I don’t think anybody was prepared for the litany of horrors that came out at that rally; I know I wasn’t,” ALA President Maurice Freedman told the Executive Board at the second of its three Midwinter Meeting sessions in Philadelphia, January 24, 27, and 29. He was referring to the financial woes recounted by speakers at the kickoff rally for the Campaign to Save America’s Libraries.
The disintegrating finances of libraries across the country and the effect the crisis will have on ALA pervaded the board’s discussions, leading to the belief that prudent management can ward off devastating cuts in service. During a report (EBD#12.18, #12.19) from Associate Executive Director for Communications Gerald Hodges, Freedman suggested “some kind of integration of the crisis in America’s libraries today with the advocacy network that we built up through the ‘@ your library’ campaign.”
Treasurer Liz Bishoff called for approval of a 5% reduction in ALA’s FY 2004 budget (EBD#4.14, #14.3.1), with a total of $1.4 million less in budgeted revenues and expenses “in light of the continuing economic outlook.” ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels (EBD#12.20) said the Budget Analysis and Review Committee would review the budget submitted by the board and propose recommendations for ALA Council at the Annual Conference in Toronto in June.
BARC chair Patricia Smith said the committee was looking at (EBD#3.3) the long-term impact of perks of membership in ALA that members with 25 continuous years will be entitled to in retirement. The board approved revisions to the life member- ship campaign (EBD#10.3) that will enable the life-member endowment fund to remain solvent.
Endowment trustee Rick Schwieterman presented revisions (EBD#13.2) to the Association’s long-term investment policies, which the board approved. They call for a clearer definition of how investments are to be used, withdrawal procedures for budgeting purposes, and better use of investment funds for new initiatives that may span multiple years.
During Schwieterman’s report (EBD#13.1), the board voted that previous withdrawals from long-term investments supporting the Spectrum Scholarship Initiative, other scholarships, life memberships, and the Campaign for America’s Libraries that did not have repayment plans in place will not have to be repaid, as recommended by the trustees. That will amount to about $2 million, Schwieterman said.
The auditors’ report (EBD#4.10), presented by Frank Jakosz of the accounting firm of Ernst and Young and ALA Associate Executive Director for Finance Gregory Calloway, contained an “unqualified opinion,” meaning a clean bill of fiscal health. Asked by Immediate Past President John W. Berry to talk about what the recent “meltdown” of several large firms including Arthur Andersen has meant to the way Ernst and Young does business, Jakosz referred to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding corporate conduct and how ALA can adopt “best practices.”
Susan Roman, director of ALA’s Development Office, said the number of individual donors among ALA members is up and the office is building toward a bigger donor base and an expanded planned-giving program (EBD#6.1).
Reporting for a special task force set up to determine the need for a legal-defense fund, chair Betty Turock reported (EBD#8.3) that the task force did not recommend the establishment of such a fund to raise money for lawsuits such as CIPA (EBD#1.2). It was not the recommendation all the board members expected to hear. Turock said the committee felt a new fund would conflict with the Freedom to Read Foundation, the purpose of which is to litigate in First Amendment cases. FTRF board member June Pinnell-Stephens concurred.
Deidre Ross, director of ALA Conference Services, reported that attendance in Philadelphia was 10,254, as opposed to 8,240 last year in New Orleans. The board also approved skeleton schedules for Annual Conference in Toronto (EBD#12.22). Freedman noted that author Michael Moore had made grand promises of financial assistance during his appearance at last year’s Annual Conference (AL, Aug. 2002, p. 66)—including a $25,000 Spectrum scholarship—but that he had fulfilled none of them. “It’s become a routine part of the activities of the Development Office to try to get through to him and to get to people to deliver,” Freedman said.
Washington Office Executive Director Emily Sheketoff reported (EBD#12.21) that ALA and the American Civil Liberties Union have joined together “to encourage localities to pass resolutions supporting civil rights and the Bill of Rights.” She also noted that Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.) told her he intended to submit a $350-million LSTA reauthorization bill to the Senate on January 29; Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.) had already introduced a $210-million bill in the House. The current authorization is $150 million, she said.
“On the appropriations front, things aren’t as nice,” Sheketoff said. In the fourth month of FY 2003, the Senate was still finagling with library money, attempting to reduce the proposed $210 million to $203 million. “The $7 million that we lost was from the First Lady’s education and training program . . . so we’re hopeful that they cut it back in.”
Sheketoff added that the Washington Office had been talking to the National Governors Association about including libraries in an economic stimulus package that would distribute federal money to the states. President Bush’s budget was released January 31.
Senior Associate Executive Director Mary Ghikas reported that the establishment of a Web-based continuing-education clearinghouse, as recommended by the second Congress on Professional Education (AL, Jan. 2001, p. 42–43), is being planned for the 2004 fiscal year, which begins in September (EBD#10.0, #10.1, #12.8.1).
Reporting for the Committee on Accreditation, chair Carla Stoffle presented a revised appeal process (EBD#10.2) for library and information science programs that are denied accreditation, including a clearer review role for the board (AL, Aug. 2002, p. 92–93). The revisions passed muster, much to the delight of Ann O’Neill, director of the ALA Office for Accreditation, who reported with Stoffle.
President-elect Carla Hayden reduced the amount needed for her presidential initiatives for 2003–2004 by $1,000 to $99,000 (EBD#4.14). Her presidency will focus on equity of access (EBD#7.3). Bruce James, new public printer of the United States, addressed the board briefly, accompanied by Judith Russell, new superintendent of documents, and Martha Gould, chair of the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. James promised “good dialogue” and “good communication” with librarians. “My e-mail is very simple; it’s bjames@gpo.gov.”
Allied Professional Association:
Business Plan, Budget Move Forward
Reconvening twice in Philadelphia as the Executive Board of the ALA Allied Professional Association, the ALA board successfully switched management hats for the swift approval of a $60,584 budgetary ceiling for the fledgling organization (APABD#4.1). In their ALA hats, Executive Board members had approved a $250,000 start-up loan to the APA (EBD#4.15), with repayment not due to begin until FY 2008, which will be the fourth year in the life of the APA.
In its dual role, the board examined revisions to ALA/APA bylaws (APABD#8.0.1) and discussed ALA member involvement, concluding that members of ALA ultimately have authority over both Associations because they elect the Council that governs both, which subsequently elects the Executive Board. The ALA/APA Council subsequently approved the bylaws.
In presenting the business plan (APABD#12.2) (which was also approved by Council), ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels observed that the highest risk would be the dependence on the membership of ALA to donate to the APA. “We basically need 5,000 people to step forward and plunk down $10 in order to show that they care enough about improving salaries in order to make an investment in the APA.”
The Allied Professional Association was established last year as a legally separate entity to enable certification of individuals in specializations beyond the first professional degree, and to work for better salaries, pay equity, and increased status for librarians and other library workers. An FAQ about the ALA/APA is available online.
Also present at the board table were Kathleen Bethel, Barbara Stripling, Camila Alire, Patty Wong, Kenton Oliver, Nancy Davenport, and Molly Raphael. Ken Haycock was absent.
—Leonard Kniffel