Jim Rettig is the current president president of the American Library Association (ALA), the oldest and largest library organization in the world.

A Chicago native and the University Librarian at the Boatwright Memorial Library University of Richmond, Virginia, Jim is an ardent advocate for the value of libraries and their unique, unequalled role in providing lifelong learning opportunities to people of every age, income and race.

Jim's favorite authors include John Updike, Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, J. M. Coetze, Anne Fadiman, Ian McEwen, Parker Palmer, Nuala O'Faolain, Richard Russo, Kay Redfield Jamison, Charles Dickens, John Keats, William Shakespeare and Kinky Friedman.

Established in 1876, the ALA has more than 65,000 members. As ALA president, Jim provides leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.

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