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CLA Elections 2018 - John Alita

2018 CLA ELECTIONS

Candidates for President:

  Candidates for Secretary

  Candidates for Board 

John Alita, City of Stockton

Board at Large

 
I am originally from New York but have been living California for the last 20 years so consider myself a transplanted native. My love of libraries started early (as is the case with many of us) but I did not come from a reading family. I remember my father telling me I only had five minutes to get books and panicking to get something in time. Sometimes I just took any book off the shelf so that I could guarantee a return visit in two weeks.

I have been attached to libraries in some form or another for most of my life. From volunteering as an elementary school student, to holding part-time jobs in my local library growing up and working in a special library in a gap year after college at SUNY Stony Brook before attending Indiana University for my MLS. After stints in corporate librarianship, I worked as the Information Services Director for the Redwood City Public Library, the Assistant Library Director for the San Bruno Public Library and eventually as the Assistant Director for a merged Library and Recreation Department in San Bruno.

Since 2014 I have served as the Director of Community Services for the City of Stockton. I am responsible for the 14-branch Stockton San Joaquin County Public Library System and the City of Stockton Recreation Division, which serves a population of over 700,000 residents. Our recent accomplishments include passing a ¼ cent special sales tax for library and recreation services, re-opening a library branch that had been closed for seven years, restoring hours, and design of a new library/community center facility to be constructed in 2020.

Having worked in a broad cross-section of communities I have seen first-hand the value our public libraries can have when they strive to meet the needs of our residents. We are in a transformational time in the profession when we need to adapt to social and technological change while still maintaining our traditional role as trusted community institution. We are also in an era where we must be vigilant in preserving access to truthful information and a citizen’s first amendment rights.

I am committed to building this profession for the communities of the future and am excited about the possibilities before us.

When I am not at work I am an avid arts aficionado, foodie, wine enthusiast, doer of New York Times crosswords,  and Sunday morning news junkie.

 

Candidate Statement

I believe in the power of libraries to transform our communities. I also believe that we as Librarians and public servants, must transform ourselves and our institutions over the coming years to align with the aspirations of the people we serve.

I have been in this profession for over 22 years and I believe we are in a time where adaptation is critical to our future success. We are the most trusted public institution in the country, and that reputation can be the basis for our growth in this century. But we must also make the transition from a reading institution to a learning institution.

For hundreds of years, the printed word was the only source from which to gain knowledge. Today there are as many ways to learn as there are learners. I believe it is our purpose to understand, inform, and show our patrons all these new ways of learning. That means taking on new roles such as teacher, coder, community facilitator, and many more. All while keeping the core of what makes our profession great: imparting a love of learning, providing equality of access, and insuring accuracy and balance in the information we share.

As someone who has spent time working in academic, corporate, special, and for the bulk of my career in public libraries, I believe I possess a clear understanding of these issues and an excitement and enthusiasm that can be an asset to the California Library Association.

I also have years of administrative and board experience within the profession that have prepared me to work collaboratively with colleagues on behalf of our membership.

I would be honored to have your vote and, if elected, I promise to listen thoughtfully, seek consensus, and always put the priorities of the California Library Association above all other interests.

 

Questionaire

  1. How do you define leadership?
    Leadership is the ability to earn the trust and faith of a group of people and instill confidence, enthusiasm and purpose in them toward reaching a common goal.
  2. Why are you interested in this position?
    I want to serve my colleagues and help California libraries through the transitions and transformations necessary to meet the needs of our communities.
  3. How would you describe your personal leadership/communication style?
    I try to set the example of the type of behavior I would like to see. I demonstrate trustworthiness so that I may be trusted, I demonstrate commitment so that others will show follow-through, I listen so that others will see that it is important to be heard. I also believe in clear and direct communication that is tactful and diplomatic.  I explain my positions on issues so that others know where I stand, and I am open to adjusting those positions when someone presents clear and convincing information to challenge them. Ultimately, I believe leadership is a service position and that my job is to hire the best people, give them guidance, give them what they need to do their jobs, and help them get to the next level.
  4.  What strengths would you bring to the position?
    I am a problem-solver by nature and not daunted by challenging issues. I believe there is always a way to a result. I am a strong collaborator and am experienced at finding mutual interests among diverse groups and creating strong coalitions. I also bring a down-to-earth attitude, sense of humor, and a clear conviction that the work we do is of great service to our communities. 
  5. What experience do you bring to this position?
    I have over 20 years of experience in the Library field. I began as the head of Reference for the Redwood City Library followed by 13 years as the Assistant Director of the San Bruno Library and eventually the Assistant Community Services Director in charge of Libraries, Senior Services and City-wide special events. I have served the last four years as the Director of Community Services for the City of Stockton overseeing the 14-branch Stockton San Joaquin County Public Library System and the City of Stockton Recreation Division. I have also worked in both urban, suburban and rural settings and understand the issues in each of these types of libraries.
  6. What issues or trends are particularly informing your work at this time?
    - Utilizing high-speed bandwidth for innovative programming
    - How library and recreation services can collaborate to benefit communities
    - Using community needs as the basis for developing library services
    - Libraries as centers for educational certification for workforce development
    - Early learning strategies to increase third grade reading levels
    - Social and Emotional Learning as part of youth services
    - Comprehensive free after-school programming as a supplement to public education
    - Social issues and their effect on communities and their ability to learn (e.g. trauma, race, income inequality, gender, 
      sexual orientation)
  7. Who are the thought leaders (in libraries or in other fields) who interest you?
    R. David Lankes, Simon Sinek, Jack Kornfield, The Aspen Institute.
  8. Who are the regional and statewide stakeholders libraries need to be in communication with?
    School districts, the Department of Education, the State Library, state legislators, local elected officials, the business community, the League of California Cities and ICMA. Libraries also need to be in communication with one another.
  9. What do you feel are the most critical challenges and opportunities facing California libraries right now?Transitioning from a 20th to a 21st century model of service, building the necessary physical and virtual infrastructure, shifting from a “reading” focus to a “learning” focus, shifting from library-centrism to community-centrism.
  10. Describe your experience serving on Association committees and/or interest groups.
    I have served on the Marketing Committee for CLA administering the CLA PRExcellence awards and I have also served on the CLA Conference Planning committee.
  11. Describe your network of connections with library professionals and library stakeholders in California.
    Given that I have spent part of my career in the Bay Area and part in the Central Valley as well as serving on a wide number of regional and state-wide committees, I have established a broad network of contacts. My work with CLA has given me the opportunity to broaden my network and get to know many people in Southern California as well. Attending and presenting at conferences has also enhanced my professional network. And Stockton’s proximity to Sacramento has allowed me to develop relationships at the State Library level and with state lawmakers through participation in legislative days and other advocacy efforts.