Sullivan defeated Susan Stroyan, information services librarian at the Ames Library at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Ill.

Sullivan received 5,259 votes. Stroyan received 3,642 votes.

As ALA president, Sullivan will be the chief elected officer for the oldest and largest library organization in the world. The ALA has a membership of more than 62,000 librarians, library trustees and library supporters. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information.

“I am humbled and honored to have been elected to serve the dynamic profession of librarianship,” Sullivan said. “I look forward to working with Sue Stroyan and other members who will help ALA lead the 21st century information revolution.”

Stroyan extended her congratulations to Sullivan. “It has been a pleasure being her opponent in this campaign,” she said. “I admire her and believe she will be a wonderful ALA President. Having been asked to run for such an esteemed position is very much a win for me. This year has been remarkable, especially for the opportunity to meet new people and rekindle old acquaintances. I want to thank Illinois Wesleyan University for all the support it gave me and the many friends and family who believed in me. Thanks to everyone involved in ALA and ALA-APA for giving me this opportunity. I’ll never forget your kindnesses, your generosity and your sincere commitment to this magnificent profession.”

Sullivan will become president-elect in June 2011, and will assume the ALA presidency in June 2012, following the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif. She will serve a one-year term as president and a one-year term as immediate past president.

Sullivan is a consultant to numerous libraries of all types – academic, public, school, law, health sciences and other special libraries – and library consortia.

In addition to her consulting work, Sullivan is a professor of practice in the Ph.D. program, Managerial Leadership in the Information Professions, at the Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science.

She spent 12 years as the human resources administrator in the libraries at the University of Maryland (1977-1980) and at Yale University (1983-1991). She was also the management training specialist at the Association of Research Libraries (1980-1983).

Sullivan is past president (1998-1999) of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). She was also president of the Library Administration and Management Association (now LLAMA) for the 1988-89 term.

Her other ALA activities include work as co-chair of ALA President Roberta Stevens’ initiative, Our Authors, Our Advocates, co-chair of the Emerging Leaders Initiative (2006-08), chair of the Office for Library Personnel Resources Advisory Committee (1991-93) and chair of the Minority Fellow Program Advisory Board (1989-1995).

She was chosen the 2010 Academic/Research Librarian of the Year by the Association of College and Research Libraries. Her other honors include the American Library Association’s Elizabeth Futas Catalyst for Change Award in 1999.

(http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=7085)

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Here is a brief statement from Maureen:

As ALA-APA president, I will bring the leadership skills, commitment and ability to foster the collaboration to ensure that our association “builds a world where libraries, both physical and virtual, are central to life-long discovery and learning and where everyone is a library user.” This is the future state described in the ALA Strategic Plan 2011-2015.

Address and time are listed below:

METRO New York Library Council
57 E. 11th Street
4-6 p.m

2011 American Library Association Presidential Candidates Susan Stroyan and Maureen Sullivan respond to member questions at the Presidential Candidates Forum, held January 8, 2011, at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in San Diego. Questions asked (time in parenthesis indicates where in the video the question can be found) include:

Opening Statements (0:04)

How do we balance serving individual division members with maintaining overall ALA strengths? (9:40)

How can we build on current advocacy efforts to make a difference? (11:58)

How will you work with publishers to ensure library access to ebooks? (16:23)

What do you think your proudest accomplishments as president will be? (19:27)

What leadership skills do you offer to guide ALA through the current financial crisis? (22:30)

What is the role of chapters in the larger organization? (25:58)

How can ALA mainstream services to seniors and the disabled? (28:55)

Describe the support systems you have in place to help you as you serve as president. (32:48)

How will you represent all libraries, rather than one specific type? (36:20)

How will you create a legacy that lasts beyond your time in office? (40:22)

Closing statements (43:30)

Watch individual questions at http://www.youtube.com/user/AmLibraryAssociation#grid/user/12EDDF83B6F89A00

Maureen Sullivan, an organization development consultant based in Annapolis, MD.

Statement: I’m delighted to have this opportunity.  Libraries and those they serve need the strong leadership that only ALA can provide. The new strategic plan offers an excellent framework for ALA to lead in the digital world. ALA must be at the table when key decisions are made that will affect the future of intellectual freedom, access to information, literacy, and lifelong learning.

Brief Biography

Consultant to numerous libraries of all types – academic, public, school, law, health sciences, and other special libraries – and library consortia

Started as a page in the Prince Georges Memorial Library System and later worked in Non-print Media at the University of Maryland, College Park Libraries, while in the Library Science Master degree program.

Practice focuses on: strategic planning, leadership development, introducing and managing organizational change, organization and work redesign, establishment of staff development and learning programs for today’s workplace, creating a work environment that supports diversity, executive coaching and search processes, and the identification and development of competencies.

Her career history includes twelve years as the human resources administrator in the libraries at the University of Maryland (1977-1980) and at Yale University (1983-1991). She was the Management Training Specialist at the Association of Research Libraries (1980-1983).

She has presented extensively at state, regional and national library conferences on transforming libraries and librarianship, leadership, improving work relationships, creating the collaborative organization, generational synergy, cross-cultural communication, and making the case for the value of libraries.

Sullivan is past president (1998-1999) of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).  During her term as President, she helped establish the Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians in partnership with the Harvard Graduate School of Education.  She is now a member of the faculty for this annual program.

She was president of the Library Administration and Management Association for the 1988-89 term.

She is currently a professor of practice in the Ph.D. program, Managerial Leadership in the Information Professions, at the Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science.

Ms. Sullivan has extensive experience with leadership development programs in the library field. She is the principal designer and facilitator of the TALL Texans Leadership Development Institute (Texas Library Association), the New Jersey Academy of Library Leadership, the Iowa Library Association Leadership Institute, the Michigan Library Association Leadership Academy, the Mountain Plains Library Association Leadership Institute, and the New England Library Leadership Symposium (sponsored by the New England Library Association).

The Urban Libraries Council (ULC) engaged her to serve as the Learning Community Director for both offerings of its ULC Scholars: Librarians for America’s Neighborhoods program. She also served as the evaluator of ULC’s first Executive Leadership Institute (ELI).

The Chicago Public Library invited her to be the 2006 Charlotte Kim Scholar in Residence. In that role she introduced the administrators, managers and staff of the library system to appreciative inquiry as a means to achieve positive change.

She was the 2010 Academic/Research Librarian of the Year by the Association of College and Research Libraries.

She was the recipient of the American Library Association’s Elizabeth Futas Catalyst for Change Award in 1999.

Co-author, with Robert D. Stueart, of Developing Library Leaders (Neal-Schuman, 2010)

American Library Association Service includes:

Co-chair, ALA President Roberta Stevens’ initiative, Our Authors, Our Advocates
Co-Chair, Emerging Leaders Initiative, 2006-2008
Member, Core Values Task Force, 2000-2004
Member, Competencies for Librarians Task Force, 2000-2002
Chair, Office for Library Personnel Resources Advisory Committee, 1991-93
Chair, Minority Fellowship Program Advisory Board, 1989-1995
Chair, H. W. Wilson Staff Development Award Jury, 1985
Member, ALA Nominations Committee, 1986
Member, President’s Program Planning Committee for the 1989 Annual                                 Conference in Dallas, Texas
Member, Hugh Atkinson Memorial Award Jury, 1993-1997

Association of College and Research Libraries
President  1998-99

Library Administration and Management Association
President 1988-89