91´«Ã½

CHICAGO — Last week, the Public Library Association (PLA) Board of Directors appointed Dr. Brandy McNeil to the Director-at-Large position in her return to the PLA board. Dr. McNeil will complete the 2023-2024 term of Candice Mack, who vacated the position effective November 10, 2023, to serve as the new executive director for the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½).

Dr. McNeil is the deputy director of branch programs & services at New York Public Library. In her work, Dr. McNeil focuses on community needs through game-changing innovations to build successful adult education programs in the 89 branches under her stewardship across New York City. Building the highly successful TechConnect program, Dr. McNeil has established partnerships with Apple, Spotify, Google, and Microsoft, to name a few. Through her inspirational leadership, she has made it her mission to help underserved communities to ensure equitable access to technology, knowledge, and opportunity. In her spare time, she is an entrepreneur, consultant, and motivational speaker.

“I am thrilled to return to the PLA board as Candice Mack transitions to an exciting new role as YALSA executive director,” remarked Dr. McNeil. “The upcoming presents a tremendous opportunity to positively impact the future of public libraries and library workers. I am honored to continue dedicating my expertise in equitable access and community empowerment to PLA.”

Currently, Dr. McNeil serves as a member of the PLA 2024 Nominating Committee and the PLA Digital Literacy Committee. She previously served on the PLA Board of Directors (2020-2023) and on the Black Caucus of the 91´«Ã½ Executive Board (2019-2021).

About the Public Library Association

The Public Library Association (PLA) is the largest association dedicated to supporting the unique and evolving needs of public library professionals. Founded in 1944, PLA serves nearly 9,000 members in public libraries large and small in communities across the United States and Canada, with a growing presence around the world. PLA strives to help its members shape the essential institution of public libraries by serving as an indispensable ally for public library leaders. For more information about PLA, contact the PLA office at 1 (800) 545-2433, ext. 5PLA, or pla@ala.org.