American Libraries

ALA Council,
2003 Annual Conference

At the beginning of the first session of ALA Council���which met in Toronto June 22, 24, and 25���councilor Bernard Margolis rose to extend thanks to ALA leadership ���for the exercise of significant good judgment for deciding to proceed with this conference.��� Whatever effect the SARS-related drop in attendance might have had on the rest of the conference, there was little sign of it on the Council floor, where the 75-member quorum was more than met and councilors tackled an agenda filled with items both controversial and routine.

The Toronto conference���specifically, the shortfall in revenues due to lower-than-projected registration and exhibitor fees���did enter Council discussions as part of a report (CD#13.2) from ALA Treasurer Liz Bishoff. SARS fears, as well as the difficulties found by some potential attendees in travel to a foreign country, prompted a reduction in projected Annual Conference revenue from $1.8 million to $1 million. In addition, reduced revenue in areas including ALA Publishing and Graphics, advertising, and interest income resulted in a projected overall revenue shortfall of $3.3 million.

However, said Bishoff, ALA staff, the Budget Analysis and Review Committee, and the Executive Board developed an expense-reduction plan that saw a hiring freeze, reductions in staff travel and other areas, and a lowering of the Toronto convention center���s exhibit-hall fees. As a result, Bishoff announced to applause, ALA will balance its fiscal year 2003 budget without resorting to using its reserves or endowment, or furloughing staff.

After Council approved the proposed budgetary ceiling for FY2004 of $49,822,217, Bishoff, who announced her resignation as treasurer last November, delivered what she called her ���parting comments.��� As ALA moves into a process to develop its strategic plan for 2006���2010, Bishoff said it faced the difficult challenge of either developing financial resources to match its needs and wants, or reprioritizing and reducing its desires.

���For every activity that is added, get rid of one,��� suggested Bishoff, who challenged each ALA unit ���to consider getting rid of one program, one committee, one activity, one publication, one of something in fiscal year ���04.��� She stressed that ���ALA can no longer say yes to every great idea, let alone every good idea.���

Iraq and Cuba

A resolution submitted by the International Relations Committee in response to the loss of cultural resources in Iraq following the U.S.-led invasion (CD#18.4) passed unanimously, but not before receiving a thorough going-over from Council. Michael Gorman pointed out that the resolution was based on a document he had drafted with fellow councilor Michael Malinconico, but that the wording had been changed to make it less critical of the U.S. actions. IRC member Winston Tabb, who led the committee���s meetings in the absence of chair Betty Turock, said the committee felt that the harsher language could have hindered the resolution���s goal of obtaining funding for reconstruction and rebuilding.

Gorman submitted an amendment stating that ALA ���deplores the inaction of the U.S. and British authorities to secure cultural institutions��� (rather than ���expresses deep sadness��� at the lack of action), which was approved handily. The amended resolution met swift approval. At that point, Tabb said to laughter from the floor, ���Now we���ll move to the easier resolution relating to Cuba.���

Councilors��� amused reaction to Tabb���s characterization was in response to the widespread controversy over Cuba that had preceded the conference: ALA���s support of the country���s libraries and opposition to the U.S. economic embargo had come under attack in articles in the Wall Street Journal and elsewhere, and was the target of a smear campaign by supporters of the island���s self-styled ���independent librarians.���

Noting that the five Cuban librarians at the conference were only able to attend because the event was being held in Canada rather than the U.S., Councilor Al Kagan asked permission for Marta Terry of the Cuban Library Association to address Council. ���We are here defending our own right to a library and to cultural access for the whole 11 million Cubans,��� said Terry, who expressed gratitude to ALA for allowing the Cuban librarians��� voices to be heard and for paying attention to their concerns.

Discussion revealed general dissatisfaction with the resolution (CD#18.5), much of it centering on the document���s scattershot nature: The resolved clauses urged the Cuban government ���to respect the rights of all individuals to freedom of expression and access to information���; urged ���the U.S. government to eliminate existing policies . . . that limit the ability of the people of Cuba to access information, and that inhibit the continuation of professional exchanges between the two countries���; reaffirmed ALA���s relationship with the Cuban Library Association; and called upon the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions to investigate further the role of ���independent libraries��� in Cuba. Ultimately, Council voted to refer the resolution back to the IRC and to the Intellectual Freedom Committee for further consideration.

Seething over CIPA

Casting a damper on the conference, the Supreme Court announced its decision upholding the constitutionality of the Children���s Internet Protection Act June 23. Reporting to Council two days later, Office for Intellectual Freedom Director Judith Krug said that upon hearing the ruling, ���I was rather crushed. Today I���m angry.���

Krug hoped to arrange an immediate meeting with the filtering companies to ���try to convince them that now is the time to bring some sunshine to the whole procedure of filtering,��� such as revealing what guidelines or criteria they use to filter material. She added that Justice Kennedy raised the possibility for an applied challenge after the law goes into effect, so ALA needs ���to pull together the best minds in this profession and in our related professions who can help us work on strategy and identify what might be the appropriate next steps.���

Website woes

Following the waves of criticism that greeted the unveiling of ALA���s redesigned website, a committee was formed to look at ways to improve the site. Website Advisory Committee Chair Rory Litwin���s report (CD#35) detailed recommendations stemming from the group���s June 7 meeting at ALA Headquarters, which included developing a style guide so that all content developers will be ���on the same page���; appointing a single person responsible for the website; and implementing best practices, such as beta testing, an adequate budget, written RFPs, and usability testing.

Litwin fielded questions from councilors on various aspects of the site, such as the lack of a front-page advocacy button (Litwin said one has since been added, linking to tools for advocacy, but at this point lacking fax-on-demand functionality), the reason for switching to a content-management system (all pages can now be indexed by topic, not just by ALA unit, Litwin replied), and the status of some 20,000 documents that have not been added to the new site (ALA Senior Associate Executive Director Mary Ghikas answered that all those documents still exist, but many duplicate those elsewhere on the site, and others are being held back by units that want to do something different with them before posting them).

Councilor and Web Advisory Committee member Karen Schneider submitted a resolution (CD#59) asking the Committee on Organization to review the web committee���s charge to ensure that ALA membership has an active role in the site���s design and organization, and that the ALA executive director ensure that members are fully informed on forthcoming modifications and changes to the site; it passed with only a single vote in opposition.

Council later passed another resolution from Schneider (CD#62) directing the Executive Board to ensure that documents made unavailable by the website migration be made available in an electronic archive as soon as possible.

Most of the resolutions brought forward by the Committee on Legislation (CD#20.3) sailed through Council with little or no discussion; meeting swift approval were measures supporting the Superintendent of Documents appropriations request (CD#20.4), supporting the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC)(CD#20.5), opposing the Federal Communications Commission���s new rules on media concentration (CD#19.4 and 20.6), commending members of Congress for supporting civil liberties (CD#20.8), opposing the Terrorism Information Awareness Program (CD#20.9), and voicing concern over security and access to government information (CD#20.10).

However, a resolution on the protection of constitutional rights and liberties (CD#20.7), intended to alert librarians about proposed legislation drafted by the Department of Justice that some have dubbed ���Patriot Act II,��� was defeated. The discussion indicated that many councilors felt it was inappropriate to pass a resolution addressing a measure that hasn���t even been introduced in Congress. ���The Association has already made a very clear statement about the USA Patriot Act,��� noted Councilor Schneider, adding that it diminishes ALA���s work ���to continue to repeat points that were made more strongly in previous resolutions.���

An action item urging that ALA reinstate and fund the Committee on Legislation���s annual retreat was withdrawn by COL Chair Bernadine Abbott Hoduski after criticism from the floor over its appropriateness.

The return of core values

Following its decision to reject the statement on core values for librarianship developed by ALA���s Core Values Task Force, Council appointed a second task force with a simpler charge: to develop discussion questions to promote a dialogue about core values across the profession and to recommend next steps.

Presenting an update on the work of Core Values Task Force II (CD#34), member Michael Golrick asked that the group���s life be extended through Midwinter Meeting 2004 to allow it to complete its analysis of the feedback it���s gathered. However, Councilor Donald Sager, chair of the original Core Values Task Force, said, ���I believe it���s time to act��� and offered a substitute resolution requesting that a committee be formed to draft a core-values statement.

After discussion that centered largely on whether the work already done by CVTF II should be disregarded, Councilor Larry Romans offered another substitute resolution, which passed handily, simply directing the second task force to present a core-values statement at Annual Conference 2004.

In the last agenda item at Council���s third and final session, Treasurer Bishoff presented the findings of the Finance and Audit Committee���s investigation into the addition of socially responsible investments (SRI) to the ALA investment policy. The committee���s recommendation, which was confirmed by the full Executive Board, was not to pursue SRI.

Although Bishoff���s presentation was simply a report, with no action called for, proponents of SRI���in the few minutes available before Council adjourned���indicated that they felt the matter had been given short shrift. Councilor���and incoming Executive Board member���Michael Gorman asked that the matter be referred back to the board for further analysis and study, ensuring that the Association has not heard the last about this contentious issue.

Action roundup

In additional actions, Council:

• Heard a report (CD#19.2) from Intellectual Freedom Committee Chair Nancy Kranich, who urged librarians to be aware of the need to develop privacy policies dealing with records containing personally identifiable information. The committee is in the process of drafting guidelines for developing such policies (CD#19.5) as part of a Privacy Tool Kit along the lines of its Libraries and the Internet Tool Kit.
• Passed a pair of resolutions submitted by IFC: One (CD#19.3) adopted the Glasgow Declaration on Libraries, Information Services, and Intellectual Freedom approved by IFLA at its 2002 conference; the other (CD#19.4) opposed the Federal Communications Commission���s new rules on media concentration.
• Heard the results of a search by the Membership Committee for an affordable group health-insurance plan for ALA members. The committee chose a program offered by the National Professional Group, which will be made available to members early this fall.
• Passed a resolution (CD#57) affirming the importance of school library programs and certified school librarians, to be conveyed to associations representing school administrators, school boards, and other education groups.
• Narrowly defeated a resolution (CD#4) from the Committee on Membership Meetings that the first membership meeting at Annual Conference be held in a modified no-conflict time slot.
• Received a report (CD#22.1) from Freedom to Read Foundation Treasurer June Pinnell-Stephens outlining current litigation in which the foundation is involved, including a lawsuit requesting the Department of Justice to release statistical data on implementation of the USA Patriot Act, in which FTRF is one of four plaintiffs; an amicus brief in a challenge to the constitutionality of the Children���s Online Protection Act; and various suits challenging state laws that criminalize the distribution of materials deemed ���harmful��� to minors on the Internet.
• Approved the establishment of the Ken Haycock Award for Promoting Librarianship (CD#10.1); this was formerly the Herb and Virginia White Award for Promoting Librarianship, which was discontinued in 2001.
• Passed a recommendation of the Budget Analysis and Review Committee adding language to the Policy Manual indicating that resolutions with fiscal implications from standing committees of ALA and Council must be submitted to the executive director and BARC on the same timeline as Council resolutions.
• Passed two proposals of the Committee on Organization (CD#27.1) dissolving the Standards Review Committee and amending the composition of the Membership Committee.
• Passed two recommendations of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee (CD#25.1) removing the reference to the treasurer in ALA Constitution Article VIII, so that a vacancy in the office will now be filled by the Executive Board until the next annual election; and amending the bylaws to define voting by mail as encompassing electronic means.
• Passed six changes recommended by the Policy Monitoring Committee (CD#17.1) involving virtual members; conferences and meetings; use and withdrawal of long-term investment funds; the rights of library users and the USA Patriot Act; memorials, tributes, and testimonials; and pro and con statements for Constitution changes on the ALA ballot.
• Elected Thaddeus Bejnar, Patricia M. Hogan, Em Claire Knowles, and Larry Romans to the Committee on Committees (CD#12.3).
• Elected Carol R. Barta, Donna O. Dziedzic, Joseph M. Eagan, and Harriet Henderson to the Planning and Budget Assembly (CD#12.3). ���Gordon Flagg

Allied Professional Association:
Fledgling Body Takes Its First Steps

The ALA Council convened June 24 in its incarnation as Council for the Allied Professional Association. With the heavy lifting of adopting bylaws and a business plan having been accomplished at the Midwinter Meeting, the Annual Conference session was devoted largely to business matters aimed at getting the new association���established last year to provide certifications beyond the first professional degree, and to improve the salaries and status of librarians and other library workers���off the ground.

ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels updated the body on implementation of the APA business plan (ALA-APA CD#6): A job description for the position of APA director was being circulated at the conference; action was underway to move Library Personnel News to the APA, with consideration being given to making the publication more accessible and less expensive; and the group that is working on public library administrators circulation has begun meeting.

ALA Treasurer Liz Bishoff presented the APA���s fiscal year 2004 budget. Revenue totaling $155,500 was anticipated from donations, subscriptions to Library Personnel News, certification fees, and consulting. Expenses���consisting of salaries, professional services (web design, outside research), publication costs, and operating expenses���will total $270,592. The difference, Bishoff explained, will be made up by a loan from ALA. She also reminded councilors that the request was a budgetary ceiling that would be scaled back if revenue targets are not met.

Bernard Margolis, who had been an opponent of the APA���s establishment, questioned why, in light of the $3.3-million expense reduction ALA made this year, the APA budget could not be trimmed similarly. After other councilors spoke in favor of the budget request���Patricia Wand said it was essential to support the APA as it worked through its transitional difficulties, and Ann Sparanese asserted that the beginning of the organization was no time to scale back���the Council approved the $270,592 budgetary ceiling.

Councilor Janet Swan Hill proposed the establishment of an APA Committee on Organization, identical in membership to ALA���s COO. When the issue of the body���s membership threatened to bog down the resolution, Council voted���at the suggestion of Parliamentarian Eli Mina���to establish the committee but refer the question of its composition to the APA board of directors.

Finally, the APA passed its first resolution (ALA-APA CD#7), presented by Councilor Jenna Freedman, designating the Tuesday of National Library Week as National Library Workers Day.