Tamika Barnes, associate dean, Perimeter College Library Services, Georgia State University, is 2026-2027 president-elect of the American Library Association. Barnes received 3,827 votes, while Becky Calzada, district library coordinator, Leander [Tex.] Independent School District, received 2,742 votes.
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| Tamika Barnes | |
"I am deeply honored by the trust ALA members have placed in me," Barnes said. "Throughout this campaign, I have listened to members across library types and career stages, and I will continue to lead with that same commitment to connection, transparency, and responsiveness. Together, we will foster an ALA that is bold in its advocacy, clear in its purpose, and prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead."
Barnes currently serves as the Georgia Library Association president. She is also a member of the Freedom to Read Foundation, the Lois Ann Gregory-Ward Fellows Program committee, and the EBSCO Information Services Library Staff Development Award committee. Barnes served on the GLA executive board from 2013 to 2021.
She was on the ALA executive board from 2018 to 2021 and the ALA Council 2015-2018 and 2019-2021. She is a member of the Association of College and Research Libraries and the Black Caucus of ALA. Barnes has served on numerous ALA committees and groups and is a 1998 Spectrum Scholar.
Among her many honors are the GLA Bob Richardson Award and the Black Caucus of ALA Library Advocacy Award. She is also recognized as a Library Senior Fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Leading Change Institute Fellow. Barnes holds a BA in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an MLS from North Carolina Central University in Durham.