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.