[Libs-Or] ALA Midwinter Meeting 2010: Candidates for President, Treasurer Speak Out

[Diedre Conkling]

 It is nice that we all have a chance to see the ALA President and Treasurer
forum now, even if not able to be there live.   ALA Midwinter Meeting 2010:
Candidates for President, Treasurer Speak Out
  Submitted by Leonard
Kniffel<http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/users/leonard-kniffel>on
Sun, 01/17/2010 - 02:37

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ALA immediate past president Jim Rettig emceed an ALA Midwinter Meeting
forum featuring the candidates who will be vying for the American Library
Association president and treasurer posts in the forthcoming
spring election.
Presidential candidate Molly Raphael opened with a statement about the
“extraordinary times,” in which we live, with libraries experiencing
shrinking budgets and soaring use. She promised “innovative thinking and
solutions” if elected and called for a sea change in the public view of
libraries, “from nice to have to essential for learning, essential for
life.” Advocacy, diversity, and fundamental values would be central to her
presidency, she said. Raphael said it was important for ALA to encourage
library constituents to tell their stories about the “transformative power
of libraries.”

Presidential candidate Sara Kelly Johns called for change, innovation, and
activism, saying she is ready to lead. Envisioning an ALA with an
increasingly involved membership, she noted that the Association needs
to make a difference not only for libraries and their employees but for the
people who use them, helping libraries become “thriving, exciting, and
indispensible places for learning.” Johns also stressed literary as central
to dealing with the “astronomical changes” happening in the world.

Treasurer candidate Alan Kornblau said he views the post as a challenge,
when membership and revenue are both down and assets are shrinking. But the
stock market is rebounding, he said, emphasizing that ALA nevertheless needs
“new revenue streams.” We need to be aggressive and creative, he said, in
the areas of publishing, continuing education, and the recruitment
of members. Kornblau said that he was a “newcomer to the  election process
and that’s good.”

Treasurer candidate James Neal emphasized, on the other hand, that his
experience qualifies him for the position. He said that the Association’s
“budget infrastructure must translate into service.” He called the national
financial crisis a challenge but also a “period of remarkable opportunity,”
requiring ”integerty, openness, innovation, and leadership.” Neal said
the health of ALA must translate into benefits to society. The traditional
sources of revenue—membership, conferences, publishing, complemented by
investments and grants and fundraising—must lead to new programs, products,
services, and markets.

At the end of the forum, the candidates fielded questions from the audience.
What were the concerns of the ALA members present? One asked about the role
of chapters. Another about the future of the ALA Allied Professional
Association. A student member asked about how the Association would support
student members tryng to enter the work force.

Some 150 people attended the forum. Presidential candidate are running for
the 2011-2012 ALA presidency. The winner of the treasurer race will serve a
three-year term, 2011-2014. Watch video of the forum at American Libraries
Focus <http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/al_focus>.


http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/insidescoop/ala-midwinter-meeting-2010-candidates-president-treasurer-speak-out


-- 
Diedre Conkling
Lincoln County Library District
P.O. Box 2027
Newport, OR  97365
Work phone & fax:  541-265-3066
Work email:  diedre at beachbooks.org
Home email:  diedre08 at gmail.com
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