In the News: Alena Rivers Selected to Lead Children’s Library Service Association

Alena Rivers MLIS ‘17 was recently named executive director of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association.

Rivers joined the American Library Association in 2017 as deputy director and began serving as interim executive director of ALSC in September 2021.

With more than 4,000 members, ALSC supports and enhances library service to children with creative programs, continuing education, recommendations of best practices, and professional connections among members. Members include children’s and youth librarians, library school faculty, experts in children’s literature and others.

“I hope to continue inspiring our members to find a space to grow in their profession and expand their networks through engagement in ALA,” Rivers told American Libraries Magazine in a new interview. “It’s always exciting to see how members’ experiences and ideas contribute to ALSC’s direction.”

While studying for her MLIS, Rivers worked as a graduate assistant with Dominican’s Butler Children’s Literature Center, an examination center for newly published children’s and young adult books. She also wrote for Butler’s Pantry, the center’s blog.

Read more of Rivers’ interview with American Libraries Magazine here.