CHING-CHIH CHEN, Professor & Associate Dean, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Simmons College, 300 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115: July 1971.
EDUCATION: Nat'l Taiwan Univ., BA (Foreign Lang. & Lit.), 1959; Univ. Michigan, AMLS (Lib. Sci.), 1961; Case Western Reserve Univ., Ph.D. (Lib. Info. Sci.), 1973.
ALA ACTIVITITIES: Council, 1981-1985, 1985-1989, 1989-1993; Council Assem. Plan. & Budget, 1990-92; Legislative Com., 1981-85, Ch., 1984-85; Int'l Rel. Com., Subcom. Liaison with Chinese Libs., ch., 1988-93; Resource Member on Taiwan, Int'l Lib. Educ. Com., 1978. LITA, Dir. of the Board, 1990-1993.
STATE & REGIONAL LIBRARY AND OTHER ASSOCIATION ACTIVITES:
New England Microcomputer Group (NEMICRO), Founder, 1983; Ontario LA, Ref. Div., President, 1967-68; New England Lib. Board Task Force Cont. Educ., 1975-76. New England Chapter, Am. Soc. Info. Sci.: Ch., 1977-78, Board, 1976-79, Ch., Nomination Com., 1972-73, Chapter Rep., 1973-75; Canadian LA, Membership Com., 1966-67. Cont. Lib. Educ. Network & Exchange, 1976-79. Medical LA: Ad Hoc Task Analysis Com., 1975-77; Surveys and Statis. Com., 1976-81, Ch. 1980-82; Certification Exam. Rev. Com., 1977-79; Ad Hoc Com. Study MLA's Role in Lib. Res., 1977-79. Am. Soc. Info. Sci.: Ch. SIG/ED, 1979-80; Award Merit Jury Com., 1978-80; Int'l Rel. Com., 1979-81; Educ. Com. 1979-82; SIG/III, Assist. Ch., 1982-83; Dir. Board, 1982-84; Cand. Pres., 1984; Award Jury for SIG-of-the-year, 1984-85; Prog. Com. 50th Conf., 1986-87; Standard Com., 1991-96. Assoc. Am. Lib. Schools: Res. Com., 1981-83; Prog. Plan. Com., Ch., 1983-84; Cand. Pres., 1985. Am. Assoc. Advance. Sci.: Nominating Com., Elec. T, 1985-88, Ch., 1987; Cand. Ch., 1988.
HONOR & AWARDS: LITA/Library Hi Tech Award, 1994; LITA/Gaylord Award for Achievement in Lib. & Inform. Tech., 1990; New England LA's Emerson Greenaway Award, 1994; Assoc. Visual Communicators' Cindy Award, 1992; Am. Assoc. Advance. Sci., Fellow, 1985; Am. Soc. Info. Sci., Outstanding Inform. Sci. Teacher Award, 1983; Distinguished Alumnus Awards: Univ. of Michigan, 1980, Nat'l Taiwan Univ., 1983; Distinguished Serv. Awards: Chinese Am. LA, 1982; Chinese Lib. Assoc., 1983; Asian Pacific LA, 1992.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: For over 35 years I have served the library community as an award-winning public/academic librarian, teacher, speaker, consultant, researcher, and innovator. Active in ALA for 30 years, I have been an effective library advocate for over 20 years, authoring the baseline document on citizens' information needs for the first, 1976, White House Conference. I am an author/editor of 26 books and over 100 articles and am the founding Editor-in-Chief of Microcomputers for Information Management: Global Internetworking for Libraries (Ablex), an international quarterly journal, since 1984. My latest book is Planning Global Information Infrastructure (Ablex), 1995, sponsored partially by the US NCLIS. I have received numerous awards including the LITA/Gaylord Award for Achievement in Library Information Technology (1990), for my pioneering work in interactive multimedia on the NEH supported PROJECT EMPEROR-I. My electronic publishing products, The First Emperor of China, have won the Cindy Award of Association of Visual Communicators in 1992, and the multimedia CD-ROM version was chosen by MacUser (October 1994) as one of the 50 best CD-ROMs of 1994. I regard students as the future of the profession, and have committed myself to preparing them for service in the 21st century for every type of library. For that commitment, I have received awards, including the ASIS Outstanding Teacher Award (1983). I have been a tireless teacher and trainer, and has directed over 80 baseline training institutes all over the country and the world. In 1994, I offered a series of eight Science Reference Institutes to over 500 school and public librarians in Massachusetts under the sponsorship of the US Department of Education with the MA Board of Library Commissioners. I have offered keynote speeches in over 25 countries, and have served as consultant to many major organizations in over two dozen countries. Since 1987, I have personally organized 8 international conferences on new information technologies (NIT), focused on national policies in developing countries, and the planning of global information infrastructure; and have developed a powerful informal network of over 2000 professionals in the world. [Please find more information on my web site: http://www.simmons.edu/~cchen/ALA/home.html]
ALA MEMBER SINCE: 1976.

STATEMENT OF PROFESSIONAL CONCERNS:
American libraries are at a crossroads and in crisis. Downsizing at all levels of government has resulted in a decline of funding for all types of libraries -- public, school, academic and special alike. Library education is facing serious problems with many schools closing and program quality diminishing. Dynamic technological advancements have outpaced our libraries' ability to catch up conceptually and operationally. This development has not only changed the traditional role of libraries but also widened the gaps between the information-poor and information-rich.
More than ever, ALA needs a leader who can respond to these new challenges and demands with extensive knowledge and experience, as well as fresh and new perspectives; can champion free and open information access and services to everyone through a diversity of programs, including those to children, the disadvantaged, and literacy; can use available technologies effectively and innovatively to reach ALA's goals; and is able to continue and expand ALA's present mission by addressing the increasingly complex issues resulting from societal revolutionary changes. ALA needs a leader who is committed to meeting its members' needs and increasing members' participation.
I believe I have what it takes to lead the ALA ONE STEP BEYOND! For over 35 years, I have served the profession well as a librarian, teacher, speaker, consultant, researcher, and innovator. Many awards/honors given to me signify the wide-spread recognition and endorsement of my work. With my extensive involvement in the multimedia and digital technology applications in the last decade, I find great synergy for me to implement ALA's Goal 2000. With your help and your confidence in me, we can work together to ensure that the ALA can represent our common mission for the 21st century. ALA can thrive in the digital environment with a central leadership role in shaping American information policies and contributing globally as well.
CHING-CHIH CHEN