[Michlib-l] In support of Kelvin Watson for ALA President Elect

[Lance Werner]

Good morning,

I hope you all are doing well! I have been working on Kelvin Watson's ALA Presidential campaign. Kelvin is the Director of the Las Vegas Clark Public Library. He has a great deal of public library experience and is highly respected nationally. I appreciate him because he is pragmatic, brilliant, and kind. It is without hesitation that I encourage all ALA members in Michigan to vote for Kelvin Watson for ALA President Elect. I asked him for a statement regarding his candidacy. Here it is:

"Library Servant Leader Operator Practitioner and Innovative Implementer for over 20 years. I have delivered on transforming libraries and library services in all of my library leadership roles from NAL, Queens, Broward, and now as Executive Director Las Vegas, BCALA president, and ALA Committees. I've demonstrated delivery of bridging and eliminating the digital divide in diverse communities- tablets, hotspots, expansion of broadband, now working on a cellphone lending program to people/students experiencing homelessness.  I've led and implemented delivering e-content directly to students in partnership with two major school districts, and also implemented workforce development programs.

I will use all of my experiences from both private and public, to lead ALA and be with our members through the challenges we're experiencing now in addition to the unknown.  Delivering through collaborations and partnerships across our ecosystem, advocates, allies, and co-conspirators.

I am the first Spectrum Scholar (2006) and ARL Diversity Participant Scholar to stand for this office, which is an affirmation of these Library Diversity leadership development programs. I believe that our core values of DEIA, social justice, intellectual freedom, and the work we do, guides us in all the initiatives we undertake

I was honored to serve as BCALA VP/President Elect 2014-2016 through continuous tumultuous times when The ALA Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion was created by then ALA President Barbara Stripling. I continue to implement with others and focus on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Access, and Accessibility not only in the libraries and communities I serve but in library associations. I served as Florida Library Association Co-Chair for their task force to bring young and new BIPOC & LGBTQ+ library workers together to make their ideals pervasive with the association. Within a few months we developed and activated and implemented our strategies.  I've created ED Programs in partnership with school districts and colleges eliminate pipelines to prisons and create pipelines to workforce, literacy, education, success

Advocacy and diversity within our association requires inviting the uninvited, this is what I've actively done within the diverse communities I've served and can work with retention or our current members and also recruiting for an even more broad membership base.  Marketing inside and outside of the association member pool.

As ALA president I will have a focus on the partnership and collaboration of all libraries within our ecosystem.  One ALA, one Voice, because we are all in this together

As ALA President I will also start a fund to support ALA members with relocation assistance mirroring Leroy Merritt Humanitarian Fund. I will start this fund with over $50k.

As it pertains to ALA Finances, I've had the opportunities to oversee multi-million dollar budgets and capital campaign.  This is experience that I will use in partnership and Executive Director Tracie Hall, ALA staff, and throughout our diverse membership.

I also want to create permanent roundtables in support of task forces that require more support.

Intellectual freedom and censorship issues will be key issues to organize around with a plan to focus both locally and nationally.  As members, we must be agile and pivot focused in our mobilization efforts, leveraging toolkits that have been developed and get this in the hands of our local advocates and partners like the ULC.

In regards to sustainability I will work with the ALA Sustainability Roundtable to follow a model that President Biden is planning to implement with federal employees with the goal to influence our members and advocates across all libraries a speaking series to educate.  Recognizing that we have to do this work to meet humanity's needs without harming future generations.

I say yes to things that benefit others more than if it benefits me. Working for a better world.

Let's talk about actions and not words, speaking and living truth to power, by practicing inclusivity and holding each other accountable.  In these divided times, it has never been more urgent for us to work together library leadership and library workers, to unite and not divide, and create tools that remove barriers.

ALA Pivot to Succeed by being agile and getting things done."

Thank you for your consideration!

Kindest regards,

Lance Werner
Executive Director
Kent District Library




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