May I begin by expressing my heartfelt gratitude for the outpour of support I have received since announcing my candidacy for the position of Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) President-Elect last summer.  I was honored just to be asked to run for the position, and the subsequent support and confidence I was shown by my peers, acquaintances, colleagues, new professionals and legends in the field alike is almost overwhelming. It reminds me why I do what I do for the association and why I wanted to run for president in the first place.

While I did not win the election for 2014, the experience of running on this ballot has been valuable and inspirational.  I take comfort in the knowledge that it was a close race and I am convinced that my opponent was the best man for the job at this time.  I am looking forward to working with and learning from him for the next three years on the WLA board of directors, as I have been elected as the Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians (WAAL) representative on the WLA board.  I am excited to see what this next term will bring, and I am eager to continue serving our profession, Wisconsin libraries and library users, as well as my peers and friends in the association in this new role.

My platform for the presidency was driving new membership by reaching out to, connecting with, and engaging the younger generations in their preferred methods, and I would like to expand on a few thoughts related to this goal here.

WLA needs to bring value back to membership.  Our members are looking for exclusive benefits that add value to their careers and the libraries they serve.  New members also crave experiences that give them a sense of belonging to a group.  We will retain new members if we get them involved in the association early.

I feel very fortunate to have already served in a leadership capacity for many of the different divisions, sections, and committees within WLA this early in my professional career.  My growing participation in WLA has given me the opportunity to learn from an incredible group of people who care deeply about libraries and meeting the needs of the communities in Wisconsin.  I believe that the best way I can help boost membership at this time is through leading by example.  By showing new MLIS students in the state as well as young or early career professionals how successful you can be in the association early on, my hope is that they will find the value in WLA membership that I have found and benefited from.  I look forward to continuing with this mission through my capacity as a member of the WLA board.