Leadership in Libraries: The African American Experience

Join us for a three-part series focused on the nuts and bolts of leadership. This series features a dynamic group of African American library leaders who will share insights and wisdom gained from their leadership journey in library and information science. Presenters will share tips and strategies on what it takes to be an effective leader, leading in the face of adversity, and leading from where you are.

In February 2020, Tracie D. Hall was appointed the American Library Association’s 10th executive director in its 143-year history. In her new role, Hall oversees the oldest and largest library association in the world, made up of 57,000 members and more than 200 staffers. Hall is the first female African American executive director in ALA’s history. Upon Hall’s appointment then ALA President Wanda K. Brown observed that “Her unique combination of philanthropy and library know-how position her to be the leader ALA needs today. She is optimistic, energizing, and innovative, qualities that will serve the association well as it continues its investments in advocacy, development, and information technology.” 

Hall is no stranger to libraries, or to ALA. Over the years she has worked at the Seattle Public Library, the New Haven Free Public Library, Hartford Public Library, and Queens Library where she served as Vice President for Strategy and Organizational Development. In 1998, she was among the first cohort of ALA’s Spectrum Scholars, a grant program to diversify librarianship, and she served as the director of ALA’s Office for Diversity in the early 2000s and has served on advisory councils for the Institute of Museum and Library Services and written for the field’s major publications. She was highlighted as a “Mover and Shaker” in the field by Library Journal  early in her career. Most recently, Hall directed the culture portfolio at the Chicago-based Joyce Foundation, developing new grant programs designed to foster greater equity and diversity in arts administration, catalyze and scale neighborhood-based arts venues, cultural programming and creative entrepreneurship. Prior to that she worked as Deputy Commissioner of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and as community investment strategist in Global Corporate Citizenship at The Boeing Company. A civic leader in Chicago, Hall was appointed to serve on the City of Chicago’s Cultural Advisory Council at the beginning of 2020. Hall has also served in multiple roles in academia, including as assistant dean of Dominican’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science in River Forest, IL and as visiting professor at Wesleyan, Southern Connecticut State, and Catholic Universities among others. In addition to her MLIS from the Information School at the University of Washington, Hall holds an MA in International and Area studies with an emphasis on Sub-Saharan Africa from Yale University and dual bachelor’s degrees in Law and Society and Black Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Hall has also studied at the Universities of Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in East Africa. A recipient of numerous honors and awards for her library, arts, and civic leadership, Hall was born and raised in Los Angeles and makes her home on Chicago’s south side.

Presentation Slides:

Sonia Alcántara-Antoine is the executive director of Baltimore County Public Library (MD), overseeing 19 branches, 600 dedicated staff, and a budget of $44 million.   Prior to joining Baltimore County Public Library, she was director or Newport News Public Library (VA) and held leadership positions at Virginia Beach Public Library (VA) and Enoch Pratt Free Library (MD).  She is an American Library Association Spectrum Scholar.  She is active in a number of professional association groups including the Public Library Association, where she currently a candidate for President of PLA, and the Urban Libraries Council, where she serves on the Antiracism and Digital Equity action teams.  Sonia holds a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from Florida State University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Old Dominion University. 

Petrina Jackson began as the Lia Gelin Poorvu Executive Director of the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America and Librarian for the Harvard Radcliffe Institute November 2021. She was the director of the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) at Syracuse University Libraries where she oversaw the Belfer Audio Laboratory and Archive, University Archives, and all curated collections. Before Syracuse, she served at Iowa State University as the head of Special Collections and University Archives. Prior to that, she served as the head of instruction and outreach at the University of Virginia’s Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, and senior assistant archivist for the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections at Cornell University.  Jackson received a B.A. in English from the University of Toledo, an M.A. in English from Iowa State University, and a master of library and information science degree from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a widely recognized leader in the field by her active roles within the Society of American Archivists and the American Library Association’s Rare Books and Manuscripts Section.

Since August 2017, Elaine L. Westbrooks has been the Vice Provost of University Libraries and University Librarian at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  She is responsible for the leadership and general administration of the University Libraries which includes 9 libraries with approximately 275 librarians, archivists, and staff. She has held leadership positions at a number of research universities including the University of Michigan, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Cornell University. Westbrooks is a member of the Association of Research Libraries Scholars and Scholarship Committee, Center for Open Science Board of Directors, the Executive Committee of Triangle Research Libraries Network, the Digital Public Library of America Board of Directors, and the HathiTrust Board of Governors.  She has a B.A. in Linguistics and MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh.