ALA Cognotes May 2019 Preview - 7

COGNOTES

ALAANNUAL.ORG/MOBILE-APP|#ALAAC19

MAY PREVIEW

ALA Executive Director Opportunity
Libraries are an iconic feature of American life. In study after study, libraries are
ranked among the public's most trusted
sources of information. They have introduced users to the joy of learning and the
magic of books; have offered a safe and
productive haven for study, research and
reflection, and have transformed users' lives
through educational programs and community resources. Not only have America's
libraries changed the lives of many of their
users, they themselves have transformed as
societal needs, technology, and other forces
in the economy have dramatically reshaped
their role and nature. Libraries of all types
have adapted to the digital age and are
committed to meeting the evolving needs
of their communities.
In July 2017, Executive Director, Keith
Michael Fiels, retired after serving the

American Library Association (ALA) for 15
years. His tenure was marked by important
developments in the field and the association. Mary Ghikas, formerly senior associate executive director, is now serving as the
Executive Director. Mary will serve as the
Executive Director through ALA's midwinter
meeting, in January 2020. Upon the start of
a new executive director, Mary will become
the Deputy Executive Director and she will
work to support the orientation and transition of the new executive director through
ALA's annual conference in June 2020.
ALA seeks a dynamic, innovative, entrepreneurial, and experienced leader as its next
executive director. Founded in1876, ALA is
the world's oldest and largest library association and promotes the work of libraries and
the value of professional library and information science education. It advocates for issues

and values that are important to the field and
to a free and open information society. ALA
achieves these goals through its programs,
publications, conferences, professional development and outreach work. The Association,
headquartered in Chicago, Ill. represents over
58,000 members, has a staff of 260, and an
annual budget of $52 million. The ALA also
has an office in Washington DC.
The position of executive director of
the American Library Association offers an
extraordinary and exciting opportunity to
champion, represent, and support one of
the most trusted and valuable institutions
in American society. The next Executive Director will be able to leverage the
organization's strong reputation and the
passion and dedication of the Association's
members, staff and elected leaders to build
even stronger support for libraries, those

who work in them, and the millions of users
who benefit from them.
ALA will offer a competitive salary based
on experience. ALA offers a comprehensive
and valuable benefits package that includes
generous paid vacation and retirement annuity.
ALA has engaged Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist with
this important search. On June 22 and 23,
consultants from Isaacson, Miller will be
at our Annual Conference & Exposition
and available to meet, in confidence, with
interested parties, to discuss this opportunity. To contact them, please email Marc
St. Hilaire (msthilaire@IMSearch.com)
or Pamela Pezzoli (ppezzoli@IMSearch.
com). For additional information about
this opportunity, please visit https://www.
imsearch.com/search-detail/S6-883

Public Policy

sociation of School Librarians, Association of
College & Research Libraries, Public Library
Association and United For Libraries. Find out
why this initiative is necessary for the library
community, meet members of the ALA Policy
Corps and learn how you can become involved
in a session on Monday, June 24 from 10:30
- 11:30 a.m.

makerspace. The Nation of Makers has been
bringing together maker organizations in rural
America to build equity of access through
innovative partnerships and programs. Learn
more about developing a maker community
and a sustainable curriculum in rural and
small libraries at this panel session on Sunday,
June 23 from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m., cosponsored
with LITA and ARSL.
Get hands-on with Libraries
#Ready to Code
For more than a year (2017-2018), 30
Libraries Ready to Code libraries curated
resources, developed content and piloted strat-

egies for coding and computational thinking
(CT) activities that are grounded in research,
aligned with library core values and support
broadening participation. As the Libraries
Ready to Code program closes, task force
members from AASL, ALSC, and YALSA
will host two hands-on forums to share their
final work and recommendations. Participants
will explore Ready to Code resources, connect
with library staff that have incorporated CT
into their programs and try out activities.
The #ReadytoCode Hands-on Open Forum
Meeting will be offered twice: Saturday, June
22 from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. and Sunday, June
23 from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Hayden
& Klinenberg

Alone, Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster
in Chicago, and Fighting for Air: The Battle
to Control America's Media. In addition to
his scholarship, Klinenberg has contributed to The New Yorker, the New York Times
Magazine, Rolling Stone, the London Review
of Books, Wired, and This American Life.
Dr. Hayden will host an ongoing series of
discussions at ALA conferences with principals in the library field, thought-leaders, and
icons. Past guests have included former First
Lady Michelle Obama and 10th Archivist of
the United States David S. Ferriero.
Get details and add to your schedule
now.

» from page 4

localities (including grants to state libraries),
and essential demographic data that can be
used to target services.
The 2020 Census also presents an opportunity to increase public awareness and use of
Census data. On Sunday, June 23 from 9:00
- 10:00 a.m., a panel of national experts will
discuss the implications of the 2020 Census
and how libraries can help ensure a complete
and inclusive count. Attendees will gain practical strategies for engaging diverse residents and
community partners in the 2020 Census, as
well as resources for advocating with government decisionmakers about the vital roles of
libraries in this essential civic effort. Speakers
include: San Antonio Public Library Director and PLA President-elect Ramiro Salazar;
U.S. Census Bureau Assistant Director for
Communications Burton Reist; The Annie E.
Casey Foundation Senior Research Associate
Flo Gutierrez; and Montana State Librarian
Jennie Stapp.
173 Days of Congress: An Examination
In the first six months of the 116th Congress, policies impacting a wide range of libraries priorities are front and center. Whether
its net neutrality, federal funding, copyright,
access to information and broadband, or
education policy, libraries are on the minds
of Congress. As the new Congress approaches
its 200th day, what can we ascertain about its
performance? How are library priorities faring
in the divided Congress? Come hear from
ALA's Washington "insiders" and other policy
experts about the library agenda in Congress,
how were doing and where we're headed.
The Who, What, and Why
of ALA's Policy Corps
Net neutrality. Copyright and licensing. Privacy and cybersecurity. Access to government
information. School libraries. These issues are
critical to the library profession and involve
specialized knowledge. How can the library
field make progress on these policy issues? And
who will make this progress? One path forward
is the ALA Policy Corps, an initiative now in its
second year, and coordinated by ALA's Public
Policy and Advocacy Unit, with funding and
guidance from four partners: American As-

Make, Prototype, Patent, Manufacture:
The Full Cycle of Inventing in Library
Makerspaces
Patenting an invention and trademarking
a product name can be challenging. But did
you know that there are Patent and Trademark
Resource Centers (PTRC) in libraries across
the U.S.? PTRC library staff are information
experts trained on how to use search tools to
access patent and trademark information.
Learn how these PTRC offices are collaborating with makerspaces and creating a pipeline
between making and manufacturing. On
Sunday, June 23 from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. a
panel, cosponsored with PLA and LITA, will
feature staff from the U.S. Patent and Trademark and the Nation of Makers as well as a
PTRC librarian.
Rural Libraries
and Makerspaces
Small and rural libraries have unique
constraints when it comes to planning a

» from page 5

of my favorite books of 2018," and exclaimed
that "Klinenberg is echoing what librarians
and library patrons have been saying for
years: that libraries are equalizers and absolutely universal."
Klinenberg is also the coauthor, with
Aziz Ansari, of the #1 New York Times bestseller Modern Romance, and author of the
acclaimed books Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living

Public Libraries: America's Digital Community Centers
Libraries have long been
America's go-to gathering
place for learning - and
now more than ever, people
turn to their local library
as a resource to grow their
career or business. Grow
with Google is teaming up
with the American Library
Association to offer free
digital skills workshops for
job seekers and small businesses in all 50 states. Public
libraries: America's digital
community centers - sponsored by Google.

ALA Cognotes May 2019 Preview

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ALA Cognotes May 2019 Preview