Barbara J. Ford

Barbara J. Ford is an American librarian who served as president of the American Library Association from 1997 to 1998. In 2026 she was awarded American Library Association Honorary Membership, the Association's highest honor.

Education and career Ford earned a bachelor's degree from Illinois Wesleyan University, a master's degree in International Relations from Tufts University and a master's degree in library science from the School of Information Sciences (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign).

Ford served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Panama and Nicaragua.

Her professional positions include director of the Harold Washington Library, as assistant commissioner for central library services at the Chicago Public Library; executive director of the Virginia Commonwealth University libraries; and associate library director at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. She has also served in several positions at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Ford was Director of Mortenson Center for International Library Programs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign libraries from 2003 to 2014.

Ford served as an elected member of the Governing Board of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions from 2005 to 2009.

Living this advocacy, Ford has been an active member of community groups in all the places she has worked. Her community engagement has included service on the Boards of the Friends of the San Antonio Public Library, Friends of the Richmond Public Library, and Friends of the Champaign Public Library.

While director of the Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library, Ford served on the Greater State Street Council, and the Printer's Row Book Fair.

In Champaign, Illinois, Ford served on the Advisory Board of the Spurlock Museum of World Cultures and the Champaign Historic Preservation Commission.

American Library Association Ford's ALA Presidential theme was "Libraries: Global Reach – Local Touch" during 1997–1998. She edited a volume, Libraries: Global Reach Local Touch, that included her inaugural speech.

Ford was president of the Association of College and Research Libraries from 1990 to 1991.

Ford is active in the International Relations Round Table of the American Library Association and serves on the Endowment and Fundraising Committee.

As Director of the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2003–2015 Ford spoke to embassies, library associations in many countries and international library association conferences. She is also founder of the UNESCO Center for Global Citizenship.

Ford served as a member of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO from 2011 to 2013.

In 2026 Ford was keynote for "Learning from a Library Luminary" sponsored by the Association of African Universities and the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs.

Awards and honors 2026. American Library Association Honorary Membership 2012. CALA Distinguished Service Award from the Chinese American Librarians Association. 2008. John Ames Humphry/OCLC/Forest Press Award for significant contribution to international librarianship. 2008. ALA Legacy Society Honor Roll for contributions to the library community. 1998. Illinois Wesleyan University. Distinguished Alumni Award. 1997. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Distinguished Alumnus Award from the School of Information Sciences.

Selected publications