, awareness about the value new ways about what we mean when we say of libraries, and position librarians as leaders. “information is power” and about the role of We must use multiple online and in-person libraries in providing access to information and platforms to advocate for libraries and grow technology that empowers marginalized indi- advocate leaders. viduals and communities. ALA must embrace The ALA Boot Camp presented by the new partnerships with organizations sharing offices of Library Advocacy and Intellectual our commitment to free speech and the public Freedom represents an opportunity to reach good, especially as these may be informed by ALA chapters and members advocating for our information expertise, e.g., access to legal libraries at state level. We need to expand information, health information, government this model. information, and information about the rights ALA will equip our members with profes- of women, immigrants, and refugees. Librar- sional and leadership skills needed to flourish ies will “transform communities” only to the in the current moment they are experiencing degree that we are able to build these part- in their careers, to lead from where they nerships, deliver these programs, and stand are, and to serve libraries, library users, and firm in our commitments to the library as a communities. bulwark of democracy. Academic librarians are Grief: The ALA Council has identified experts in bringing together student groups, four strategic areas that we need to focus on faculty experts, and community partners who without additional initiatives to address. We share those ideals and who form the network need to concentrate all of the association’s we need to do this work in the coming years. efforts that address these areas. All of us do a great job with the Professional and Leadership 3. What are your own primary profes- Development area and we are very focused sional or research interests? on Advocacy, but we seem to give Informa- Garcia-Febo: My research interests include tion Policy and Diversity to one or two units information seeking behavior of multiethnic and/or divisions to accomplish. I want to see and multilingual populations, Latinos and all the divisions come together to discuss how other diverse groups, continuing professional each of us will incorporate all of the strategic development, new librarians, and library as- areas of ALA, and how we can work together sociation’s work. to accomplish this. My recent publications about these topics Every unit and division should have a include: “Public Libraries in Puerto Rico” in diversity and inclusion plan. We all have to Introduction to Public Librarianship, Third address this, and I especially see it in AASL, Edition (forthcoming, ALA, Spring 2017); “Us- ACRL, and PLA. We need to reflect our stu- ing technology to communicate, educate, and dents and communities. I can envision a joint empower POC girls” in Libraries with Spines recruiting campaign. High school librarians (forthcoming, HINCHA, Spring 2017); “Work- could be charged with identifying students ing together: access to information and our who are interested in librarianship as a career power to cause change,” WLIC IFLA Library and help introduce them to college librarians (2016); and “Fundamental Freedoms, Library to mentor them through their undergraduate Services and Multi-Lingual Populations” in the programs. It is just the beginning of an idea special issue of Indiana Libraries: Intellectual that I’d like to see fleshed out. Freedom & Censorship (2013).

March 2017 149 C&RL News Grief: My main focus has been student as La Raza, ACLU, the American Association achievement and the role of the school library. of University Professors, and the Society for I also have been very interested in diverse col- Scholarly Publishing. lections, intellectual freedom, and leadership. Grief: We have to continue to message that My presidential initiative as AASL president libraries transform because of what we do for was a leadership workshop for our affiliate our students and patrons. I am not a fan of leaders that could be replicated in their states. each president starting something new, so I We have to build leaders at the local and state would continue this campaign. I would also level if we want to have people serving ALA. develop more training within the association of Walter: My Ph.D. is in Higher Education the Harwood-type training that shows us how Administration, and my research agenda fo- to look outward to our communities. When cuses on the role of the library as part of the we do this, we apply our knowledge of our university, especially in regard to teaching and communities in our decisions about how we learning, diversity, and community engage- design and implement our library programs. ment. Having suspended my research during It all fits together to make our libraries more my years as editor-in-chief of C&RL, I have visible because of the important services that been looking for the “next thing” for the past we provide. few months. One area that interests me is the Walter: I have provided some suggestions emergent role of the chief diversity officer, in my earlier comments, but I am not certain and what the evolution of this portfolio may that we need new “directions” so much as new tell us about leadership of diversity efforts “commitments.” Our approach to advocacy in academic libraries. I am also interested must be sharper, more focused, and action- in research skills education for practitioners, oriented. We will find colleagues who will something I have promoted as chair of the defend libraries and librarians as essential to ACRL Research Coordinating Committee, and an informed democracy if we make a renewed as a member of the advisory boards for the commitment to our core values, the bar against Institute for Research Design in Librarian- which our association’s work is measured. ship and the ACRL/OCLC “Action-Oriented On campus, this approach may open doors Research Agenda on Library Contributions to to new partnership, e.g., with academic and Student Learning and Success.” student affairs programs representing the campus commitment to social justice, or with 4. What do you see as new directions academic programs focused on communities for advocacy for ALA? now under threat. Garcia-Febo: ALA will work with the offices of Information Technology and Intellectual 5. How can ALA best support its mem- Freedom, the Washington Office, divisions, bers in today’s tough financial climate for and ACRL to continue to promote reading most libraries? and research and stop the creation of digital Garcia-Febo: As ALA president I will seek divides. Together we will strongly lead ef- that ALA has a place at the decision maker’s forts addressing filters, open access, more table. We must be present to impact public open systems of scholarly communication, policy. For instance, the new President of the censorship, privacy, access to ebooks and United States of America submits his budget databases, copyright matters, net neutrality, by March. There seems to be threats to LSTA, and broadband access. IMLS, NEH, and NEA. We need to be there, Our core values will guide ALA to adopt advocating, now. public policy and to build broader coalitions It is about helping each one of our mem- with national and global value-sharing part- bers’ backyards, where we live, our children ners to move library concerns on national go to school, and we pay taxes. As ALA and local agendas with organizations such president I will seek that ALA strengthen

C&RL News March 2017 150 our support for our chapters, grassroots, and librarians, changing landscape of librarianship, state advocacy efforts. Libraries are pillars of and the Marrakesch Treaty, will help ALA to public education and we have a responsibility support its membership balancing aspects of a to support and advocate on behalf of them, changing academic library environment where and share the value of libraries and librarians we keep traditional roles while adding new with different stakeholders. This is a force to ones to meet the needs of users. Together we be reckoned with. will find ways to keep us on our mission as Grief: I’d like to see more attention paid it evolves without abandoning our services. to return on investment and how we can ar- ACRL members’ expertise is needed to ticulate a member’s ROI to our membership. I strategize patron privacy, confidentiality, find this one of the most powerful arguments copyright, usability, and accessibility to help with all stakeholders. ALA advance our concerns through pillars of Walter: Since we know that members the Strategic Plan such as Information Policies. value networking opportunities, professional Grief: I’ve always seen ACRL as one of development, and opportunities to take on my biggest allies. My seniors are your fresh- leadership roles, ALA can make these op- men, and our standards are both based on portunities available without the consistent our students’ success. ACRL and AASL have requirement to travel across the country to partnered in the past, and my idea of sharing attend programs. ALA can provide access and partnering is a natural for ACRL. My pas- to selected “free-for-members” professional sion is that we are all working for the same development opportunities. ALA can make outcomes and that we need to strengthen all service opportunities, including leadership our internal relationships in order to have a opportunities, available to members who can stronger voice with other like-minded asso- only participate virtually. ALA can coordinate ciations and individuals. I can envision ACRL more effectively with chapters to provide high- uniting naturally with LITA, RUSA, and others, quality programming at the state and regional since there are so many interest groups within level, where the expense to participate is not ACRL that would be a perfect fit with others. I so high. Finally, ALA can continue its com- would love to see a program developed that mitment to developing focused, high-quality would encourage collaboration at the local programs at a reasonable cost that will make it level with school, community college, and easier for library directors like me to continue university libraries so that our students see supporting professional development budgets that natural connection. when there are many calls to reduce or real- Walter: My vision for the future is one that locate those funds. I hope we all share, i.e., an association that takes a strong stand in defense of our values at 6. With regard to your goals for ALA, the national level, while empowering its mem- how do you see ACRL most effectively bers to be advocates and activists at all levels. contributing to and supporting your vi- I’ve suggested some ways ACRL members can sion for the future? contribute to that goal, e.g., by bringing their Garcia-Febo: As ALA president, I will work expertise in leading campus-wide initiatives with ACRL to embed diversity and equity to relevant discussions of freedom of speech, principles in our association’s programs and information policy, and equity and social jus- services to benefit our profession and services tice. Bring the skills of library organizers and provided by libraries. innovators to community organizations and ACRL’s Diversity Alliance is a great model action groups. Those of us who have routinely that could be followed across ALA by divisions worked “across borders” with other library and round tables. types and community-based organizations ACRL’s valuable understanding of student can play a leading role in bringing the power learning, information literacy, new roles of of those partnerships to the work ahead.

March 2017 151 C&RL News ACRL members running for ALA Council in the spring 2017 election

The following ACRL members are either Sarah Marie McHone-Chase, Head of User nominated or petition candidates for ALA Services, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, councilor. ACRL members are encouraged to Illinois vote for these candidates to increase ACRL’s Joe Mocnik, Director of University Library/ voice in ALA affairs. Professor, Georgia College and State University, Latrice Booker, Coordinator of Library Milledgeville, Georgia Instruction, Indiana University Northwest- Juliana Nykolaiszyn, Associate Professor/ Gary, Indiana Librarian, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Steve Brantley, Head of Reference Services/ Oklahoma Associate Professor, Eastern Illinois University, Brenda Pruitt-Annisette, Assistant Profes- Charleston, Illinois sor and Coordinator of School Library Programs, Matthew P. Ciszek, Head Librarian, Penn Chicago State University State Shenango, Sharon, Pennsylvania Raymond Pun, First Year Student Success John C. DeSantis, Cataloging and Metadata Librarian, Fresno State University, Fresno, California Services Librarian, Dartmouth College, Hanover, Renna Tuten Redd, Interlibrary Loan Li- New Hampshire brarian, Clemson University, Clemson, South Emily Drabinski, Coordinator of Instruc- Carolina tion, Long Island University-Brooklyn, New York Stevo Roksandic, Regional Director of Katherine Furlong, University Librarian Library Services, Mount Carmel Health System, and Director, Blough-Weis Library, Susquehanna Columbus, Ohio University, Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania John C. Sandstrom, Associate Professor/ Martin J. Gomez, Vice Dean, University of Acquisitions Librarian, New Mexico State Uni- Southern California, Los Angeles versity, Las Cruces, New Mexico Peter Hepburn, Head Librarian, College of Lindsay C. Sarin, Director of Academic Pro- the Canyons, Santa Clara, California grams, College of Information Studies, University Cinthya Maria Ippoliti, Associate Dean of Maryland, College Park for Research and Learning Services, Oklahoma Karen G. Schneider, Dean, University State University Libraries, Stillwater, Oklahoma Library, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, Grace M. Jackson-Brown, Library Faculty/ California Associate Professor, Missouri State Libraries, Jessica J. Schomberg, Department Chair, Springfi eld, Missouri Media Cataloger, Minnesota State University, Susan L. Jennings, Dean of Library Services, Mankato, Mankato, Minnesota Chattanooga State Community College, Chat- Steven Escar Smith, Dean, University of tanooga, Tennessee Tennessee Libraries, Knoxville kYmberly mieshia dionne Keeton, James Kevin Teliha, Director of the Library Academic Librarian, Assistant Professor of and Learning Commons, Utica College, Utica, Library Science, Lincoln University, Jefferson New York City, Missouri Lettycia Terrones, Education Librarian, Cal- Rebekah D. Kilzer, Director of Member ifornia State University, Los Angeles, California Education, OCLC, Dublin, Ohio Julia Warga, Director for Research and Karen Anne Liston, Librarian Liaison, Instruction, Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio Modern Languages and International Programs, Erica Ann Watson, Librarian, Art Institute Wayne State University, Libraries System, Detroit, of California, San Francisco Michigan Amanda J. Wilson, Director, National Stephen L. Matthews, Librarian, Foxcroft Transportation Library, U.S. Department of School, Middleburg, Virginia Transportation, Washington, D.C.

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