In an effort to help ALSC members make an informed decision before they vote, the blog posts today consist of statements from the candidates for ALSC’s 2022-23 Vice President/President-Elect, Dr. Jonda C. McNair and Joanna Fabicon. Each candidate submitted a written statement. Voting begins tomorrow, March 14th.
This afternoon’s interview is with Joanna Fabicon.
Grounding myself in gratitude has served me well in these uncertain times, so I’ll begin with how grateful I am for this opportunity to be on the ballot as VP/President Elect for ALSC. This is the organization that has helped shape my professional growth since the beginning of my journey into librarianship. From being introduced to the competencies in library school, to using the resources available for continuing education, to honing my leadership skills through committee work, I’ve gained so much from my membership. I see serving in this capacity as a way of giving back and honoring the relationships I’ve been fortunate to make.
I first joined ALSC with the vague notion of wanting to participate in something bigger than what I did from day to day. Heading into the seventeenth year of my career, that notion manifested into a defined vision of what ALSC is to me: a network of constant growth and learning, where dedicated professionals collectively define (and redefine when needed), reflect, evaluate, and act upon what it means to deliver the best library services to children.
The lessons from the past two years have strengthened that vision. As the Senior Librarian coordinating all the moving parts dedicated to children and families within a large library system, I encouraged the creative use of virtual tools so that people could collaborate in ways they’ve never been able to before. In guiding the pivot to virtual programs, I learned how to nimbly move from experimentation to implementation. By becoming an amplifier of many voices, I ushered colleagues’ ideas to the forefront and made sure they got the recognition they deserved. With the confidence gained from communicating in front of all kinds of cameras- webcams, devices that upload into social media platforms, TV news crews- I understand the importance of being present and accessible.
I know that with these experiences of connecting people with one another to craft a strong, unified message, I will help ALSC meet the challenges our organization faces. We will be supportive and immediately responsive to those in the field who find themselves unmoored by book banning and unjust legislation. We will continue to foster diversity and inclusion by forging easier pathways to membership and participation. Together, we will build sustainability by growing future leaders in our profession.
Check this morning’s post on the ALSC Blog for a statement from Dr. Jonda C. McNair, the other candidate for this office.
The 2022 ALA Election opens Monday, March 14th and closes April 6th. In addition to determining key leadership positions within ALSC, the ALSC ballot also will include two proposed bylaws amendments for member consideration. To learn more, please visit: https://bit.ly/alsc2022elections and Lucia Gonzalez’s blogpost, Change is in the Air! Preparing for the 2022 ALA/ALSC Elections. And don’t forget to vote!