[OPLINLIST] News from the American Library Association - PLEASE VOTE!

Sun Apr 20 02:33:50 EDT 2014

ALA election closes April 25

For Immediate Release
Thu, 04/17/2014

Contact:
JoAnne Kempf
Director, Office of ALA Governance
Office of ALA Governance
jkempf at ala.org<mailto:jkempf at ala.org>

CHICAGO - The 2014 ALA election will close at 11:59 p.m. CDT on Friday, April 25.  If you have not yet cast your vote, please do so!  If you have "parked" your ballot (started but not yet completed), please return to complete the process.  In the event you cannot locate the email with your voting credentials, the ALA Member and Customer Service Department can help you.  Contact them at customerservice at ala.org<mailto:customerservice at ala.org>, or 1 (800) 545-2433, option 5.  Remember, in order to vote you must have been a member-in-good-standing of ALA and your divisions and round tables by Jan. 31, 2014.  If you joined or renewed your membership after that date, you are ineligible to vote in the 2014 elections.

Voting turnout this year is lagging significantly behind last year thus far.  As of Tuesday, April 15, approximately 14.27 percent, of the eligible voters had submitted their ballots.  This compares with 16.98 percent at the same time in 2013.  Total voter turnout in 2013 was 21.4 percent, so let's try to meet or beat that number!

ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels reminds members that "Voting is one of the most important things you can do as a member of the American Library Association. This is because the officers you elect will make a real difference.

"The President of the Association will serve as the public voice of the Association, of libraries of all types and all across the nation, and of American libraries around the world. The president represents us as members and the library users we serve, doing hundreds of media interviews and speaking with dozens of groups each year.

"The 186 Councilors are responsible for setting the broad policies that shape our Association's public positions and direction. Whether we're talking about intellectual freedom, the privatization of libraries or e-books, Councilors weigh all of the factors and make sure that the Association takes stands that are important to libraries and to the public we serve.

"All of these elected officers represent you and your interests. The good news-You get to pick them! So your vote is very, very important."

The ALA Election Committee will meet at ALA Headquarters on Friday, May 2 to certify the election results.  The results will be publicly announced that afternoon.  All newly-elected officers will be seated at the close of the 2014 Annual Conference in Las Vegas.

Information about the ALA election and the candidates can be found in "Your Guide to the 2014 Elections." The guide is available as a flipbook<http://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/files/content/governance/alaelection/2014/Elections%20Guide%202014.swf> or in PDF<http://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/files/content/governance/alaelection/2014/Elections%20Guide%202014.pdf> format.  This, as well as other information about ALA elections can be found on the Election Page<http://www.ala.org/aboutala/governance/alaelection> on the ALA website.  A special "pod" and feature slide on the ALA homepage<http://www.ala.org/> will also take you directly to election information.

Pamela J. Hickson-Stevenson, Ohio Chapter Councilor to ALA and
Deputy Director
Akron-Summit County Public Library
60 S. High Street
Akron, OH   44326

(v) 330-643-9102
(f ) 330-643-9160
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Visit us on the Web at http://www.akronlibrary.org<http://www.akronlibrary.org/>
or on our Mobile Site at http://m.akronlibrary.org<http://m.akronlibrary.org/>

The Akron-Summit County Public Library provides resources for learning and leisure, information services, meeting spaces, and programs for all ages that support, improve, and enrich individual, family, and community life.

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