Stroyan, Sullivan Named Candidates for ALA Presidency

Susan Stroyan and Maureen Sullivan, two academic librarians, have been named candidates for the 2012-13 presidency of the American Library Association (ALA), according to an ALA press release.
Stroyan, a 34-year veteran who's served in public, special, multitype, and academic libraries, is now the Information Services Librarian at the Ames Library at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, IL.
Among service to the profession, she has chaired the ALA Awards Committee and served three times on the National Conference Executive Committee of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). She is a former president of the Illinois Library Association.
She has a B.S. in library science from Illinois State University, and an M.S. and Ph.D in library science from the University of Illinois.

"I have worked in libraries since I was 16 years old," Stroyan said. "My front line experiences have provided me the opportunity to perform or supervise most aspects of library work. I am honored, humbled, and excited at the possible opportunity to serve ALA as President."
Sullivan, who serves as as a consultant to libraries of all types, 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 and at Yale University. She is a past president of ACRL and was ACRL's Academic/Research Librarian of the Year (see LJ interview). She co-chaired ALA President Roberta Stevens' initiative, Our Authors, Our Advocates.
She has a BA in history and an MLS from the University of Maryland.
"I'm delighted to have this opportunity," she said. "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."

Sue Stroyan

HISTORY OF  SUSAN STROYAN

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University Information Services Librarian Susan Stroyan has been named as one of two candidates for the 2012-13 presidency of the American Library Association (ALA).
Founded in 1876, the ALA is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with members in academic, public, school, government and special libraries. It serves the more than 122,000 libraries in the United States, working to strengthen libraries, the profession, and the public’s access to information.
“I am honored, humbled, and excited at the possible opportunity to serve ALA as President,” said Stroyan. “I’m inspired by our colleagues around the country that have achieved high levels of success by leading their communities to new heights of library awareness in these difficult economic times.”
Results of the election will be announced in May 2011.
Employed at Illinois Wesleyan since 1992, Stroyan was named Illinois Academic Librarian of the Year in 2000. She earned a bachelor’s degree in library science from Illinois State University in 1972, and a master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1973 and 1986 respectively. She was named Illinois State University Honored Alumna in 2002.
Active in the ALA since 1975, Stroyan has served as a member-at-large on ALA Council and the ALA Self Study Committee. She chaired the ALA Awards Committee, and was a member of National Conference Executive Committee.
Stroyan has promoted education outside the ALA. She has been a participant and mentor in the Small College Mentor Program. She served as president for the Beta Phi Mu International Library and Information Studies Honor Society. She has also held offices in state and regional library associations including serving as president of Illinois Library Association from 1995-1996.