GPL Director Craig Scott gets leadership role with Alabama Library Association
Craig Scott, director of the Gadsden Public Library since 2018, now has a statewide leadership role as well.
Scott has been chosen president-elect of the Alabama Library Association, and will be installed as the organization’s president-elect in June 2024.
ALLA, formed in 1904, provides “leadership for the development, advocacy, and improvement of library and information services and (promotes) the profession of librarianship, in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all,” according to a mission statement at its website.
Scott was chosen president-elect in a vote of librarians and library paraprofessionals during the organization’s annual election in May, according to a news release from the City of Gadsden.
“Winning the support and faith of my peers to represent Alabama’s libraries, including librarians, paraprofessionals, library supporters and the patrons we serve, is a great honor with tremendous responsibility,” he said.
Scott is no stranger to ALLA, having held voting positions on its Executive Council (twice as member-at-large from North Alabama) and served on its Legislative Committee this year. He chaired the organization’s 2016 convention, which was held in Gadsden, has chaired its Intellectual Freedom Committee and has co-chaired its Declaration for the Right to Libraries Campaign.
A native of East Lansing, Michigan — he told Times reporter Lisa Savage in a 2015 interview that he could hear crowds in the Michigan State University football stadium from his front yard — Scott earned a history degree from his hometown school in 1974 (and was a member of its marching band for four years). He also worked in the library there.
He later earned a master’s degree in library science and technology from the University of Michigan, the Spartans’ arch-rival. (He remains an ardent fan of Michigan State football.)
Scott spent 26 years in the publishing world with McGraw-Hill, working in East Lansing, Chicago, Detroit, Boston and New York, and retired after his final stop in Birmingham.
He joined the Gadsden Public Library staff in 2007 and was adult services librarian when he was promoted to the top job after longtime director Amanda Jackson left.
Scott has been deeply involved in community affairs since coming to Gadsden. He chairs the Gadsden-Etowah County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster group, is an instructor with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute on the Gadsden campus of the University of Alabama and is a member of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program’s advisory board. He also has been a portrayer during “A Walk Through Time" at Forrest Cemetery.
“Craig Scott represents the City of Gadsden well as our library director, and being entrusted by his peers throughout the state proves what an asset he is to our city," said Gadsden Mayor Craig Ford. "With constant programming for children, adults and senior citizens, the Gadsden Public Library thrives as a free educational institution for all Gadsden area residents.”
Scott in the city news release said libraries of all types are faced with incredible challenges in today’s world, including advocacy and relevance, changing user needs and expectations, combatting the digital divide and overcoming funding constraints.
“Despite these challenges, Alabama’s libraries are continually adapting and evolving to meet the changing needs of their communities,” he said. “They remain essential institutions, leveraging their unique strengths, expertise, and commitment to public access to information to overcome these obstacles and serve as invaluable community resources.”
Scott called libraries “essential institutions that promote knowledge, education, equality, workforce development, and community engagement. They serve as pillars of society, empowering individuals, fostering intellectual growth and contributing to the overall well-being and development of communities.”
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Gadsden library's Scott to lead state association
