Paula Laurita, executive director of the Athens-Limestone Public Library, has been elected to serve as the Alabama representative to the American Library Association, according to a press release.

Laurita served as the president of the association from 2015-2016 and as its legislative committee chair from 2016-2018. She will serve as an ALA councilor beginning in June and concluding in June 2021.

“It is truly an honor to be elected by my peers for such a leadership role as this. I am grateful to represent the interests and concerns of Alabama libraries” Laurita said.

The councilor was elected by the ALA in a vote taken during the 2018 spring election.

Laurita has served on numerous committees within ALA, including the library leadership and management association and leadership forum. She earned her master’s degree in library and information studies from the University of Alabama.

She completed the ALA’s certification program as a public library administrator. She is also a member of Beta Phi Mu, the international librarians honor society; an advanced teacher of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum; and a Lerner Teacher Fellow with the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous.

Laurita credits the encouragement for leadership in the state and national associations to Jeff Simpson, an academic librarian at Troy University, and Professor Stephen Yates, at the University of Alabama’s School of Library and Information Studies.

“My work as a councilor will definitely help me be a better advocate for libraries and those who utilize library services and resources,” she said. “I can use both my professional and personal communication outlets to educate library staff and library supporters about issues that impact libraries.”