The California Library Association’s 2015 election results are in, and one student and three alumni of the Master of Library and Information Science program at San José State University have been chosen for leadership roles in the association.

The results of the California Library Association’s (CLA) 2015 elections are in, and one student and three alumni of the highly acclaimed Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program at the San José State University (SJSU) School of Information (iSchool) have been chosen for leadership roles in the association. Helen McAlary (MLIS 2007) beat out her opponent in the race for president-elect, and Jayanti Addleman (MLIS 1985) and Andrew Carlos (MLIS 2011) were chosen from a raft of candidates for two of the association’s four open board member at-large positions. Current student Kimberlee Wheeler was re-elected to the position of student representative for a second term.

McAlary, who has been the director of the Ontario City Library since 2010, will focus her time as president-elect and president on finding ways to get more members involved in CLA activities and grow the association’s membership and advocacy efforts. In her candidate statement, she explained, “I will work to bring people together—creating opportunities for people to engage at conferences, regionally and online, for professional development and just for fun! Great ideas and networking happen whenever we get together.”

Addleman has been director of the Monterey County Free Libraries since 2007 and described herself as “a dedicated champion of the underdog.” As a board member at-large, she plans to “to continue to advocate for library users who live in rural, poor, or marginalized communities, and for the long underrepresented libraries and library staff that play a critical role in providing essential library services to the diverse people of California.”

Carlos, who works as a STEM and web services librarian at California State University, East Bay, is excited about the “opportunity for cross-pollination” between different types of libraries that exist in CLA. “It’s important to get to know your fellow librarians,” he stated, “especially in different types of libraries, because you are always learning new things about your profession. It’s okay to have our independent groups, but we must work together within one organization to elevate our voices.”

Wheeler is working as a youth services coordinator at Butte County Library while she finishes her MLIS degree at the iSchool. She described her experiences with CLA as “a rich and rewarding opportunity for professional growth and engagement along the path to librarianship.” About her plans for her second term as student representative, she revealed, “Uniting students statewide through conferences, social media channels and peer networking remains my ongoing goal, with hopes of cultivating a free exchange of ideas in order to build lasting relationships for the future of California’s libraries, as well as our mutual professional development.”

Congratulations to all the newly elected CLA leaders. The ballot also included votes on six amendments to CLA by-laws, all of which passed. Details on the elections can be found on the CLA website.