June 2026

Note: We will be taking a hiatus over the summer, and will be back in your inboxes in September. We hope everyone has a wonderful summer! And don't forget to join DCLA if you aren't a member, so you won't miss any of the fun in the fall.

You can also read this newsletter online. 

Upcoming Events

June 16 - Deadline to vote in the DCLA Executive Board elections. Make sure you are a DCLA member and then vote here. 

June 18 - DCLA Annual Banquet at Busboys and Poets Brookland, 6-8pm. Register here. 

June 27 - DCLA Meetup at ALA Annual Conference. 5-7pm CST, Location TBD. 

Reminder: Register for Annual Banquet

Don't forget to register for the DCLA Annual Banquet at Busboys and Poets Brookland, on June 18 from 6-8pm. We will announce the new DCLA executive board members and hear from guest speaker Sophia Sotilleo, Vice Provost and Dean of Libraries at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. See her full bio below, and register for the banquet here.

Banquet Speaker Spotlight: Sophia Sotilleo

We are excited to have Sophia Sotilleo, the Vice Provost and Dean of Libraries at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, as our guest speaker at this year's annual banquet on Thursday, June 18. 

Sotilleo is an academic librarian and leader known for her advocacy of intellectual freedom, First Amendment rights, and innovative, student and research-centered library services. Her work spans grant writing, programming, assessment, and project management. She currently researches Embedded Librarianship, focusing on access, advocacy, and leadership.

Ms. Sotilleo serves on the ALA Executive Board, is the Past President of the Freedom to Read Foundation, and sits on various national and local library committees and boards. She has held various library roles and recently co-chaired the inaugural Symposium on Intellectual Freedom and Social Justice.

A committed mentor, she supports leadership and equity initiatives at institutions like Yale, Princeton, and the University of Pittsburgh, supporting learning and partnership for people of color interested in the field of librarianship. She holds degrees from Lincoln University (PA) and Drexel University and is a graduate of leadership programs at Harvard University and the Association of Research Libraries.

Register to attend and bring your questions for Ms. Sotilleo. See you there!

Reminder: Cast Your Vote for the DCLA Executive Board

It's time to vote in the DCLA Board elections. Only active members can vote, so make sure to join and then vote here. 

Elections open today, June 3rd and close on Tuesday, June 16. We will announce the winners on June 18 at our Annual Banquet. (Register here!)

The positions to be voted on are:

Vice President/President-Elect - 3 year term: 1 year as VP, 1 Year as President, 1 year as Immediate Past President

Membership Director - 2 year term

Secretary - 2 year term

Find out more about the candidates here and vote here.

Volunteer with DCLA - Appointed Board Positions

The following voting board members are open for 2026-2027 and will be appointed by the President at the beginning of the year (July 2026):

  • Advocacy Director

  • Career and Leadership Development Director

  • Systems Director

  • Section Chairs:

    • Academic Librarians Section

    • Public Librarians Section

    • School Librarian Section

    • Special Library Section

To learn more about appointed board positions or to be considered for one, email leadership_director@dcla.org

Save the Date: DCLA Meetup at ALA Annual in Chicago

Save the date for a DCLA Meetup at ALA Annual in Chicago. We will gather on Saturday, June 27, from 5-7pm CST at Momento Cantina, 36 E Monroe Dr.  We hope to see you there! 

Opportunity: Diverse BookFinder Metadata Community of Practice

Are you invested in questions about who is being represented in children’s books featuring Black and Indigenous People and People of Color (BIPOC) and how they are represented? Are you a conscientious reader of picture books, early readers, middle grade, and young adult literature?   

If so, the Diverse BookFinder (DBF) Metadata Community of Practice may be for you!  

The Diverse BookFinder seeks applications for the 2026-2027 Metadata Community of Practice to code books for children and youth featuring BIPOC characters. The DBF is an online, searchable database designed to facilitate the discoverability and exploration of books for children and youth featuring BIPOC characters, so that all children can find themselves reflected and celebrated. 

We welcome applicants from all identities and backgrounds. We specifically seek candidates with an understanding of race, culture, gender, and power and a strong interest in applying this knowledge to analyses of BIPOC representation in children’s and young adult books. We envision a world overflowing with books by and about BIPOC, reflecting the diverse voices and experiences of BIPOC-identified people and communities. 

Metadata Community of Practice members will: 

  • Commit to participating for 15 months: September 2026 to December 2027, with ten weeks of training sessions (both asynchronous and synchronous) from September through November 2026; 

  • Read, code, and discuss with team members the content of assigned books (25-30 books/year, 3-5 hours/week), using systems and processes established by the Diverse BookFinder from January to December 2027; and 

  • Participate in regular discussions via Zoom to share and discuss findings as well as for ongoing support.  

To learn more about the Metadata Community of Practice, please view the document linked below: 

Diverse BookFinder Metadata Community of Practice Information Sheet 

DCLA Career Support: Job Board & Resume Review

We want to support your career! Two ways we can help are with our resume review service and the DCLA job board.

Resume Review

Are you looking for a job or just looking to prepare for a job search? Your fellow DCLA members are here to help.  Experienced library and information professionals are available to review your resume or CV. If you'd like someone to review your resume, please send it as a Google or Word document to this address: leadership_director@dcla.org and a DCLA volunteer will get back to you in a week or so with feedback.

DCLA Job Board

Are you recruiting for a new member of your team? Post your next job opening on the DCLA jobs board to find great candidates.

Are you looking for your next opportunity? Find job listings in the DCLA career portal!

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