New Faces at the American Library Association
ALA elects president and heads of youth divisions; appoints new executive director
Staff -- School Library Journal, 6/1/2002
Members are about to see a slew of new faces at the helm of the American Library Association (ALA). Carla Hayden, executive director of the Enoch Pratt Free Library of Baltimore, was voted president-elect, beating opponent Katina Strauck, head of collection development at the College of Charleston libraries. The vote count, announced May 2, was 6,104 for Hayden and 4,019 for Strauck.
Meanwhile, Keith Michael Fiels, director of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, was appointed ALA's executive director, effective July 1.
Fiels, an ALA member since 1976, has more than 15 years of senior administrative library experience and has worked in public and school libraries. William R. Gordon, ALA's retiring executive director, will assist in the transition through August. Fiels will be introduced at ALA's annual conference in Atlanta, June 13–19.
The association has also elected the following new officers for its youth divisions:
AASL Vice-President/President-Elect: Frances R. Roscello, a school library media services associate for the New York State Education Department, received 697 votes, beating Betty Marcoux, an associate professor at the School of Information Resources and Library Science at the University of Arizona, who had 587 votes.
ALSC Vice-President/President-Elect: Cynthia K. Richey, director of the Mount Lebanon (PA) Public Library, received 491 votes, beating Kathleen Simonetta, head of youth services at Indian Trails (IL) Public Library, who tallied 246 votes.
YALSA Vice-President/President-Elect: Audra Caplan, associate director of the Harford County (MD) Public Library, received 357 votes, beating Betty Acerra, branch manager of the Brighton Beach Branch of the Brooklyn (NY) Public Library, who had 200 votes. For more election results, visit www.ala.org/execoff/candidates.
