The ALA Executive Board met April 29 and May 2 in Washington, D.C., before and after the Association’s two-day Congress on Library Education (AL, June/July, p. 12–15). Presentation of a preliminary FY 2000 budget by ALA Executive Director William Gordon and Associate Executive Director for Finance Gregory Calloway dominated the agenda, over half of which was conducted in private sessions closed to the press and observers.
The proposed budget (EBD#3.10) focuses on “viability, sustainability, and growth,” said Gordon, noting that ALA is mortgage-free, has no outstanding loans, and boasts an 85–90% membership retention rate, which he called “a remarkable number.”
He restated the Association’s “key action areas”: “diversity, 21st-century literacy, intellectual freedom, equity of access, and education and continuous learning.”
Priorities in the budget will include: developing a national public-awareness advertising campaign, solidifying the Association’s technology infrastructure, investing in high-visibility initiatives such as public progams and literacy, and establishing more relationships on a global basis.
Gordon said the budget includes a new staff compensation plan designed to reflect current practices as determined by a study (EBD#12.6) commissioned by the Human Resources Department. Budget strategies also include exploring better delivery of customer service and creating business opportunities, with over a million dollars going to capital investments. The 6.5 new positions being requested would be the largest increase in several years, with no unit losing positions. The budgetary ceiling is expected to be $39,833,970. With $843,000 going into the new iMIS association management system, he suggested that outsourced customer fulfillment services may ultimately be brought back in-house.
The only sticking point in the budget was a line item calling for the Fund for America’s Libraries to raise $400,000. President-elect Sarah Long said the expectation did not seem in line with the agreement the Executive Board had made with the fund board earlier this year (AL, Mar., p. 86). Gordon and Senior Associate Executive Director Mary Ghikas responded that the money was expected to be funneled through the fund from a variety of sources outside the fundraising activity of the fund board.
Approved by the board, the budget proposal now goes to the Budget Analysis and Review Committee and then to ALA Council for approval at the Annual Conference this summer. The board also accepted BARC’s recommendation (EBD#4.16) that the FY1999 general-fund budgetary ceiling be raised to $23,617,550 based on second quarter projections, which will result in a draw down of $467,903 from the general fund net asset balance of $1,264,000.
Gordon noted that library schools are being asked to bid on doing the study of library outsourcing requested by Council (AL, Mar., p. 83), and that $10,000 has been set aside to pay for it.
From behind closed doors
Reporting out of the closed sessions, which consumed nearly nine hours, ALA President Ann Symons said the board had discussed litigation matters with ALA counsel Paula Goedert, a Fund for America’s Libraries sponsorship agreement (EBD#1.36) that is expected to be announced soon, the quarterly evaluation of the executive director, appointments to a committee that will hear the University of Arizona’s accreditation appeal (AL, May, p. 7-8), the pending appointment of a new director of the Institute for Museum and Library Services, and legal and personnel issues related to the attacks on ALA being launched by radio talk show host Laura Schlessinger (AL, June/July, p. 10).
Out of the discussions of Schlessinger’s assault the board issued the following public statement: “The Executive Board of the American Library Association has heard the comments raised by members, staff, and the public about ALA’s recommended Web sites. We take these concerns seriously. We are working with the leadership of our divisions to give this our immediate attention.”
Getting around to round tables
Robert Newlen reported on the issue of the use of ALA’s name by round tables, noting that it was clear that several wanted to be able to speak on behalf of ALA in their areas of concern. Sally Reed said it’s clear by policy that this activity is not in their charge. “ALA’s name is our most valuable asset,” she said, “and we are liable for the expressions that are put out there.”
The board discussed at length the methods by which the round tables will be reminded of the restrictions and what would be done if they did not comply. The board directed Symons to send a letter to the round tables reiterating policy, acknowledged the need for better communication, and decided that the Constitutions and Bylaws Committee needs to take a look at the language in policy governing round table representation on council.
In her report to the board, President Symons, who presided at the Washington meetings, remarked that the Congress on Professional Education “was a marvelous process pulled together in a short time” and that she looked forward to the recommendations that will come back to the board. She advised that apparently a new product—known as At Rest, which returns computers to blank screens after each user—apparently came out of the filtering meeting she held March 12 (AL, Apr., p. 6).
The board briefly discussed objections that had been raised over the selection of Colin Powell as Annual Conference keynote speaker. Gordon said he’d heard nearly none, but Liz Bishoff noted that $70,000 is a lot of money to pay for a speaker whose message is volunteerism.
Action roundup
In other actions, the board: