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Opposition to Iraq War Pervades ALA in Orlando“Terrorism is a tactic, not an enemy,” said Richard A. Clarke at the opening session of the American Library Association’s June 24–30 Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida. The former counterterrorism czar for presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush characterized the war in Iraq as the worst possible response to the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.Clarke’s remarks—along with scathing criticism of the Bush administration in the closing address by author E. L. Doctorow and the screening of Michael Moore’s controversial new film Fahrenheit 9/11—failed, however, to convince ALA’s governing Council to pass a resolution calling for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. By a vote of 39–55, the resolution went down at the urging of councilors who said the war was not a library issue. With preliminary attendance reaching 19,575, conferencegoers chose from over 2,000 programs and meetings “tracked” by general themes: administration and leadership; authors, literature, and cultural programming; children and young adults; collection management and technical services; digital information and technologies; information literacy; issues and updates; staffing and staff development; and user services and outreach. Local attractions provided an antidote to meetings and war talk. The annual Scholarship Bash attracted 4,997 attendees to the Universal Studios movie theme park, where their $35 tickets gave them the run of the rides while raising money for the Association’s scholarship program for library school students. A complete report on the conference is scheduled for the August issue of American Libraries. Posted June 30, 2004. |
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