Ballots began being distributed yesterday, Monday, March 14ᵗʰ for this year's ALA elections. Among other things, including councilors-at-large and a constitutional amendment, we will be voting for ALA president.
I urge you to vote for Kelvin Watson for the position of ALA president for the period of 2023-24. Kelvin has the experience and qualities required to be the leader of the world's oldest and largest professional library association.
He is a thoughtful and considerate librarian and administrator with a wealth of experience and is very sensitive to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility concerns. He has worked in virtually every aspect of librarianship from vendor to ALA Spectrum Scholar-the first ever such scholar to run for ALA president-to librarian to library director, beginning with Ingram Library Services, Borders, and The Library Corporation (TLC) to the USDA National Agricultural Library to COO/senior vice president for Queens Library (New York) to director of the Broward County Libraries to name just a few. Currently, Kelvin serves as executive director of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District. He is responsible for 25 branches with over 600 employees, a collection of 3.2 million items in a district that covers 8,000 square miles and oversees a budget of $77 million.
Kelvin doesn't just talk about doing things, but takes action. He has a long history of collaboration with diverse communities. For example, when I mentioned to him that the Association of Jewish Libraries, an ALA affiliate since 2010, is the only ALA ethnic caucus that has not been invited to take part in the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Observance at ALA's midwinter conference, Kelvin immediately contacted the relevant organizers to make sure that AJL will be included in this important event in the future.
Hannah Handler Hostyk, co-president of Stirling Library Friends, Broward County Library said, "He's the first director to truly understand how key a library is to a specific community in our county and has gone out of his way to include the Jewish community as a community with specific needs..."
Sari Feldman, ALA President, 2015-2016, said: "Kelvin is the ALA Presidential candidate who looks toward and speaks for the future of the Association...His organizational and entrepreneurial leadership extends beyond the library and into the community, garnering him awards and accolades for his contribution to the profession and community well-being...Kelvin is a mentor to many, an effective spokesperson on library issues, and the best candidate to lead ALA into the future. He has my highest endorsement for ALA President, and I encourage you to vote for Kelvin Watson, ALA President, 2023-2024."
Kelvin Watson is also endorsed by a number of distinguished folks in the library world including other former ALA presidents: Camila A. Alire, Jim Neal, Maureen Sullivan, and Betty Turock, as well as Sonia Alcantara-Antoine, Baltimore County Library Director; Makiba Foster, Library Regional Manager for the African American Research Library and Cultural Center, Broward County Library; Gary McCone, head of Library and Information Services, American Indian Higher Education Consortium; Ramiro S. Salazar, Director, San Antonio Public Library; John Szabo, City Librarian, Los Angeles Public Library; and many others as seen at
I will forward a message from Kelvin's campaign in a separate e-mail to this list later as this message is already quite lengthy.
Please vote for Kelvin Watson for ALA president and/or ask your friends, colleagues, and acquaintances to do the same as well as spread the word about his candidacy. Voting ends April 6ᵗʰ. I'll send out one more reminder just before that date. If you wish to discuss this election with me, please contact me off the listserv, or reach out to Kelvin off his website,
Kelvin Watson for Libraries and, if you want to, please tell him I sent you.
Best regards and wishes to all,