I hope you are as impressed as I am with the amazing volunteers who are standing for election in the upcoming ALA/AASL election. Each of these member leaders has been asked to serve in specific roles because of their skills, abilities, and commitment to AASL and to school librarianship. Every candidate has pledged that, if elected, they will carve time out of their lives to carry the work of AASL and ALA forward. I thank them for their commitment, and I’m excited about casting my vote as a show of support.

The act of voting is a volunteer contribution to the life of your community. Think of it! It takes time to read the candidate bios and statements, view their videos, and consider their qualifications. Nobody makes anyone vote; it is a volunteer act that shows one’s commitment to his or her community. As you learn about the candidates, I hope you will be inspired by their commitment to our profession and to the learners and educators we serve.

Prepare for the ALA Election

Because AASL is a division of ALA, we get to vote for ALA President-Elect and ALA Councilors. Each member may vote for up to 34 candidates for ALA Council, but it is not necessary to cast that many votes. As a school librarian, I want to use my votes to make sure the interests of youth are represented in ALA Council, so I will be sure to vote for AASL members and school and youth services librarians.

To prepare for the ALA election, consider the following action steps:

1. Go to AASL’s election page. This page lists all the candidates for AASL offices. At the bottom of the page is a link to AASL Candidates for ALA Offices and ALA Council. These AASL members are stepping up to represent school librarians in the larger ALA arena.
2. Bookmark ALA’s election page. This page includes information about the ALA presidential candidates Steven Yates and Patty Wong, the seventy or so candidates for ALA Council, and general information about the election.
3. Learn about the ALA presidential candidates.
   • Watch the recording of the ALA Presidential Candidates’ Forum.
   • Read about Yates and Wong on their webpages.
4. Learn about the councilor-at-large candidates. Check out this spreadsheet of biographical information compiled by ALA. It provides headings for members to find different candidate attributes (e.g., type of library, division membership, etc.). Filter to get a list of school librarians, AASL members, or other attributes.
5. Bonus! Read the “Guide to the 2020 Elections” to learn what council has done over the last several years and how each of the past four ALA presidents have shaped the direction of ALA.

Prepare for the AASL Election

This year, AASL members are voting for a president-elect, a secretary/treasurer, three at-large directors, a chapter representative to the board, and section chairs-elect and secretaries. To prepare for the AASL election:

1. Bookmark the Knowledge Quest blog post series “Meet the 2020 AASL Candidates.”
2. Read the candidates’ statements and view their short videos.
3. Choose whom you will support.

Vote!

Voting begins on Monday, March 9, and closes on Wednesday, April 1, at 11:59 p.m. Central time. During March 9–11, members who are eligible to vote will receive a unique URL and information about how to vote.

Take this opportunity to stand with your 20+ school library colleagues who are standing for election to AASL and ALA offices.

Author: Mary Keeling

Categories: Association News, Community, News, Presidential Musings