We asked candidates for Core President-Elect to answer some questions before the spring election opens on March 10. Voting will close on April 2, with results announced on April 7.
The Core President is elected to a three-year term that begins at the conclusion of the 2025 ALA Annual Conference and ends at the conclusion of the 2028 ALA Annual Conference, serving one year each as President-Elect (2025–2026), President (2026–2027), and Immediate Past-President (2027–2028).
Joseph is the 2024-2025 Past-President of ALA’s Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) and is based in Los Angeles, CA.
- What has Core brought to your career, and what would you bring to Core were you elected to this position?
I have attended and participated in programs and discussion forums from Core and its predecessors regularly for quite a long time. It is only recently that I started pursuing a more active role with Core’ governance. What I will bring is substantial experience working within ALA, including both appointed and elected leadership positions, from the association to the round table level, from developing new ideas, to making projects sustainable, to sunsetting initiatives when they have fulfilled their objectives or are no longer in close alignment with organizational needs. - Member engagement is critical for the life and health of the Core Division. How do you plan to sustain and grow Core’s membership?
Members may not be able to actively participate in Core activities all the time. As a member driven organization, we need to make it as easy for members to engage with Core at the point when they have resources to engage. Engagement can cultivate connection to the professional organization, where we can learn from each other and to solve work problems together. I see Core continues to build sustainable infrastructure so that there can be support, maybe it be personnel or technology, for a professional space where all members can cultivate a sense of belonging and comradery. - How will you pursue collaboration between sections of Core, and across ALA?
Core’s members have many interests but we are one organization. It is equally important to identify how we differ within the division and the association and also recognize common goals and opportunities. We need to be opportunistic at times to advocate for partnership while understanding that we may also need to continue to pursue interests that are core to our membership for now. Within Core, I would encourage sharing best practices across sections and interest groups and division committees. Additionally, I see opportunities for further integration, breaking down silo without losing complete autonomy and professional identity. By leveraging expertise already in our division, we can develop programs with multiple perspectives. Outside of Core, I will work with leadership to promote synergy, to bring into Core knowledge and experience that exists elsewhere, to advocate for cost saving effort and keep operations as transparent as possible. - What does equality, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) mean in your professional life, and how should these be implemented within Core and in larger advocacy efforts?
EDI can be divisive in the current political landscape, I would do my best to foster a sense of belonging within the division. When members feel connected and supported, it opens up options for dialogue and hopefully flexible approaches to action. While RUSA housed the Accessibility Assembly, a lot of its work is relevant to our work environment and services we develop. My goal will be to be strategic and try not to spread division resources too thin. - What’s one thing you think Core is doing particularly well and that you would intend to support or enhance? What should the division change?
Core flourishes because we are home to many interest groups that can respond to changing environments quickly. Even though in terms of governance, it may be light weight, they still need organizational support to strive. A small step on this front is to develop a resources framework, enabling members to step-up and lead, without feeling it is a big lift or going alone with no support. I would not characterise it as a big change but we need to identify what we can sustain in terms of operations while working hard to diversify the revenue streams across our ecosystem that we can tap into and form partnerships with.
Joseph’s Personal Statement
In running for Vice-President/President-Elect, I want to express my gratitude for the many learning and leadership opportunities Core has provided me throughout my professional career. I would leverage the knowledge of ALA operations I recently gained as RUSA President for Core membership. Goals would be to continue building up resources and infrastructure within the division, to assist Core leaders with their initiatives, and to look for occasions to collaborate with other divisions and round tables. Together with active members in the division, I would continue the efforts of past leaders in exploring ways to make Core sustainable and successful.
Thank you, Joseph!
