Yesterday ALA announced its 2007 election results. By a margin of 125 votes I was elected vice-president/president-elect. Thank you to the 7,033 ALA members who expressed their confidence in my with their votes–especially the last 125 who voted for me!

At first I was a bit stunned by the news, but it is now sinking in. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! It will also be a great responsibility to represent ALA’s 62,000+ personal members and to be the association’s principal spokesperson. Fortunately I have wonderful models in our current and past presidents.

There was something special in learning the election results just a few blocks from the US Capitol while in Washington, DC, for yesterday’s legislative briefings in preparation for today’s annual ALA Legislative Day lobbying. Democracy is one of ALA’s strengths and our larger democracy is a reason libraries, library workers, and ALA are very important to our society.