Dear Friends and Colleagues, This is the reminder that I said last month I would send out close to the conclusion of voting in the ALA election. For those who are current ALA members, please note that the election for president-elect, 2022-23/president, 2023-24, treasurer, council members at-large, and a constitutional amendment is nearly over. If you haven't yet voted, please do so ASAP. *Voting ends tomorrow, Wednesday, April 6ᵗʰ at** 11:59 AM Pacific Time (2:59 PM Eastern/1:59 PM Central/12:59 PM Mountain). *
I again urge you to vote for Kelvin Watson for the position of ALA president for the period of 2023-24. Kelvin has the experience, qualifications, and qualities required to be the leader of the world's oldest and largest professional library association. He is a thoughtful, considerate librarian, a great listener, and outstanding administrator with a wealth of experience who is very sensitive to Jewish concerns. He has worked in virtually every aspect of librarianship and bibliographic fields from vendor to ALA Spectrum Scholar (the first to ever run for ALA president) 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 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 $77 million. Among others, Kelvin Watson has been endorsed by these ALA Affiliates: the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) and the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA): BCALA Endorses Kelvin Watson <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61a92a2bca21524c87df099d/t/62041a94c326a24e50cbb26b/1644436116443/BCALA*Press*Release*Kelvin*Watson.pdf__;KysrKw!!KGKeukY!mjcPzsYXLFDEfTLZUIi7Jyk8a_5-5HIL6BH1Usbl1q41lB-l5PnkJQ9JBXtPpASoeeJewzDZRknJYsg$ > and CALA Endorses Kelvin Watson <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61a92a2bca21524c87df099d/t/621e581a8a020424868d09a3/1646155802718/CALA*Press*Release*for*Kelvin*Watson.pdf__;KysrKys!!KGKeukY!mjcPzsYXLFDEfTLZUIi7Jyk8a_5-5HIL6BH1Usbl1q41lB-l5PnkJQ9JBXtPpASoeeJewzDZ4U60jVA$ > Kelvin doesn't just talk about doing things, but takes action. He has a long history of collaboration with diverse communities, including the Jewish users of the library systems he has administered. Just one example: when I mentioned to him that AJL has not been part of the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Observance at ALA's midwinter conference and was the only ALA ethnic affiliate that has been excluded from this event, he immediately contacted the relevant organizers to make sure that AJL will be included in this noteworthy observance in the future. Please also *vote for Jim Neal for ALA Council* (please see just below) Kelvin Watson is endorsed by these past ALA presidents: *Jim Neal* (also running this year for an open ALA Councilor-at-large position), *Sari Feldman,* ALA President 2015-2016 (like Jim Neal, a past keynote speaker at ALA Conference); *Maureen Sullivan, *President of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) 1998-1999 & ALA President 2012-2013; *Dr. Camila A. Alire,* ALA President 2009-2010 & ACRL President 2004-2005; *Betty Turock,* Ph.D., Past ALA President, Named ALA Honorary Member (2012), highest honor in ALA; as well as these other prominent figures from a variety of diverse positions in the library world: *Leah Dunn,* Director of Collection Strategies, Columbia University Libraries; *Susan Hildreth,* ALA Treasurer 2016–2019; *Gary McCone,* Head of Library and Information Services, American Indian Higher Education Consortium; *Therese Bigelow,* Member Coretta Scott King Committee, past president of ALSC [Association for Library Service to Children], and the first president of RMRT [Retired Members Round Table]; *Makiba Foster,* Library Regional Manager for the African American Research Library and Cultural Center, Broward County Library; *Hannah Handler Hostyk,* Co-President Stirling Library Friends, Broward County Library; *John Szabo,* City Librarian, Los Angeles Public Library; *Emmanuel Faulkner,* Past President of Maryland Association of School Libraries; *Jon E. Cawthorne, *Ph.D., Dean, Wayne State University Libraries, includes School of Information Sciences, ACRL President, 2020-2021, Co-Founder, ACRL Diversity Alliance; *Kay K. Runge,* PLA President 2000-2001; *Luis Herrera,* Past President, REFORMA, PLA, among others. Endorsements — Kelvin Watson for Libraries <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://kelvinwatsonorg.squarespace.com/endorsements__;!!KGKeukY!mjcPzsYXLFDEfTLZUIi7Jyk8a_5-5HIL6BH1Usbl1q41lB-l5PnkJQ9JBXtPpASoeeJewzDZr1iVUbg$ > Sari Feldman 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.” More at Kelvin Watson for Libraries <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://kelvinwatsonorg.squarespace.com/__;!!KGKeukY!mjcPzsYXLFDEfTLZUIi7Jyk8a_5-5HIL6BH1Usbl1q41lB-l5PnkJQ9JBXtPpASoeeJewzDZriK9WL4$ > and if you missed the AJL interview with Kelvin, here's the link: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://youtu.be/CYy9PCzGYO0__;!!KGKeukY!mjcPzsYXLFDEfTLZUIi7Jyk8a_5-5HIL6BH1Usbl1q41lB-l5PnkJQ9JBXtPpASoeeJewzDZ6w5-NO0$ <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://youtu.be/CYy9PCzGYO0?fbclid=IwAR1otRugIemUX_kC1vL7Epph5H2FQpOUj_9hROVjeF-cX0rpj7lTSNaZ__4__;!!KGKeukY!mjcPzsYXLFDEfTLZUIi7Jyk8a_5-5HIL6BH1Usbl1q41lB-l5PnkJQ9JBXtPpASoeeJewzDZJWiKt3s$ > And, while unfortunately, negative campaigning in any election seems to be more effective than detailing the positive attributes of the candidate one supports, there are some very compelling reasons to not only vote for Kelvin Watson, but what makes it more urgent is that his opponent, Emily Drabinski, is virulently anti-Israel and a supporter of not only BDS, but of academic and cultural boycotts of Israeli scholars. In January, I sent out details of her troubling stands and singling out of Israel for embargos and rebuke. She is definitely not a viable candidate for ALA president as a result of her extremist bias alone. And, if you aren't sure whom to vote for for ALA Councilor, I also ask you to make sure to *not* vote for the following 13 candidates, all of whom are on record as endorsing Emily Drabinski and all running for Council: Here are the candidates to *not* select in the order that they're listed on the ballot: Chulin Meng Eric Gomez Erin Berman Ryan Mcginnis Martha M. Hutzel kalan Knudson Davis John Clexton Kenny Garcia Valerie Tagoe Victoria R. Kowanetz Jenn Hooker Edwin Rodarte Amy Dye-Reeves But, please *do vote for Jim Neal for ALA Council.* and, of course, *Kelvin Watson for President.* And to end this lengthy campaign speech on an upbeat note: *Besides all his great qualities, Kelvin Watson is truly a mentsh!* Thanks for listening, and please vote: time is running very short! Best to everyone, Elliot *Elliot H. Gertel* *עלע־הערש גערטל / אליהו־צבי גרטל* *Irving M. Hermelin Curator Emeritus of Judaica* *Member, ALA EMIERT Jewish Information Committee (2020-2022)* *AJL-ALA Liaison, 2008-2020* *The University of Michigan* *Ann Arbor, Michigan* *eger...@umich.edu* <eger...@umich.edu> The above statement is not an official endorsement from the University of Michigan, but are entirely my own views. -EHG
__ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) ================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: hasaf...@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.osu.edu https://lists.osu.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
