We said goodbye to spring semester ‘25 and rolled right into a summer full of major changes and updates statewide. I know this will be a busier than usual summer but I strongly encourage everyone to try and find moments of time for rest and relaxation. Fall semester will be upon us in no time so let’s try and enjoy these longer summer days the best we can as we recharge and gear up for the semester ahead.

2025-2026 ALAO Executive Board Election Results

On behalf of myself and ALAO Past President, Mark Eddy, I am pleased to announce the new members of the Executive Board for 2025-2026.  Please join me in congratulating,

• Vice President/President Elect: Cara Calabrese, Acquisitions and Access Librarian, Miami University
• Board Members-at-Large:
• Jill J Crane, Coordinator of Cataloging and Metadata, University of Dayton
• Marilia Antunez, Associate Professor of Bibliography, The University of Akron
• Pamela Espinosa de los Monteros, Latin American, Iberian, and Latino/a Studies Librarian, The Ohio  State University

I would also like to thank our Nominating Committee members and our web team for their hard work and dedication in executing this year’s election cycle:

• Mark Eddy, Case Western Reserve University, Committee Chair
• Mandi Goodsett, Cleveland State University, Committee Member
• Brea McQueen, Miami University, Committee Member
• Barbara Loomis, Cleveland State University, Committee Member
• Laura Birkenhauer, Miami University, Advisor to the Committee
• Leticia Wiggins, The Ohio State University, Web Manager
• Rich Wisneski, Miami University, Web Manager

Your willingness to serve is truly commendable!  Please consider running for a board position in future elections. The organization benefits tremendously from a diversity of new ideas and perspectives. If you have any interest and/or questions please feel free to contact me or any of our nominating committee members.

Additionally, ALAO members can get involved in ways outside of running for a board position.  Please check out our interest groups and committees, and consider joining!

2025 ALAO Annual Conference Update

Our 2025 Conference Planning Committee continues to work on this fall’s annual conference.  The CPC will be reviewing session proposals and is on pace with arrangements for our 51st annual conference at the OCLC Conference Center in the greater Columbus area on November 6 & 7th.  Please see the report below from Paul Campbell, our CPC Chair and Vice President/President Elect, for additional conference updates.

Executive Board Updates & Presidential Activities

The ALAO board continues to work even as official meetings ended with our May meeting. Preparation is underway to host the Annual Board Retreat on July 18th in person at OhioNet. This event is mandatory for all ALAO incoming and outgoing board members including all interest group co-chairs. This is a full day event so please save the date! More information specific to your positions will be coming shortly. 

Libraries and their counterparts have also been dealing with federally proposed cuts to IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) funding.  I have been working with board members and other state organizations outside of ALAO to draft a statement of support for IMLS funding. This statement is designed to show the impact of IMLS funds on projects and services throughout our state. In Ohio, $5.4 million in federal funding from the IMLS “Grants to States” program was awarded and $1.77 million was granted to Ohio’s museums, historical societies, and archives. Without IMLS support, Ohio would lose vital services that promote lifelong learning, strengthen communities, and fuel local economies particularly in rural and underserved areas. Once the final version is approved it will be shared with ALAO membership and beyond.

This past month I also had the pleasure of meeting with our Ohio State Librarian, Mandy Knapp as part of her statewide Library Listening Tour. I met with Mandy as a representative of ALAO. This leg of the tour was focusing on the different state library organizations. She is hoping to learn more about how the State Library can better partner with libraries and library organizations. Look for her report to come out in the State Library newsletter later this summer. 

For more information about any of the topics mentioned above please feel free to reach out to me at president@alaoweb.org. Have a great summer everyone and don’t forget to breathe, we are all in this together!