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ALA Lecture Series: “What Comes Next: Libraries, Advocacy, and Public Policy—A Conversation with ALA President-Elect Sam Helmick”

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INFO Staff - May 13, 2025

ALA President-Elect Sam Helmick discussed 2025 library challenges and tools for change

UMD students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends joined us for this year’s American Library Association (ALA) Speaker Series event on April 17, 2025.

Description:

You are invited to a special discussion with incoming ALA President Sam Helmick on April 17th. President Helmick will share timely insights into what is coming next for public and academic libraries in the U.S., tools for advocacy and connecting to elected officials, and guidance to build a coalition of movers and shakers. The conversation will open to students, educators, and practitioners from various career stages to share their experiences in this area.

Bio:

Sam Helmick is the President-Elect of the American Library Association. They currently serve as Community & Access Services Coordinator at Iowa City Public Library. Helmick was a member of the ALA Executive Board until 2024 and is a past president of the Iowa Library Association. They previously served as former chair-elect on the Intellectual Freedom Round Table and chair of the Iowa Governor’s Commission of Libraries. They have served on committees for the Network of the National Library of Medicine, the Stonewall Book Awards, the ALA Policy Monitoring Committee, Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) Michael L. Printz Committee, the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) Sophie Brody Award Committee and the YALSA Fundraising Task Force. Helmick is a 2016 Emerging Leader, as well as an author, consultant, and instructor for social media marketing and graphic design. They hold a Bachelor of Science in Human Services from Iowa Wesleyan University and a Master of Science in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois.