Nina Lindsay: 2016-17 ALSC Vice President/President Elect Candidate

In an effort to help ALSC members make an informed decision before they vote, the blog posts today and tomorrow consist of interviews with the candidates for 2016-17 ALSC Vice President/President-Elect, Nina Lindsay and Ernie Cox. Each candidate was given ten questions and submitted written answers.

Today’s interview is with Nina Lindsay:

1. What do you consider the most important role of the ALSC President?

The ALSC President must lead an organization that is responsive to membership, that works  effectively–both boldly and with care–toward its common vision, and acts in a forward-thinking manner to communicate our core values and advocate for library service to children.

2. What skills & strengths would you bring to the office?

As a manager of children’s services for a 17-location urban library system, I have the ability to lead a collaborative team of professionals in delivering coordinated but autonomous services that further collective goals, and to advocate effectively for the needs and rights of children and their caregivers at the policy level.  I am a creative thinker, and value transparency, inquiry, and input from all perspectives, in service of effective decision-making.

I bring over 20 years of experience working in ALSC and 25 in public libraries, including shelving, cataloging, front line work and management.  As a white woman, I bring an understanding that ALSC cannot fully achieve its envisioned future until we better diversify our profession, and I have a demonstrated commitment to working towards this.

3. What area of library service to children is your favorite?

In my early career, my favorite part was what first drew me to it: the individual customer service interactions with children. The library is often the first place a child can be themselves, on their own terms, so we hold enormous responsibility in the environments we cultivate for them, and the way we approach them. I’ve always appreciated coming to children as people first, and treasure each exchange, no matter how seemingly trivial.

Now, as a manager who rarely works the floor, I have to find my daily satisfaction elsewhere.  Happily, I delight in serving a staff diverse in ideas and approaches, but unified in a collaborative spirit.  I’m driven to advocate on their behalf as well as for the community we serve, and am inspired by colleagues who teach me so much about the work they do.  And, when I am having a hard day, I have the luxury of stepping outside my office and knowing I’ll be able to help someone with directions to the bathroom.

4. Why should someone choose to join ALSC? What services do you feel ALSC provides that are valuable to new members? To long-term members?

ALSC is a rich environment for new librarians to develop careers, and for long-term members to keep their knowledge-base current.  The networking and leadership opportunities both online and in person are uniquely valuable. Members joining ALSC for the first time, or renewing each year, can also feel pride in supporting the member organization that advocates for the best in children’s literature and libraries resources, nationwide.

5. What are your ideas for reaching and involving members? What are your ideas to recruit new members?

I would like to provide members with a more transparent process for getting involved in committee work, and continue to build on our virtual networks where some of our best work now occurs. Division membership is expensive, and early-career professionals must often pick and choose.  If they can afford to join ALSC but not attend conference, we should be able to deliver high-level networking and leadership options in a completely online environment.

I am particularly interested in diversifying our membership, especially at the leadership level. As a profession, our collective knowledge and practices must include more diverse perspectives and experiences in order to fulfill ALSC’s vision to prove libraries “vital” to all communities.  I hope to leverage and develop relationships with our partner divisions and caucuses to provide pathways for participation in ALSC that deliver value both to members and to the organizations.  An example of this is the recent pilot in which the CSK Committee funded a seat at the Bill Morris Seminar for a CSK Committee/ALSC member. I hope to expand on this pilot in my term if elected.

6. How has ALSC membership impacted your life?  How has your membership in ALSC impacted library service to children?

ALSC has helped enormously in my development as a manager and in my career path. While I treasure my experience on awards committees (Including chairing the Newbery and the Sibert); my work on “work” committees, on the Board, and in program/event-planning (including the 2014 Institute and the 75th Caldecott Anniversary) have given me a broad understanding of how our organization works, and insights into its strengths and weaknesses.

Of all of my assignments, I am proudest of leading the Education Committee through the current revisions to the Core Competencies.  I’m excited by the charge they give educators and managers in developing professionals to meet the library needs of today and tomorrow’s children, and I know they will help make us a more effective profession.

7. Advances in technology are dramatically impacting libraries. What are your thoughts on how ALSC can best continue to be a positive force for librarians, for libraries, and for children?

ALSC is working actively to ensure that best practices embrace evolving technologies with rigorous scrutiny.  The Media Mentorship Whitepaper, and current Board work on “evolving” the Carnegie award, are recent evidence.  ALSC should continue to engage in cross-disciplinary conversations on smart approaches to young children and screen time. We are also on the cusp (and perhaps different parts of the cusp in different communities) of a significant generational shift in children’s access to e-resources, as more and more children own their own smartphone, and the President Obama’s ConnectED Challenge works to bring better wireless and broadband access into low-income communities. It is a time for ALSC to be nimble and thoughtful in fulfilling its role as the leading organization for setting standards for quality media for children.

8. ALSC has a commitment to conversations on diversity and inclusion and the essential roles that children’s librarians have in ensuring rich and diverse collections and programming. How will you work to enhance this commitment?

I am glad ALSC has recently demonstrated a commitment to discussing diversity and inclusion, and to hold us professionally responsible for improving diversity and inclusion in collections, programming, and services in general, as evidenced in the White Paper on the Importance of Diversity in Library Programs and Material Collections for Children, and recent revisions to the ALSC Core Competencies.

I would like to move ALSC to commit to the next step, the one that will ensure we can see this work through, and that is diversifying our profession. Until we can model a commitment to diversity within our organization, we won’t succeed. If elected, I would ensure the Diversity within ALSC Task Force moves to find recommendations for the organization, and look to align efforts with the ALA Task force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.  I think that the ALSC Membership Committee has a significant role to play in attracting a more diverse membership, and I would consult with partner divisions and caucuses to help identify barriers to participation in ALSC.

9. If elected, what topic would you like to highlight for either a preconference or the Charlemae Rollins President’s Program?

While I would solicit and continue to explore ideas to ensure a timely and relevant program, I think that a conversation members would appreciate having in this level of venue is how to navigate questions of bias and stereotype in children’s literature, while upholding intellectual freedom.

10. What else would you like the voting ALSC membership to know about you before they vote?

I am a bad liar. This means I put great import into listening and understanding, because if I am to tell you what I think, it must be from a place of mutual respect. I look forward to learning more from you, and finding opportunities to leverage our collective wisdom and passion in forwarding excellent library services to children and their families.

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The 2016 elections will open on March 15 and close on April 22; eligible members will be sent their voting credentials via email between March 15-18, 2016. To be eligible to vote, individuals must be members in good standing of ALA as well as applicable divisions and round tables as of January 31, 2016.