In an effort to help ALSC members make an informed decision before they vote, the blog posts for this morning and this afternoon consist of statements from the candidates for 2025-26 ALSC Vice President/President Elect; one to be elected. Both candidates submitted a written statement. This morning’s statement was from Carol K. Phillips; this afternoon’s statement is from Ariana Hussain.
It is an honor to stand for election as the Vice President/President Elect of ALSC.
As a child of an immigrant family with limited means, I have experienced firsthand the transformative power of libraries as a source of knowledge, community, and opportunity. In ALSC I have found a welcoming community of dedicated professionals who strive for betterment for our profession and the children and families that we serve. And in the last 15 years as a librarian, ALSC has been a vital part of my professional growth opportunities from serving on Children’s Notable Books, chairing Grants Administration, being a presenter at ALSC Institute, serving on the EDI Committee, and being on ALSC Board.
I believe an effective ALSC President is a leader who listens—to our brilliant staff, Board, and membership. Leadership is about empowering others, but also making hard decisions and actions. My own hesitations in standing for election were about feeling imperfect and less experienced than the other brilliant voices in our spaces, but we are none of us perfect, we grow and change, make mistakes, take accountability for them and repair, in order to make things better. We are ALSC, we are librarianship, and we are the ones who help shape the profession at all its levels into one that is a truly inclusive force of good for library users and their families.
We face many pressing issues in our libraries. There is a coalition of the willing and able, who recognize not only who is not at the table but who has not been in the room and the systemic reasons, contemporary and historical, of why they have not been. I am committed to creating spaces where all voices are heard and valued, fostering an inclusive and collaborative environment where we work together and uplift each other to advance ALSC’s Mission, Core Values, and strategic areas of focus. I want to continue the work of breaking down barriers to participation, ensuring that members feel welcome and supported, especially those who face vitriol for their work and who they are. This includes addressing the financial challenges of membership, exploring institutional memberships, and expanding access to virtual engagement.
I believe in empowering and caring for all members, particularly those who are often marginalized, and the most vulnerable members of our society, children and their families in collaborative conversations. In my experiences outside of ALSC, in the larger ALA, the NALCOs, USBBY, and in my work as a public and school librarian, I have learned to recognize the strengths and commonalities of the work that we are all doing in our separate spheres, the dignity of all work and roles we hold, and the challenges we must face together. At core of it all are library workers, who lead every day regardless of setting, and often in the face of adversity, in advocating for services and resources for their communities. In the face of budget cuts, book challenges, and misinformation, we must recognize and leverage the collective skills and resources within our library community, taking lessons and modeling from communities who have been empowered by mutual aid, and collaborated with all stakeholders to thrive.
If elected ALSC President, I am ready to serve ALSC and its members, to listen, support, connect, and empower. We are a plethora of resources, tangible and not, that will move our organization forward together. Thank you for your consideration.
Ariana Hussain
The 2025 ALA Election opens Monday, March 10th and closes Wednesday, April 2nd. Don’t forget to vote!