Voting for the American Library Association (ALA) 2027–28 presidential campaign opens March 9, and ALA members in good standing can cast their ballots through April 1. LJ invited candidates Tamika Barnes, Associate Dean for Perimeter Library Services at Georgia State University, Atlanta, and President of the Georgia Library Association; and Becky Calzada, District Library Coordinator for the Leander Independent School District, TX, and a cofounding member of Texas #FReadom Fighters, to discuss some key issues they see facing the association and librarianship.

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?

Tamika Barnes: I am running for ALA president because this is a defining moment for the association and for the profession. Libraries are navigating sustained policy pressure, rapid technological transformation, and shifting public expectations, while remaining among the most trusted institutions in our communities. ALA must be positioned to lead confidently in this environment, and I have the commitment to the association and profession, background, skills, and experience to do it.

Through national leadership service, academic library leadership, and my current role as President of the Georgia Library Association, I have seen how critical it is for professional associations to align governance, advocacy, and member value to remain credible and effective. National leadership experiences, including participation in the UCLA Library Senior Fellows program, reinforced for me the importance of strategic clarity and long-term institutional thinking.

I am running to help ensure ALA remains a strong national advocate, a trusted professional home for members across all sectors and career stages, and a sustainable organization prepared for the future of the profession.

Becky Calzada: When I reflect on my personal and professional leadership journey, the most rewarding aspects for me have come from serving. Whether it was serving on a local education foundation, the Texas Library Association, AASL [American Association of School Librarians], or ALA, the opportunity to lend my skills in moving these organizations towards their goals has been very fulfilling.

Serving offers the opportunity to leverage those leadership experiences, connect with stakeholders, work with the executive board on the implementation of the ALA strategic plan, and contribute all I have learned into the ALA system that has poured into me.

This continues to be a challenging time for the association and for the libraries it serves, with states restricting ALA membership access and libraries declining to include the Library Bill of Rights in their policies. How do you plan to support ALA during your presidency?

BC: I have much experience in navigating this very thing. Texas has been experiencing this very situation, and I have found that coalition-building has been the most effective in addressing the disinformation that is being shared. Library workers can’t be the only ones having this conversation. We must find partner organizations and library users to support us to counter the conversation and share current or potential impacts of these state actions. We must also advocate on behalf of those impacted by these decisions and find ways to support our members so that they continue to have the support of their professional association.

TB: Supporting ALA during this period requires disciplined advocacy strategy, coordinated messaging, and strong alignment across ALA’s divisions, affiliates, and member communities. ALA’s strength is its collective expertise. As president, I would prioritize strengthening coordination between national advocacy priorities, divisional subject expertise, and state-level realities. Policy environments vary significantly across the country, and effective national advocacy must be informed by those realities.

Effective advocacy also requires cultural competency and community-informed strategy. Ethnic caucuses and affiliate partners provide essential insight into how policy decisions affect communities differently. Ensuring those perspectives are integrated into advocacy strategy strengthens both policy outcomes and public trust. ALA must continue to clearly articulate its core commitments to intellectual freedom, equitable access, and professional integrity, while providing practical support to library workers navigating complex and often rapidly changing policy environments.

How will you support ALA’s long-term financial stability? How can ALA best resolve its fiscal problems?

TB: Financial stability requires disciplined prioritization, transparent decision-making, and sustained focus on diversified revenue and membership value. My experience being a member and then chairing the Budget and Review Committee reinforced the importance of aligning financial planning with strategic priorities. Fiscal sustainability cannot be achieved through short-term measures alone; it requires long-term planning, realistic forecasting, and continuous evaluation of programs and services.

ALA must continue to diversify revenue streams, strengthen strategic partnerships, and clearly communicate the tangible value of membership. At the same time, financial transparency is essential to maintaining member trust and organizational credibility. Members support organizations that they trust to make strategic and mission-aligned decisions. There is no single solution; resolving fiscal challenges will require shared responsibility from myself as your president, governance, staff leadership and membership.

BC: I support ALA Forward, but I will always reflect and consider immediate impacts that directly impact members. Membership is important but it isn’t the perfect solution. ALA must be a member-informed association as we navigate these financial challenges, or our members will not renew.

In terms of solutions, scrutinizing budget expenses, considering program opportunities for Round Tables and Divisions to potentially collaborate, and leveraging the incredible expertise and talent within our association are some ideas I have. I also believe spending time talking through issues or concerns can also provide insights on financial aspects that may not have been considered. Those may be hard conversations, but they can also be opportunities.

How do you see the role of president working to support Executive Director Dan Montgomery and/or the revamped Office of Intellectual Freedom (OIF)?

BC: I already have strong relationships with the incredible team at OIF and Dan Montgomery, our new ALA Executive Director. The role of ALA President will allow me to deepen those connections to leverage their expertise in support of ALA priorities and needs.

The role of ALA President is to represent the association; with any advocacy opportunity that rises to the top, I will turn to experts within our association members and staff and lend my media expertise in being a strong and steady voice and representative for ALA.

TB: The president plays a critical role in supporting the Executive Director by reinforcing strategic alignment, strengthening member confidence, and helping communicate organizational priorities clearly and consistently. As ALA welcomes new Executive Director Dan Montgomery, I see the president’s role as a collaborative partner—supporting his leadership by helping connect strategic vision to member priorities, reinforcing trust across the organization, and ensuring members understand how decisions support ALA’s mission and long-term sustainability. Leadership transitions are important moments for organizational clarity and stability, and the president can help reinforce that continuity.

In relation to the Office of Intellectual Freedom, I see the president’s role as helping ensure intellectual freedom remains central to ALA’s identity and strategic work. The Office of Intellectual Freedom is foundational to ALA’s mission and national voice. As president, I would work to ensure intellectual freedom priorities are fully integrated across advocacy, communications, professional development, and public messaging.

Supporting both the Executive Director and the Office of Intellectual Freedom also means reinforcing that intellectual freedom is not isolated work—it is core to ALA’s advocacy, policy engagement, and public leadership. The president can help elevate this work publicly, strengthen alignment across the association, and help ensure library workers have the support and resources they need to respond to challenges in their communities.

What should ALA do to remain relevant to new professionals and potential members?

TB: ALA must clearly demonstrate value across the full professional lifecycle while also making membership relevant and accessible to those who have not historically seen ALA as essential to their professional success. For new professionals, relevance begins with clear career pathways, mentorship, leadership development opportunities, and accessible professional development that reflects the realities of a rapidly changing information and policy landscape. New professionals want organizations that help them build skills, navigate complexity, and build sustainable careers in librarianship.

For potential members, relevance often comes down to visibility, clarity of value, and accessibility. Many potential members—including mid-career professionals, library support staff, professionals working in adjacent fields, and former members—may not clearly see how ALA connects to their daily work or professional advancement. ALA must communicate more clearly how its advocacy, policy work, professional development, and leadership opportunities directly support professional success and institutional impact.

Long-term relevance will depend on demonstrating impact, improving communication about member value, and creating multiple entry points for engagement that reflect the diversity of roles, career stages, and professional identities within and adjacent to librarianship.

BC: New professionals are potential members for ALA, so I view those interactions as potential opportunities. I believe there may be assumptions on the ability of new members navigating ALA processes and navigating the greater ALA system.

It is my hope that ALA considers a more personalized and differentiated approach in providing foundational understanding of our unique system so that our association can grow their professional capacity to serve future members of ALA.

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

BC: The issues most important to ALA members include the continued intellectual freedom impacts that for many have moved to the legislative level. There are also “gotcha-climate” issues in our academic institutions where students are recording lectures and misrepresenting the intentions of professionals that heighten stress and create fear. There’s also the immediate impact of library workers navigating AI within their spaces and working in real-time in learning how to navigate and support others.

There are many members within that are navigating these areas, so learning, amplifying and leaning on their expertise is a way to help all via professional learning opportunities or professional journals that others can sign up to take or library workers outside ALA can pay and subscribe to. Seeking revenue sources outside of membership dues must be considered.

TB: From discussions with colleagues, conversations with past presidents, and virtual listening sessions (that included members and non-members), several consistent themes emerged: transparent communication, strong advocacy, intellectual freedom support, professional development, leadership opportunities, and clear membership value. My priorities align directly with those needs. I am focused on strengthening advocacy coordination, expanding inclusive leadership and professional development pathways, reinforcing equity, access, and intellectual freedom, and improving organizational transparency and communication.

Members want to understand how ALA decisions are made, how resources are used, and how their membership supports their work. Addressing those needs is central to my leadership approach, and I ask for your vote so that I can begin the work to make this happen for you.