Penn State Librarian Elected ALA President

Courtney Louise Young, head librarian at the J. Clarence Kelly Library, Penn State Greater Allegheny, has been elected the 2014-2015 president of the American Library Association (ALA). Young will become the president elect at the close of the 2013 ALA Annual Conference this July and will assume the ALA presidency a year latter at the 2014 conference.

Barbara I. Dewey, dean of University Libraries and Scholarly Communications at Penn State, notes “Courtney Young is the first Penn State librarian to hold this honor and will bring our University to the table of this policy-making body of the ALA, the oldest and largest library association in the world.”

The ALA, founded in 1876 and headquartered in Chicago, provides leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all. Its core mission centers on advocacy for libraries and the profession, education and lifelong learning, intellectual freedom, organizational excellence, diversity, equitable access to information and library services, literacy and transforming libraries.

The ALA is home to 11 membership divisions, each focused on a type of library or library function, and 19 round tables for members who share interests that lie outside the scope of any of the divisions. A network of affiliates, chapters, and other organizations enables the ALA to reach a broad audience.

“Courtney Young’s keen intellect and infectious good nature will make her a powerful advocate for our Libraries’ shared mission with libraries across the nation. We are so proud to be a part of her success,” observes Chris Avery, director of Commonwealth Campus Libraries.

Congratulations have poured in from throughout Penn State. Blannie Bowen, vice provost of Academic Affairs, speaks for the entire University saying, “We are indeed proud of Courtney Young for this major accomplishment. She is a significant credit to our University. It speaks volumes that one of our outstanding faculty members will assume this major leadership role.”

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