Library Management Hot Topics Panelist

Alice Calabrese-Berry



	Alice Calabrese-Berry

Alice Calabrese-Berry is the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Library System for the Chicago area. She helped lead the boards of both the Chicago Multitype Library System and the Suburban Library System in a merger which became official July 1, 2004. She has been the Executive Director of two other library systems in Illinois, Chicago Library System and the DuPage Library System. She has worked in both the academic and public library arena throughout her career. Alice also received a Presidential appointment to the White House Conference Advisory Committee and served from 1989-1991.

“Some of the serious issues facing all libraries today involve funding, recruitment, and succession planning. Three social trends, ethnic/language diversity, the aging population and increasing poverty for the bottom 20% of U.S. households, will affect how we serve. Political issues such as opposition to tax increases, intellectual freedom/Patriot Act issues and security concerns could create a chilling effect on our democratic process. It is the best of times and the worst of times.”

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