Leslie Burger

After growing up in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Burger obtained a Bachelor's degree from Southern Connecticut State College in 1973, a Master of Library Science from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1974, and a master's in organizational behavior from the University of Hartford in 1988.{{cite news |title=Women in Business: Leslie Burger |url=https://princetoninfo.com/women-in-business-leslie-burger/ |accessdate=18 November 2018 |work=U.S. 1 |date=2 February 2000}} Burger held a number of positions in planning and library development, including at the Bridgeport Public Library, the Connecticut State Library and the New Jersey State Library.

From 1999 to 2015, Burger was the executive director of the Princeton Public Library, where she led the library in the design, construction, and opening of a new building as well as development efforts resulting in more than $25 million in private funding.{{cite web |title=Leslie Burger |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-burger-21088463/ |website=LinkedIn |accessdate=18 November 2018}}

Along with her husband Alan, Burger is the founder and owner of Library Development Solutions, a consulting firm where she provides guidance to libraries on strategic planning, space-assessments, building programs, and program evaluation and implementation. She also works as a part time lecturer at the Rutgers University School of Communication and Information, where she designed and teaches a course on transformative library leadership.

In 2023 Burger was appointed interim Executive Director of the American Library Association.[https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/ala-names-leslie-burger-as-interim-executive-director/ ALA Names Leslie Burger as Interim Executive Director]. American Libraries. November 15, 2023.

Burger served as president of the American Library Association from 2006 to 2007, concentrating her efforts on initiatives focused on how libraries need to transform to serve their communities.{{cite web |title=Who We Are |url=http://librarydevelopment.com/our-team/ |website=Library Development |accessdate=18 November 2018}}

As president Burger represented ALA in challenging the Federal Bureau of Investigation over the access to patron records enabled by the USA PATRIOT Act.{{cite news |last1=Cowan |first1=Alison Leigh |title=Four Librarians Finally Break Silence in Records Case |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/31/nyregion/31library.html |accessdate=18 November 2018 |work=New York Times |date=31 May 2006}}{{cite news |last1=Foster |first1=Andrea |title=Libraries Renew Push Against Secret Orders |url=https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/libraries-renew-push-against-secret-orders/3000 |accessdate=18 November 2018 |work=Chronicle of Higher Education |date=2 May 2007}} She also testified before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on the issue of closing Environmental Protection Agency libraries.Burger, Leslie. 2007. “ALA President Testifies on EPA Library Closings.” Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom 56 (3): 88–131.

During her presidency she launched the organization's "Emerging Leaders" program,[https://www.ala.org/educationcareers/leadership/emergingleaders ALA Emerging Leaders Program.] American Library Association. dedicated to providing leadership opportunities to new library professionals.Burger, Leslie. 2006. “Transforming Leadership.” American Libraries 37 (2): 3.{{cite web |last1=Morehart |first1=Phil |title=Emerging Leaders 2018 |url=https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2018/05/01/emerging-leaders-2018/ |website=American Libraries |date=May 2018 |accessdate=18 November 2018}}

Burger was president of the Connecticut Library Association in 1982{{cite web |title=Past Presidents |url=https://ctlibraryassociation.org/pastpres.php |website=Connecticut Library Association |accessdate=18 November 2018}} and president of the New Jersey Library Association from 2001 to 2002.{{cite web |title=Former NJLA Presidents |url=https://njla.org/content/former-njla-presidents |website=New Jersey Library Association |accessdate=18 November 2018}}

She was named the University of Maryland College of Information Studies Alumnus of the Year in 2005.{{cite web |title=Alumnus of the Year 2005: Leslie Burger |url=https://ischool.umd.edu/alumni-profiles/leslie-burger |website=University of Maryland |accessdate=17 November 2018}}

The New Jersey Library Association named Burger their 2017 Librarian of the Year.{{cite web |title=Part-Time Lecturer Leslie Burger Receives Librarian of the Year Award From NJLA |url=https://comminfo.rutgers.edu/news/part-time-lecturer-leslie-burger-receives-librarian-year-award-njla |website=Rutgers School of Communication and Information |accessdate=17 November 2018 |date=2017}}

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Category:Living people

Category:Librarians from Connecticut

Category:Librarians from New Jersey

Category:21st-century American women librarians

Category:21st-century American librarians

Category:Presidents of the American Library Association

Category:People from Bridgeport, Connecticut

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)