California Library Association members elected Dr. Anthony Chow, director of the School of Information at San José State University, to the CLA Board of Directors on November 10, 2021.

Chow, who will serve a three-year term as a member-at-large, was first proposed for the position in September as part of the CLA nominating committee’s slate of candidates. Seven candidates vied for the three open member-at-large positions.

“I just wanted to sincerely thank all iSchool students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends who voted for me,” says Chow. “I am so excited to serve CLA over the next three years.”

In addition to Chow, Genesis Hansen, a 2003 graduate of the iSchool’s Master of Library and Information Science program and director of library and cultural services for the City of Mission Viejo will serve as a member-at-large, along with Crystal Duran, county librarian for the Imperial County Free Library.

The CLA’s 15-member Board of Directors is responsible for setting the association’s policy and agenda. The CLA advocates for California’s library community, lobbying state government to increase the funding for public libraries in its budget, for example. The organization also provides professional development resources through its annual conference and regular online trainings.

Chow was appointed director of the iSchool this past July. Prior to his arrival at SJSU, Chow had a 21-year academic career, teaching and publishing extensively on information seeking behavior. Most recently Chow served as associate professor in the Department of Library and Information Science at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, where he taught classes on topics such as web design and usability, leadership and management, instructional design and technology, social media, and technology integration. Chow holds a PhD in Instructional Systems Design and MS in Educational Psychology from Florida State University, as well as a BS in Developmental Psychology from San Francisco State University.

The complete CLA 2021 election results are available on the organization’s website.