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APALA Endorsement Policy

The APALA Executive Board (EB) determined the need for an official candidate endorsement policy after the organization has been approached by candidates seeking election to the American Library Association (ALA) President position over the last few years. APALA made official endorsements in 2020 and 2021 by vote of the Executive Board.

APALA President Candice Mack convened the APALA Election Endorsement Task Force in January 2021 to research, discuss and draft a potential candidate endorsement policy for the organization.

The APALA Election Endorsement Task Force reviewed the ALA election schedule, prior presidential election races and evaluated how APALA political endorsements were used. We conducted research into the endorsement policies and practices of other ALA affiliates for librarians of color and other Asian Pacific American non-profit organizations to craft this draft policy.

We sent this draft policy to the entire APALA membership via email on May 19 for review and comments. We reviewed the notes, made some minor edits and came up with this proposed final draft to submit to the APALA EB for review and a vote at the June 21 APALA EB and general membership meeting. This was approved by the APALA EB on July 19, 2021.

APALA Election Endorsement Task Force Members:

  • Michelle Lee – chairperson
  • James Cho
  • Jamie Kuramaji

APALA Election Endorsement Policy

  • Candidates should reach out to the APALA Executive Board (EB) by January 1 the year they seek election if they are running for higher office within the American Library Association (ALA).
  • Each person seeking an endorsement for ALA president should send the APALA EB a short biography, political/platform statement, resume/CV and be open to do a virtual interview with all APALA members via an online program like Zoom or Google Meet. All other candidates seeking endorsement for other offices/committees can send a resume/CV and a short biographical statement to the APALA EB.
  • The APALA EB will make the decision/vote for endorsement.
  • Endorsements are given out on a voluntary/non-monetary basis and it is not mandatory that an endorsement is given every year. Endorsements are awarded at the discretion of the APALA EB.
  • If the APALA EB does not find any candidates worthy of a political endorsement, they can decide not to endorse any political candidates in a given year.
  • Generally, the APALA EB has only endorsed candidates for ALA President. The APALA EB is open to endorsing candidates running for other types of library/information science/archives-related offices, excluding the APALA EB election, union elections and cases where people in academic positions seek individual tenure.
  • To gain an endorsement, a candidate must get the majority vote from the APALA EB.
  • If anyone seeking an endorsement is part of the APALA EB, that person must recuse themselves from the endorsement discussion and vote.
  • If there are any other APALA EB members who have a conflict of interest with any of the candidates (relative, romantic or business partner, supervisor/employee, etc.), they must recuse themselves from the endorsement discussion and vote.
  • Any other non-library/information science/archive related political offices (such as state and municipal government races, Board of Education, academic tenure, etc.) or political offices related to our fellow national associations of librarians of color (the Black Caucus of the American Librarians Association/BCALA; REFORMA: The National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking; the Chinese American Librarians Association/CALA; the American Indian Library Association/AILA) and/or the Joint Council of Librarians of Color (JCLC), will not be under consideration for APALA endorsement.
  • It is not mandatory for political candidates to be APALA members to seek the organizations’ endorsement, however membership and service to the organization would be seen favorably.
  • Once the APALA EB gets the names of political candidates who are running for office and seeking APALA endorsement, the APALA President will email the list of names to the APALA Membership Committee to verify if any of the candidates are current APALA members.
  • Endorsement will be a public statement of support from APALA via a press release that will be posted on the APALA website and social media channels. There are no monetary campaign contributions or volunteer campaign work associated with an endorsement. The APALA EB will write and publish the press release.
  • Individual APALA members who wish to contribute their own volunteer time and funds to a political campaign may do so as long as they do not imply they are acting as an official representative/or on behalf of APALA.
  • Ideally, the APALA EB will make their political endorsement announcement by the end of February or early March for the ALA presidential race. Announcements of endorsement for other political offices will be determined by the APALA EB depending on the election timeline of the other political races.

Minimum candidate standard requirements:

  • Be running for office within the American Library Association or related affiliates. Other library/information science/archive-related political elections would be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • Agree with APALA’s mission statement and purpose and candidates must state how they are supporting/doing the work in their candidate statement and interview.
  • Demonstrate commitment/support for the Asian American Pacific Islander community. Candidates do not necessarily have to be of Asian American or Pacific Islander heritage/background.
  • Demonstrate commitment/support for diversity at large within the library/ information science/archives profession.
  • For candidates seeking ALA presidential office, they must have prior leadership and management experience.
  • Demonstrate integrity, character and good communication skills.
  • Active volunteering/involvement in other library/information science/archives-related groups or civic and community organizations, or diverse/multicultural institutions or organizations will be looked at favorably.

Updated 2/24/23