Anthony Chow, San Jose State University's  School of Information

Candidate for Board Member at Large

Tell us about your background and what made you want to run for the Board of the California Library Association?

I am beginning my 22nd year as an LIS professor and am the new Director of San Jose State's iSchool and my areas of specialty include information and patron needs, technology integration, organizational management and leadership, community assessment and strategic planning, instructional design, and systematic barriers to access to libraries and early children's literacy in underserved and tribal communities. I am a former member of ALA's Committee on Library Advocacy and was a long-term board member and co-chair of Advocacy

and Legislation for the North Carolina Library Association (NCLA). I was also the founder of nclibraryadvocacy.org and long-term National Library Legislative Day (NLLD) state liaison for North Carolina.

I would like to run for the Board so that I can both leverage my years of experience in the field and with North Carolina and also so that I can serve as a nexus between the current needs of California libraries, our students, and how our iSchool is preparing them. This includes but is not limited to expertise in leadership and organizational management, data collection and data analysis, online learning and instructional design and technology, community assessment and strategic planning, EDI, and hands-on advocacy. Read more about me and my background at www.anthonyschow.com.

What experience do you have that will serve you while completing your three-year term?

I would be a valued-added to the California Library Association and the Board in many ways but let me identify three in particular: 1) As Director of the iSchool at San Jose State part of my job duties is to both serve and understand the field so that we can better prepare our faculty and students for the future; 2) As the former Faculty Senate Chair at UNC Greensboro (I left to join SJSU fall 2021), long-term Chair of Advocacy and Legislation, and also national strategic planning consultant, I understand all types of libraries and have a lot of experience talking with leaders at all levels including federal and state legislators, legislative aides, county and municipal leaders, superintendents, mayors, city managers, etc.; and 3) I have both the time and expertise to be very versatile in how I am needed and can assist CLA - I highly covet service to others and the community and will bring my passion and experience to whatever committees or projects I am needed for.

What is the most important thing the Board of the California Library Association should do in the next three years, and how will you contribute?

Although I have just returned to California this fall 2021 (I graduated from San Francisco State in 1992 but left to raise my family in Florida in 1994) and am not yet familiar with the current California landscape, I would say the three top priorities could be: 1) Serve as an educational and social networking resource for managing the rapidly changing landscape caused by the pandemic - this includes understanding and supporting patrons in the new virtual/remote/hybrid school and work technology enriched settings and also the ""library of things"" movement; 2) Remain strong in advocacy and legislation as libraries continue to have a significant role to play in equalizing the playing field for so many people from cradle to grave; and 3) Continue supporting early children's literacy for underrepresented minorities and lower socio-economic patrons as building a love of reading prior to kindergarten (0-5) is such a critical period in a person's life - all children deserve equal access to high quality reading material, services, and resources regardless of their socio-economic status.

I can help with any and all of the three either by providing resources from the iSchool, leveraging the time and expertise of our students and faculty, and/or serving on or leading committees focused on these initiatives.

What has the California Library Association accomplished during the pandemic that should continue, and how will you help make that happen?

In my first month on the job at SJSU, I have already been reading the emails I have received from CLA and I will have to say that clearly advocacy and legislation and helping communicate the role of all types of libraries during the pandemic to decision makers appears to be a strength that must continue. I am also impressed by the level of training being offered in a multitude of areas. Maybe the iSchool can help support these more in the future.