Florida joins conservative states severing ties with national library group; Politico, October 31, 2023

 ANDREW ATTERBURY , Politico; Florida joins conservative states severing ties with national library group

"Florida is among the latest conservative-leaning states to sever connections with the nation’s oldest library organization after the nonprofit became embroiled in the ongoing culture war over what books should be available to students.

The agency in charge of Florida’s public libraries issued a new rule in October forbidding any grant activities tied to the American Library Association, a 150-year-old organization that aids thousands of libraries across the country with training and funding.

The move by the DeSantis administration puts Florida in line with a cadre of Republican states and lawmakers leveling scrutiny on ALA, labeling the group as “toxic” and a “conduit” for exposing children to pornography — claims refuted by the organization and its supporters.

Conservatives in a growing number of states, including Alabama, Wyoming, Missouri, Texas and now Florida, have severed affiliations with the ALA, in part over the group choosing a new president, Emily Drabinski, who in 2022 tweeted that she’s a “Marxist.”...

How the rule will affect local libraries is currently unclear. Libraries pay for ALA memberships that grant access to benefits such as discounts on professional development and education products."

Making Trouble That Matters; American Libraries, July 19, 2023

  Emily Drabinski , American Libraries; Making Trouble That Matters

"Library workers like us teach people to read, give queer kids a safe place, and help people apply for jobs, connect to government services, and access broadband internet from our buildings and our hotspots. We facilitate scientific breakthroughs, shape research in the humanities and social sciences, and create information access tools. We structure systematic reviews, unjam staplers, read stories to children, drive bookmobiles, show people to the bathroom, program author talks, and build open access institutional repositories.

Our work matters. This is why we do it...

While none of this is exactly new—libraries have always been sites of social and political struggle—I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling like things are as hard and as scary as they’ve ever been.

This is why we need one another, and why we need the American Library Association (ALA). We need to make trouble—good trouble, the kind of trouble that matters, the kind of trouble I became a librarian to get into—and we need to make it together."

Drabinski Wins 2023–2024 ALA Presidency; American Libraries, April 13, 2022

American Libraries; Drabinski Wins 2023–2024 ALA Presidency

"Emily Drabinski, interim chief librarian at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, has been elected 2022–2023 president-elect of the American Library Association (ALA).

Drabinski received 5,410 votes, while her opponent, Kelvin Watson, executive director of the Las Vegas–Clark County (Nev.) Library District, received 4,622 votes." 

LJ Talks to the 2023–24 ALA Presidential Candidates; Library Journal, March 15, 2022

 Lisa Peet , Library Journal; LJ Talks to the 2023–24 ALA Presidential Candidates

"Voting for the American Library Association (ALA) 2023–24 presidential campaign opened on March 14, and ALA members in good standing can cast their ballots through April 6. Results will be announced following the Election Committee’s count on April 13.

LJ invited candidates Emily Drabinski, interim chief librarian at The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY); and Kelvin Watson, executive director of the Las Vegas–Clark County Library District (LVCCLD), to weigh in on some key issues; further information can be found on ALA’s Election Information page...

LJ: Along with a lot of other frontline professions, we’re seeing a librarianship backlash lately, with people leaving in frustration, anger, and fear. What can ALA do to help combat that sense of dissatisfaction? 

KW: I see overlap in these two questions and will answer them in the following response.

At the branch level, we must first acknowledge the toll that the pandemic has taken on our staff and encourage our employees to take advantage of health and wellness resources available through employment benefits and in our communities. As a profession, we need to look at creating a library workforce of the future by better aligning training and education with the new normal in mind, and create a career path that will better serve our library workers. I believe this could include broadening our library science degrees through courses in business, technology, the sciences, social work, and public policy, to name a few, to expand our knowledge base and build advocacy from a variety of life experiences and perspectives.

ED: Solidarity with each other as we act to change our working conditions is the only way forward. Libraries and library workers are under siege, and we must connect our struggles with those of other public sector workers who, after decades of disinvestment, are asked to perform Herculean efforts on behalf of our communities. ALA must continue to use its power and voice on behalf of library workers, telling louder public stories about what those of us on the ground need to make good on our commitments to our communities."

Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Emily Drabinski; American Libraries Magazine, March 1, 2022

American Libraries Magazine; Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Emily Drabinski

Two candidates appeal to ALA members for their vote