The first few weeks of the New Year are re-energizing and refreshing. Like the first page of a new book, New Year’s Day feels crisp and pristine, and is filled with the anticipation of great things to come. As ALSC President, it is my hope that this year brings with it positive change and advancement in the work of transforming ALSC, transforming Children’s Librarianship, and transforming communities through libraries.
Change comes only through active participation, and at ALSC it specially comes in the form of greater opportunities to serve on Process and/or Awards Committees. Active committee participants become the driving voice of change within ALSC.
ALSC is a volunteer-powered organization. Our strength and our organizational effectiveness is dependent on member engagement. Together, we are able to consolidate expertise and share resources.
For many ALSC members, committee participation has historically been prohibitive due to lack of financial backing from their institutions. Now that most committees conduct their business virtually, or in a hybrid format, members have more opportunities to engage.
As we start this New Year 2022, I look forward to seeing an overflowing list of volunteers in the database. I also look forward to a successful ALSC Institute with record numbers of attendees, and to the proliferation of ALSC Continuing Education opportunities that will help us become stronger defendants of children’s rights to read and to access diverse books.
Lastly, I look forward to intensifying the efforts to grow diversity within ALSC so that we can more effectively represent the communities we serve.
Happy New Year 2022!
Lucia M. Gonzalez
2021-2022 President
ALSC: Association for Library Service to Children
