Dr. Ray Pun, ALA’s President-Elect, will step away from the presidency

From the American Library Association in an email:

ALA’s next President-Elect, Dr. Raymond Pun, will not assume the role for health reasons. He was to take office after ALA Annual Conference adjourns, and he would have been president in 2025-26. 

The 2024-25 Executive Board will fill the vacancy within 30 days, subject to a confirmation vote by ALA’s Council. The process to fill the vacant position of president-elect is spelled out in the ALA Bylaws, Article IV. Officers. Section 3. 

A majority of members voted for Pun in the spring election, with the results announced on April 8. He is an academic and research librarian at the Alder Graduate School of Education in California. 

“We are devastated that Ray will be unable to serve as ALA’s member-elected president in 2025-26,” ALA President Emily Drabinski said. “The most important thing right now is that he takes care of himself and that we respect his privacy. We are grateful for his service to ALA and the entire profession.” 

Drabinski has convened a working group, which includes incoming and outgoing board members, to select and vet candidates for recommendation to the 2024-25 ALA Executive Board. Once a candidate is selected, the decision will go before the 2024-2025 ALA Council for final approval this July.

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