Leslie Warren, Northern Michigan University dean of Library and Instructional Support, has accepted an appointment as chair for the final year of her two-year term on the American Library Association's Rural, Native, and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds Committee. She will serve in the leadership role from July 1 through June 30, 2022.
The committee's charge is to review issues and challenges confronting these libraries, collaborate with other ALA units addressing the needs of rural communities, and serve as an advocate for and partner with libraries serving rural, tribal and native populations.
Since Warren joined the committee, it has updated The Small but Powerful Guide to Winning Big Support for Your Rural Library, an online booklet with practical steps for advocacy and community engagement.
“I'm pleased that the Upper Peninsula is represented in this new edition,” she said. “Photos on pages 2 and 19 are from Portage Lake District Library in Houghton. Our next priority is to host a national summit for rural and tribal libraries, where we can discuss challenges, solutions and innovations. Next year we will probably develop and update resources for tribal and native libraries.
“Rural, native and tribal libraries have broad opportunities to support education, leisure, creativity and civic engagement in their communities. Individual libraries are frequently small, with limited resources, but together we can accomplish a lot and help our communities accomplish even more.”
View more information on the ALA's Rural, Native, and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds Committee and its membership here.