President

Throughout my career as a librarian, I have made efforts to contribute to the development of the larger field by serving in volunteer roles in professional organizations. In fact, one of the great joys for me working in this field is the culture of sharing, helping and supporting each other. In this time of endless change in our field, when we are fighting to remind people why we are more relevant than ever, the only way for us to succeed is to look beyond ourselves and our libraries and work together. This should be the core mission of CLA - to bring library staff in this big, diverse state together, to provide opportunities for growth and development for the individuals who will be the future of our field, to create an environment conducive to conversation, innovation and ideas.
 
As President, I will work closely with the rest of the CLA Board to review operations and activities to make sure we are achieving these goals. Too many members of our California library community right now do not feel a personal investment in the organization. I will work to bring the membership to the table to participate in the conversation - whether via a committee or interest group connecting on a specific issue or as part of determining the organization's overall future. There are many challenges to building a fully invested membership, from the vast geography of the state to extreme variation in resources and needs. With strong leadership, real analysis of options and opportunities, and smart use of the human and technological resources we have at our disposal, we can continue the good work that has been done to rebuild CLA over the past few years and create a future CLA that is responsive, meaningful and effective. I look forward to serving the membership and the libraries, library staff and library supporters of California. I hope you will join me in working toward a better CLA.

Biography

Elizabeth Goldman is director of Burbank Public Library. Before moving to California in 2015, she was director of Perth & District Union Public Library in rural Ontario, Canada, where she and her team were honored with the provincial Angus Mowat Award of Excellence in 2014. She started her career at Chelsea District Library in Michigan, where she was part of the team named Best Small Library in America in 2008, graduated from the 2006-07 Michigan Library Association Leadership Academy, and has also worked at Pasadena Public Library and Kingston-Frontenac Public Library. Her professional service includes leadership roles in SCLC, the Ontario Public Library Association, the Ontario Library Information Technology Association, and the New Members Round Table of ALA, along with participation in the CLA Interest Group Committee and board positions in other nonprofit organizations. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in history from Stanford University and a master of science degree in information from the University of Michigan.