ALA presidential candidates (l.-r.): Lindsay Cronk, Andrea Jamison, Maria McCauley

Voting for the American Library Association (ALA) 2026–27 presidential campaign opens March 10, and ALA members in good standing can cast their ballots through April 2. LJ invited candidates Lindsay Cronk, dean of libraries at Tulane University, New Orleans; Andrea Jamison, assistant professor of school librarianship, Illinois State University; and Maria McCauley, director of libraries, Cambridge Public Library, MA, to weigh in on some key issues.

Further information about the candidates and other items on the ballot can be found on ALA’s Election Information page.

LJ: Why have you decided to run for ALA president?

Lindsay Cronk: I’m Dean of Libraries at Tulane University, research librarian, former president of Core, ALA Counselor, and your ally in the fight for knowledge equity. With years of leadership experience in the association and beyond, I’ve built coalitions, recruited allies, and advocated loudly for library workers. Colleagues have described me as thoughtful, fearless, and a “force of nature.” I’m running because I believe in the transformative power of libraries, the safety and equity of library workers, and the importance of building a thriving, inclusive profession. I want it to be better, and you deserve that. Together, we can make ALA a stronger advocate for our profession. Let’s shape the future.

Andrea Jamison: My decision to run for ALA president is driven by my deep commitment to libraries and the vital role they play in our society. I believe ALA needs a strong, engaged leader who will collaborate with members to address the profound impact of today’s sociopolitical climate on librarians and library services. Libraries uphold the core values of our democracy, yet legislative decisions are increasingly threatening their ability to serve communities effectively. The next ALA president must take a proactive and forward-thinking approach to these challenges. I am also campaigning to stand in solidarity with school librarians. Having worked in public, school, and academic libraries, I understand the field from multiple perspectives. School librarians have been on the front lines of censorship battles, facing job loss, community backlash, and inadequate administrative support. While these challenges are now spreading to public libraries, school librarians have long endured these struggles with limited resources. It is essential that school, academic, public, and special libraries work together to support and uplift one another. My work centers on building partnerships between universities, schools, and libraries, and I want to bring that same spirit of collaboration to ALA. This is a pivotal moment for libraries. We need leadership that is ready to take decisive action, foster unity, and champion the vital work of librarians in every sector. I am ready to lead that charge.

Maria McCauley: I am running for ALA president to continue to help strengthen and advance the organization that has been so important to my own life story and career growth. Especially at this critical time for librarians and libraries, I want to give back and help ALA move forward. I was introduced to ALA as a ’99 Spectrum Scholar studying at the University of Pittsburgh, and for over 25 years I have been supported and guided by extraordinary individuals. Following their footsteps, I want to inspire the next generation of library leaders. As a Spectrum Scholar I met and was inspired by Dr. E.J. Josey, who fought for the rights of Black librarians and founded BCALA, and Dr. Mary Kay Biagini, who continues to champion school librarians. Through Spectrum and the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association I learned leadership lessons and heard from inspiring library luminaries including Satia Orange, Carla Hayden, Nancy Kranich, Carol Brey, Sandra Rios-Balderrama, Gwendolyn Prellwitz, Betty Turock, Elizabeth Martinez, Kenneth Yamashita, Tracie Hall, Loriene Roy, Camila Alire, Patty Wong, and others. Most important, I was able to form a strong network of peers, many of whom are friends, collaborators, and supporters to this day. ACRL was my first division, and I was welcomed in by a group of wonderful academic leaders. I was able to serve on an ACRL committee that worked on cultural competencies and a Spectrum travel scholarship committee chaired by Dr. Theresa Byrd. When I shifted to leading public libraries, I got involved with the Library Leadership & Management Association and the Public Library Association (PLA). Roy, Courtney Young, and Julius Jefferson helped me figure out how to pass my paper nomination form on the Council floor to get enough signatures the first time I ran for Council. And I thank Sarah Long and the late Jim Rettig who took a chance on me and invited me to serve on their Presidential Advisory committees. I ran for Executive Board and lost, and got sound advice from peers. I ran again and won a seat on the Executive Board with Tamika Barnes and Ed Garcia. Serving on the PLA Board and as president of PLA, collaborating with library people across the United States and internationally, and advocating for libraries nationally and locally have been amazing growth and giving experiences. This rich, rewarding 25-year background has motivated and prepared me for the ALA Presidency.

This is a challenging time for ALA—states have restricted ALA membership access, the organization remains in a search for an executive director, and book ban legislation hasn’t abated. How do you plan to support the association during your presidency?

MM: I will continue to advocate for libraries, building on my experience serving on ALA’s Committee on Legislation, where I helped to form the national legislative agenda, visited national and state legislators to underscore the power of libraries to transform lives, to champion pro-library information policies, and to advocate for funding. I will collaborate with the Freedom to Read Foundation, ALA groups, state associations and agencies, and others to support freedom to read legislation and to fight book bans. ALA has incredibly talented staff who are facing uncertainty and taking on these challenges, and I will make it a point to visit, listen to, learn from, and lift up team members. I am also excited to engage with, meet, and thank members and to encourage new members. An important role of the president is to run Council and to lead the Executive Board. I will be prepared to preside and facilitate the business of the association working with member leaders on Council, Executive Board, divisions, round tables and committees, chapters, affiliates, and others. I also will help to onboard the next executive director and to work closely with staff and member-leaders as we face these challenges together.

LC: I’ll bring seasoned, confident, and strategic leadership to these challenges. Most of my career has been spent in so-called “red states,” where I’ve successfully championed the freedom to read. I know when to lead with public advocacy and when to focus on strengthening local relationships—and I know how to tell the difference. I am experienced at working successfully to support state and local organizations. Showing up for colleagues takes many different forms, and statements are just one. As ALA president, I’ll prioritize coalition-building to strengthen partnerships, amplify advocacy against censorship, and develop resources to protect library workers on the frontlines. Stabilizing leadership within ALA will also be key to ensuring the Association’s long-term success. I am ready to lead, and I hope to earn your support.

AJ: I have several priorities. First, it’s going to be important for ALA to combat library “misinformation.” Librarians have been labeled as anti-American by certain interest groups. We have also been accused of attempting to indoctrinate children via the dissemination of what some people view to be “obscene” materials. Some of these narratives have, in part, contributed to social outcry against libraries and an uptick in book bans. My campaign platform is “From Information to Inspiration: Together, we can change the narrative.” We have the opportunity to strategically enhance our messaging to communities so that our patrons will better understand our commitments to intellectual freedom and equity.

Second, I’m running to advocate more broadly for pro-library legislation and protections for all library workers. I live in Illinois, where we have been successful at passing anti-censorship legislation. What we have done here has prompted me to begin working with publishers, lawyers, and library stakeholders to begin drafting language that can be used widely or modified to advocate for pro-library legislation and protections for librarians across the nation. If elected, I will partner with leaders and members through various committees, divisions, and roundtables to advance this work.

Last, I feel it’s going to be very important for ALA to support school librarians as well as those who are bearing the brunt of censorship challenges. I recently spoke to a few ALA committees about the realities of school librarians who work with administrators who do not understand the role of librarians as they relate to intellectual freedom and protecting the First Amendment rights of minor students. As president of ALA, I will propose efforts that will allow us to strategically recruit administrators as members of the organization. We can invite them to our conferences and offer them specific training around issues that will help them better understand the value of school librarians and how First Amendment rights apply within school library settings. We will benefit from this type of collaboration in many ways. For one, we can increase our membership. Second, we can create greater allyship among administrators who can help us advocate for pro-library legislation, because both libraries and schools have a vested interest.

It is imperative to ensure that we hire an executive director who understands member-driven organizations as well as the mission of libraries, and how the current sociopolitical climate will influence members. I have been part of several search committees for administrators and faculty members, so I understand the process of vetting the “right” candidate through a rigorous, multi-step selection process. I also understand the importance of providing members with opportunity to give feedback during each step of the hiring process. As a former ALA councilor, I have proactively advocated for more transparency and better channels of communication to membership regarding vetting processes for the executive director as well as our finances. I plan to work with members, ALA Executive Board, ALA Search Committee, and council to develop processes for more transparency.

What will you do as ALA president to support the long-term financial stability of the membership organization? How do you think the association can best resolve its fiscal problems?

AJ: We have to drive revenue. I mentioned earlier that in supporting school librarians we can potentially engage administrators as members of the organization and extend conference opportunities to them, which will open up another revenue stream. We will also need more transparency in budgeting practices. As a member of the ALA Executive Board, that would be my goal. My career spans over two and half decades. I have written grants, managed budgets, and have performed service audits for various organizations. I know how to ask the right questions and how to engage in difficult discussions about financial decisions that aren’t in the best interest of the organization. More importantly, I am also not afraid to oppose any financial decisions that would not be in the best interest of the organization or that members are opposed to. While on council, I was vehemently opposed to the sale of ALA’s headquarters in Chicago. I live in Chicago and was concerned that that sale would eventually place the organization in a position of long-term debt that will undoubtedly manifest in terms of costly rent.

MM: To achieve long term financial stability, the association will need to increase revenues and decrease expenses. We need to consider strategies to increase membership, roll out revenue-generating products and services, raise contributed income and sponsorship opportunities, and balance and streamline the way we do our association work. I will work closely with the new executive director and treasurer and support them as they, in turn, communicate the financials and engage with ALA’s finance team, the Finance & Audit Committee, BARC, and the Executive Board to shore up and report out our finances. Additionally, I will support the executive director by ensuring they have the information and support, as well as a sounding board, needed to evaluate alternatives and make challenging operational decisions. I will ensure that decisions are communicated clearly, with transparency, and in a timely manner, so members feel engaged and respected by leadership. I will also work closely with the Development Office to raise funds.

LC: ALA’s financial health mirrors the challenges library workers face—it’s serious, but solvable. Financial sustainability demands maximum transparency and creative problem-solving. My experience launching Core, a vibrant and resource-efficient division, has shown me how to achieve better outcomes while maintaining a strong sense of community. I have never shied from difficult conversations about ALA’s finances and bring unique expertise in addressing these challenges. As president, I’ll focus on streamlining operations, strengthening divisions, and advocating for equitable pricing models that reduce the financial burden on members. Together, we can secure ALA’s fiscal health and create a vibrant future for the profession.

Do you have any thoughts about what type of gathering might replace the Midwinter meeting/LibLearnX?

LC: While I bring ideas, co-creating events and programming with members is essential. Conversations with the ALA Conference Committee and others have sparked exciting possibilities, like collaborative events where divisions host biannual conferences in shared locations. This approach could reduce costs, encourage resource sharing, and energize member engagement by fostering cross-attendance and collaboration. We can build on popular events to create greater capacity and shared opportunities. Some of my best ideas have come from connecting with members across divisions, and I’d love to hear yours. Let’s reimagine the future together—I’d love your thoughts.

AJ: To my knowledge, ALA leaders are discussing this issue, but no official announcement has been made. Given the significance of this moment for awards committees and ALA Council members, I believe the organization will need to establish a replacement. The timing of the Midwinter Meeting/LibLearnX has been particularly beneficial for school librarians, as many are unable to attend the ALA Annual Conference due to summer break. I hope ALA moves toward a new model for Midwinter, one that is cost-effective and that can maintain strong member engagement. Whether fully virtual or restructured as a scaled-down mini-conference, such an approach could create more opportunities for year-round participation. Additionally, I believe it’s important to explore ways the association can offer ongoing, regularly scheduled town hall meetings for all members. This would enhance our collective preparedness and ensure members stay informed about the evolving challenges facing libraries today.

MM: I think it is important to find a lower cost forum for our flagship Youth Media Awards event, and I’d love to see it take place at the ALA Headquarters in Chicago or at partner libraries—I’m not sure about the parameters around this, but putting it out there!—and to work with the ODLOS, BCALA, SRRT and other organizers of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Sunrise Celebration to determine where and when it makes the most sense to host this important program. A lot of our meeting work has gone virtual and hybrid, and I can see this continuing and engaging people who couldn’t make it to conferences.

What would you like to see ALA doing over the next year to ensure its relevance to new professionals and potential members?

MM: I think that it is vital to reach and engage members personally—not just tell them about all the benefits of membership. Deepening the member experience is one of my presidential priorities. With ALA groups and other partners, I will work to develop an available-to-all peer member learning and growing journey program so that members can go through their ALA experience together. I will also work with partners to develop a library passport program to continue to attract non-library supporters to champion and visit libraries, and to build on the good work ALA is doing in this area. It will also be important to increase equity and access for diverse members, including with Spectrum scholarships, Emerging Leaders, the Merritt Fund, conference scholarships, and support for rural and small libraries and community colleges. I will work with ALA groups and the National Association of Librarians of Color to reintroduce Jim Rettig’s Scholarships for a Day and engage diverse students at conference sites in exploring libraries as a career.

LC: ALA must champion well-being and safety, equitable wages, and public support to stay relevant. These are the central priorities of my platform, which I often describe as an equity agenda. The biggest issue facing our profession is attrition—library workers are leaving, and those who remain often feel unsupported. We need to close the gap between ALA’s offerings and member engagement by aligning with the priorities of new professionals, like workplace equity and safety. By expanding leadership pathways, mentorship programs, and resources for well-being, we can attract and retain talent. With the right leadership, ALA is poised for resurgent engagement—and we need that right now.

AJ: It’s going to be important for ALA to respond to what’s happening in society. There’s a lot of legislation happening right now that we need to work through to ensure that we continue to advocate for all of our members. Censorship has targeted LGBTQIA+ communities as well as communities of color. Members from various religious groups are experiencing increases in social intolerance. Immigration laws are impacting families worldwide. If we are not showing solidarity and support to all communities, we may, unfortunately, see a decline in membership as well as a mass exodus from the organization. In 1944, librarian and activist Charlemae Hill Rollins wrote a letter to ALA about its failure to address the needs of the African American community. In that letter, she asked a very important question: Is there any reason for an African American librarian to remain a member of ALA if the organization were to continue ignoring the needs of African American librarians? We need to ask that question for each of our members, to ensure that we are doing what we can to collectively meet the needs of all library workers and the communities we serve.

What are the issues that you believe are most important to ALA members? How will your presidential priorities align with those member needs?

AJ: ALA members have diverse needs specific to their respective library disciplines. From my experience working across library settings and with library students, I’ve seen firsthand the unique challenges faced by each sector. Academic librarians need greater recognition and institutional support, similar to that of faculty. Public librarians are on the front lines of service, requiring stronger protocols to ensure their mental and physical safety, as well as support in responding to increasingly organized censorship efforts. School librarians need job protection and administrative backing to safeguard their roles and impact in education. Special libraries require increased visibility, partnership, and advocacy. All library workers deserve the same protections afforded to public sector employees and greater recognition for their contributions to education and society. Each of these areas are addressed within my presidential priorities, and while this list is not exhaustive, it underscores the importance of having an ALA president who can build consensus and forge coalitions around these critical issues. By doing so, we can strategically rebrand libraries, not just as places to access information, but as institutions that inspire learning, creativity, and the future.

MM: When talking to members, I’ve heard that some don’t see themselves in ALA. I want to ensure that everyone has opportunities to be seen, learn, grow, and participate. This feedback was the seed of the member journey cohort idea. Members have shared that they are concerned about intellectual freedom and funding, and I’ll employ the actions and strategies outlined above to address these. I know that library workers are also concerned about staying safe and healthy, and I will partner with ALA-APA and other groups to build a resilient, sustainable, and supported workforce, and offer best practices on how libraries can offer needed support. I am also excited to collaborate with divisions, committees, round tables, and others on continuing education opportunities for growth, skills development in STEM, AI, management, advocacy, etc. I am committed to ensuring that there are opportunities for library students, new members, and early and mid-career professionals to get involved, such as building opportunities for speaking, presenting, facilitating, and service on committees and work groups. My priorities—equity and inclusion, advocacy and intellectual freedom, deepening the member experience, and sustainability are closely aligned with these member concerns.

LC: Wage equity, workplace safety, and intellectual freedom are top concerns for ALA members—they are also the measures of respect and understanding for our profession. As president, I’ll align my priorities with these needs by advocating for better pay, expanding toolkits for advocacy, and ensuring divisions have the resources to support their members effectively. I’ve been described as the “real deal” because of my determination to fight for what matters. Together, we can make ALA a stronger advocate for our profession. Let’s meet this moment, get it done, and have a good time doing it.