"What are the characteristics of the ideal ALA President? Certainly we have seen people with very different gifts be successful in this role. To get my vote a candidate must be open to members and have the willingness and ability to ably express member concerns to the rest of the world. You only have to be around Loriene Roy for a few minutes to know that she's a winner on both accounts.

I first met Loriene when I was a candidate for the ALA Presidency in l997. I went to Texas and Loriene was assigned to be my "guide". I didn't know her and she didn't know me. But her warm and friendly manner soon put me at ease. She introduced me to everyone (knew everyone by
name) and made sure that I had what I needed.

Later, when I was elected to the ALA Presidency, Loriene chaired my literacy initiative. With only a small amount of money, she was able to establish the "If I Can Read I Can Do Anything" reading program which by now has reached many, many children and continues to engage them in reading. Obviously, Loriene can convincingly express literacy needs and she will convincingly express the needs of librarians and libraries as ALA President.

I heartily endorse Loriene Roy for ALA President and hope that you will join me in promoting her candidacy. Loriene will represent us all with warmth and knowledge and she will do so with conviction and grace."

 

 

"Dr. Roy has mentored countless library school students of all origins, including many Latino students from all over the country. She is a LIS educator that emphasizes cultural preservation and understanding through her research, publications, and curriculum. Dr. Roy continues to emphasize LIS education that is connected to real communities and real issues by encouraging service-based learning. We see her as leader in the LIS field. Dr. Roy remains close to the issues that are at the heart of our communities - the communities of grad students and the communities of patrons we serve.

Dr. Roy has been a supporter for underrepresented groups within library education. Her knowledge as a library educator has brought positive change, including most recently her "If I Can Read, I Can Do Anything" campaign. Her assistance to the Spectrum Initiative has instilled
leadership skills towards many cohorts of recent library school graduates. Her contribution as an adviser to the "Knowledge River" program for Hispanic and Native American library students at the University of Arizona School of Information Resources and Library Science (SIRLS) has forever shown her strong commitment to the enrichment of library education curricula.

The American Library Association will be fortunate to have a president with such a distinguished career and a strong supporter of diversity in our profession. I am proud to endorse her candidacy and I encourage my colleagues to do the same."

 

 

"I have known Loriene Roy for over 10 years and during this time I have come to admire and respect her professionalism and her passion for librarianship. Loriene has been extremely active in the library profession. She has made many contributions to the library profession not only as an educator, but as a participant and leader in library associations, working groups and other venues that provided her an opportunity to impact our profession. ALA needs the strong leadership and vision Loriene will bring to our organization."

 

 

"Please give serious consideration of this unequivocal endorsement of Loriene Roy's candidacy for ALA President. In my thirty years experience in libraries I have had the good fortune of working with a number of outstanding professionals, and Loriene Roy is 'one for the books' (if you can forgive the metaphor). Seriously, Loriene is truly singular. Over the years we have worked to build stronger Native American collections, libraries, staffing and professionalism. She is always ready for the challenge and never balks at the difficult task, or unforgiving deadline. Candidly, ALA, not unlike most professional organizations, needs to consciously renew itself, and I believe that Loriene Roy can provide the leadership necessary to achieve that renewal."

"Ultimately, I believe that in order for our profession to respond to the challenges of increased service demand balanced with ever present fiscal constraints, innovation versus the status quo is paramount. Loriene Roy has demonstrated just that leadership, in championing new programs for indigenous peoples, literacy and continuing learning for all adults. Renewal demands clear and transparent communications and Loriene has demonstrated that capacity in her exemplary work with the myriad of ALA committees and Associations she represents. We need that communications skill set Loriene has modeled to articulate the greatest American principles of free and open access to information and educational opportunity for all of our community. She will stay engaged and be effective, communicating our message on the dynamic political landscape."

"Finally, I would like to close by sharing that I believe it is time we follow the path of our elders and 'touch the earth' as we build the libraries of the future: Loriene has that gift to stay calm in crisis and centered in our public service mission, while remaining humble and in touch with our modest roots in neighborhood schools, local libraries and our strongest of cultural traditions."

 

 

" Diversity, recruitment and retention and library education are of critical importance to me as a library and information professional. Loriene Roy’s commitment to these same ideals as well as others is important to me as well. Loriene and I both served on the Spectrum Scholar Award Jury and we are both committed to investigating, understanding and disseminating scholarly and empirical evidence that demonstrates, justifies and supports the diversity of this profession. I believe in her candidacy and am confident she has the ability to lead the American Library Association, lead us, exactly where we need to be. I support her candidacy and encourage you to do so as well."

 

 

"Practical application, research, of the people and a joy to work with... Loriene Roy, my choice for ALA president!"

 

 

"All professional associations need fresh voices. Without them, the association is stagnant and irrelevant. Loriene will bring with her - the voices and the commitment of students, both inter-disciplinary and global colleagues, new librarians, and most importantly: the people and communities we serve. She has earned our trust and our respect. Our profession has talked about participation, collaboration, and partnerships for a long time. Loriene embodies them. Dr. Roy's curriculum vitae is long yet simply points to the work that needs to be done, everywhere, anywhere, and in many different ways through many different people. Loriene's agenda is a touchstone for our association: service, practice, inclusivity, and the right to enter a library, to read and to tell one's story. By going back, going back, going back, going back to the strength of her roots - Loriene will take ALA into the future. I encourage you to vote for Loriene for ALA President."

 

 

"I am both honored and delighted to endorse Loriene Roy for ALA President. I have seen few people who give as much in their entire careers as she has given thus far in hers, and she just keeps on giving to the profession. She has been a regular presenter at our annual Tribal College Librarians Professional Development Institute, touching the lives of tribal college librarians from across the U.S., Canada and beyond, and contributing so much to our knowledge as librarians and as people who serve native populations."

 

 

"Dr. Roy is not your average university professor; she is also a mentor and guide for the many graduate students that she teaches and advises. As one of her former students, I can attest that her classes focus on projects that simulate experiences that students will confront in the library profession. For example, in her reference classes, students create detailed pathfinders for actual libraries around the country. She also involves her students in her many professional projects through capstone projects and independent studies. She arranged for a group of students who volunteer with the “If I Can Read, I Do Anything Project” project at UT to visit several of the schools in New Mexico that work with the project. I was fortunate enough to take part in this trip. Actually visiting the school libraries and working with the children that the project benefits opened my eyes to the dramatic positive role that libraries can play in their communities."

 

 

"When I first met Loriene Roy in person it was at my first ALA conference, we were both headed to the American Indian Library Association meeting. Without hesitation, she took me under her wing and helped me to navigate my way to and through the meeting. As I have seen in her interactions with me and with others, she truly cares about the profession and her colleagues. She does not just talk the talk about recruitment and retention of new librarians, she walks the walk. I feel confident that with Loriene Roy as ALA president we will see many great achievements made for librarians."

 

 

"I strongly believe Loriene Roy is the best candidate for the next President of the American Library Association. As a premier researcher in library science, she understands the current state of libraries in America and has long been an advocate for advancing library services to various groups. More importantly, she is only one of a few individuals I know who honestly tries to connect librarianship to a newer and younger generation of future librarians. Without a doubt she has actually done what others only talk about."

 

 

"I met Loriene Roy in 2001 when she worked with the ALA Spectrum Scholars Institute. Since then she has kept in touch with me from time to time via email and from conference to conference---always with a positive word, a smile and genuine interest in my career development. In addition, I know others like myself (African Americans and other ethnic minorities), many who are generally new (less than 5 years) to the profession, that Loriene has communicated with, offered advice to, worked with on diversity-focused research projects and simply encouraged. Loriene has helped us all to learn about ALA governance and has many times provided an inroad that led to more involvement at the national level. ** She is consistent and true to her word. ** While there is a lot on her resume that would impress many (and me, too!), it's what I've seen for myself that puts the icing on the cake."

 

 

"Dr. Roy is a committed librarian and mentor, a strong woman who lives and values her Anishinabe culture, and recognizes the value of all the diverse cultures that make up this country. I am proud to know Dr. Roy, and excited to see her in this campaign."