In an effort to help ALSC members make an informed decision before they vote, the blog posts for this morning and tomorrow morning consist of statements from the candidates for 2026-27 ALSC Vice President/President Elect; one to be elected. Both candidates submitted a written statement. Today’s statement is from Danielle Jones; tomorrow’s statement is from Lisa Gangemi Kropp.
Vice President/President Elect Candidate: Danielle Jones
I am honored to run for ALSC Vice President / President Elect.
My candidacy is driven by a deep appreciation for the positive impact of libraries and staff on young people. My active membership in both ALSC and YALSA has provided invaluable professional growth and community.
We are at a critical juncture with the planned reunification of ALSC and YALSA. My active involvement in both gives me a unique perspective and commitment to ensuring a successful transition, prioritizing both children and teens and the professionals who serve them.
Libraries and ALSC face significant challenges: lingering pandemic effects, funding limitations, political pressure, and increasing societal pressures that amplify fear for vulnerable communities, often necessitating major restructuring.
Leading this change is complex. While top-down decisions are sometimes necessary, I prioritize leveraging distributed decision-making for implementation. My experience managing major organizational shifts—including post-pandemic service rebuilding, overseeing a $387 million bond project, and managing staff/service restructuring due to fiscal constraints at a metropolitan library—has given me crucial change management expertise, understanding both the strategic and emotional dimensions.
As a Youth Services Manager, I successfully managed significant changes to youth services, such as implementing an equity model for post-pandemic recovery and refining service planning. By centering community needs, we’ve maintained essential services despite constraints. This experience, coupled with my involvement in both ALSC and YALSA, prepares me to address membership concerns regarding focus and legacy during reunification.
My skills and perspectives are rooted in extensive experience with both ALSC and YALSA, ensuring effective representation of children’s and teen services during and after reunification.
My service on and co-chairing the ALSC Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task Force (now a standing committee) demonstrates my ability to facilitate organizational transitions and champion underrepresented groups, ensuring the distinct needs of both children’s and teen services are intentionally integrated and affirmed.
Furthermore, my work as an Oregon frontline services trainer for the IMLS-funded YALSA’s Transforming Teen Services Train the Trainer project provides an on-the-ground understanding of implementing best practices. This perspective is vital for ensuring new organizational structures support high-quality, specialized service for all youth. I am adept at bridging organizational divides, advocating for specialized needs within a larger structure, and committing to sustained EDI work, all essential for successful reunification.
My decision to run now stems from my deep commitment to both organizations. Reunification is a challenge and a monumental opportunity. With extensive experience in teen services and early childhood, a passion for tweens, and goals to enhance support for emerging readers, I want to ensure we are thinking about all youth. I am dedicated to supporting those who serve youth of all ages, their caregivers, and their communities.
I strongly believe we all have a role in the success of a reunified ALSC, even if not directly involved in decision-making, by actively participating in how we move forward with the changes.
Danielle Jones
The 2026 ALA Election opens Monday, March 9th and closes Wednesday, April 1st. One candidate will be elected to the 2026-27 President/President Elect position. Don’t forget to vote!