Cambridge’s director of libraries, Maria McCauley, has been elected president of the 48,000-member American Library Association during a critical moment in its history: an attempt by the Donald Trump administration to destroy the library system.
McCauley – who continues to lead the Cambridge Public Library system during her term – is in a leadership role as the association sues the federal government over its attack on its Institute of Museum and Library Services. After a March 14 executive order, nearly all staff at the agency were put on leave, mass termination of grants began, all members of the board were dismissed and data collection and research was halted, the association said, throwing libraries “across the country into a state of chaos.”
There has already been a win in court: Mass layoffs expected to take place Sunday were halted by a temporary restraining order issued Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. (Twenty-one attorneys general have filed a related lawsuit against the federal government.)
“It is unprecedented that there is this attempt to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and that does also call me to action,” McCauley said in an April 23 interview, “with that love of libraries that I see in Cambridge – how the library is a center of opportunity for so many people, for learning and literacy, for access to technology, for dreaming and hoping and getting connected – I’m extra interested in lending my leadership and support in these challenging times.”
Her work with the association over the past several years has been legislative – advocating on Capitol Hill and at the state level to celebrate the work of libraries and advocate for state and federal funding. “Usually it’s about seeking a certain amount of funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services,” not fighting for its existence, she said.
McCauley, who has been in her Cambridge role since 2016, started her career in libraries here in 1999. She served as director of libraries for Somerville and then Santa Monica, California, before returning to Cambridge, a role she said informed her campaign platform and will guide her priorities as president.
More hours and a makerspace
Her campaign included four goals she’s made a reality here: increasing equity and access while improving services for everyone, advocating for libraries and raising awareness on key issues, deepening the membership experience and promoting sustainability.
“I’m really excited about all of them,” McCauley said.
Since her return to Cambridge, the library system has expanded its branch hours by more than 54 hours, increasing access to all seven branches. The library eliminated fines and prioritized inclusion efforts. She’s brought library cards to more children by shifting the kindergarten library card campaign from an opt-in to an opt-out program.
“We used to send home a permission slip for parents and caretakers to sign and return if they wanted their kindergartner to get a library card, and we would get about half of them back,” McCauley said. “We switched to an opt-out program, and now we have over 95 percent of kindergartners getting their library cards.”
She’s deepened the member experience through a program called Steam at the Library – for science, technology, engineering, arts and technology – that takes place in a free makerspace called The Hive.
“The vision is to make sure we are creating a career pathway for young people and emerging adults to be able to land jobs right in their backyard,” McCauley said.
Schools and social work
Schools and nonprofits are partners, and middle and high school students come every day after school. “These kids are learning design thinking. They’re learning math and science skills. They’re getting mentored, and they’re going off to pursue education,” McCauley said.
McCauley started a social work program – CPL was the first full library system in Massachusetts to hire a licensed social worker – to provide direct service to community members who come into the libraries. “Our other wonderful library workers can’t spend dedicated time with somebody who might need a lot of assistance, whereas our social workers can dedicate time to people and, because they’re used to working with clients, they can do referrals. They know the other social service resources in the city,” McCauley said. “We welcome all humanity in our library, and we’re prepared to support all humanity.”
She also expanded the reach of the library’s digital equity work, helping people get connected to technology and providing support for unfamiliar users.
And there’s the sustainability component. The Valente Branch, reopened in 2019 as part of the King Open and Cambridge Street Upper Schools and Community Complex, is net-zero, meaning it creates as much energy as it uses. The complex is the largest building in Massachusetts to achieve net-zero emissions.
Running for office
The association McCauley will soon lead is a nonprofit that supports libraries and library professionals. It helps librarians and library workers develop their skills, learn best practices and keep up with what’s happening in the industry. It also advocates for libraries and the resources they need. McCauley previously served on its executive board, represents Massachusetts on its committee on legislation and most recently was president of the Public Library Association, one of the its major divisions.
McCauley was asked to run for president by the association’s nominating committee, and campaigned through the winter, she said. Along the way, one candidate dropped out; McCauley won roughly two-thirds of votes against the remaining other candidate.
“It’s such a big organization, so there are a lot of different groups to reach out to,” McCauley said. “Getting out and talking to members and listening to their concerns, their areas of excitement, was very gratifying.”
The volunteer position encompasses three years that ensures the association gets continuity of leadership: this coming year as president-elect is followed by a yearlong presidential term that is followed by a year as past president. The job includes internal and external work – the external being what McCauley described as “what a lot of people think of,” including media relations, talking with constituents, giving talks and meeting with legislators.
Path to success
Internally, she will work closely with the executive director, who runs the day-to-day business of the organization. She will oversee strategic planning and the organization’s finances, as well as preside over the council, a body made up of representatives from across the association that discusses policy. “I’m thrilled to be taking this position,” McCauley said.
She already sees a path to success in the federal lawsuit.
“Perhaps I am an optimist, but you know, our libraries touch everyone. They help people in every single state, in every type of community from small and rural to large, inner-city, and they help people from birth to the end of life,” McCauley said. “I hope that people will contact their congresspersons in support of their libraries and encourage their loved ones across the United States to call their own legislators – that’s what I heard when I talked to congresspeople: Please make sure people are calling, and encourage people that you know across the United States to make those calls.”
A stronger
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