“Libraries for the Future” Returns

It was one of the more unwieldy name changes in libraryland, but the Americans for Libraries Council (ALC), the name under which Libraries for the Future (LFF) operated from 2004 to 2007, is no more: the LFF is back in the saddle again.

“We believe that this name best captures the forward-looking energy of America's libraries today, helping their communities connect with information (and one another) in ever-new and creative ways,” LFF said in a statement. LFF's ongoing projects include community collaborations on family literacy, lifelong access, and wellness.

The organization, which launched in 1992 in response to severe funding cuts, evolved into multiple roles, with the ALC arm focusing on advocacy and public awareness and LFF on program development/training. “The board decided it would be more effective to feature the program arm as our public face,” LFF spokeswoman Nina Sonenberg told LJ. “Also, 'Americans for Libraries Council' was hard for people to say. With 'Libraries for the Future,' people get it.”

LFF will retain the organization's board, while an advisory council, known as ALC, will remain. A new president, Minneapolis-based architect Jeffrey Scherer, was elected in June, and four new board members were added. Last year, the organization, long led by president Diantha Schull, added its first executive director, Bruce Astrein.