ALA Executive Board,
Fall 2001 Meeting
Sliding U.S. economy prompts budget deferrals.
“Economic circumstances call for changes and quick decisions,” ALA Executive Director William Gordon explained to the ALA Executive Board at its annual fall meeting, October 13–14, in Chicago. Assisted by Associate Executive Director for Finance Gregory Calloway and Senior AED Mary Ghikas, Gordon proposed roughly a 5% budget “deferment” that he hopes will see the Association through these unpredictable times.
Calloway said most states are looking at budget shortfalls, which will affect libraries and librarians, the source of most of the Association’s revenue.
“The worst thing would be to wait until the end of the fiscal year and then have to take drastic measures,” Gordon said, calling his plan “cautious and prudent.” Travel expenses will be reduced by 10%, capital expenditures for building maintenance and for technology will be postponed, expenses for the “@ your library” public relations campaign (EBD#12.0–2) will be reduced, staff vacancies will be filled only with Gordon’s review and approval, and salary increases will be held at 2%.
Ghikas said she was “the bearer of good news,” inasmuch as advance registration for the American Association of School Librarians conference scheduled for November 14–18 in Indianapolis “looks very, very good,” and “Midwinter Meeting is on track.” Membership organizations are the most resilient in this kind of economic environment, she advised.
Patricia Smith, chair of ALA’s Budget Analysis and Review Committee (BARC), (EBD#3.0) told the board that “my concern is a little bit down the line, when library budgets start to be cut.” Board member Molly Raphael warned that “local governments will be passing out big cuts to libraries.” Treasurer Liz Bishoff responded that if revenues continue to slow down, “these cuts will not be restored in FY 2003, which will soon be in preparation.”
Bishoff also pointed out that the board (in closed session) had authorized up to $100,000 for the search for a new executive director, in view of Gordon’s pending retirement. The searches that resulted in his appointment cost $240,000, she said, reminding the board that it took two searches before the position was filled.
Bishoff noted that $600,000 still has to be raised to finance ALA’s lawsuit against the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Gordon revealed that $50,000 in pledges from private donors had been cancelled in the 10 days preceding the board meeting, saying that potential funders “do not want to be perceived as unpatriotic by aligning themselves with ALA in a suit against the federal government over access to information.”
Bishoff said ALA “is going to have to take a fresh look at its fundraising abilities.” She advised that the shortfall might force the Association to tap into its endowment principal, a move the board rejected. Bishoff moved approval of the deferrals in the operating budget, and the motion passed. Board member Ken Haycock recommended, to board approval, that COPE III—a congress on professional education to be devoted to support staff—be planned for 2003. Financial assistance for librarians attending the Guadalajara Book Fair has been eliminated, as have position requests in the Office for Diversity, the Headquarters Library, and Human Resources. Ghikas recommended that the process of establishing a separate 501(c)6 organization for certification continue but that funding be held off this fiscal year. Bishoff suggested that the board could cut its conference expenses by scheduling fewer receptions.
Approval of the austerity plan did not alter the Association’s $50,143,450 budgetary ceiling, as presented by the Finance and Audit Subcommittee (EBD#4.1). The ceiling, or maximum ALA can spend during the fiscal year, will permit reactivation of the deferrals and the retroactive awarding earned raises above 2% if revenue targets are met.
Key action areas reaffirmed
The board reaffirmed the “key action areas” it has adopted annually since 1997 (EBD#12.7): “diversity, education and continuous learning, equity of access, intellectual freedom, 21st-century literacy.” President-elect Maurice Freedman asked the board how his planned presidential theme of better salaries and pay equity for librarians would fit into these priorities (EBD#7.1). The board agreed that his theme was related to education and continuous learning.
Washington Office Director Emily Sheketoff reported (EBD#12.9, #12.9.1) on the congressional milieu resulting from September 11. “As long as there is military in harm’s way, things have changed,” she said. “You cannot be perceived as criticizing the government in this environment. Even longstanding civil rights advocates don’t want to hear from us.” Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) was a champion for ALA issues in the antiterrorism bill, Sheketoff added, but “we lost on every issue we tried to address. There is no stomach for anything we have to say in this atmosphere.”
Sheketoff observed that progress was being made on the Library Services and Technology Act, noting that the Senate for the first time has included a line item for school library materials. She said that the support of Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) for Sen. Jack Reed’s (D-R.I.) amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act for the inclusion of school library materials could mean that “ultimately there will be at least $25 million in the first year for school library materials” when the final version passes.
Action roundup
In other actions, the board:
- Asked BARC to form a task force to examine why proceeds from the annual Scholarship Bash are declining annually. The bash is expected to proceed as planned at the 2002 Annual Conference in Atlanta.
- Encouraged management to expedite “equity of access” (EBD#5.2), the only key action area that has not been addressed with a brochure and other support materials.
- Accepted the final report of COPE II (EBD#8.1) and asked management to develop implementation recommendations for 2002.
- Reported through President John W. Berry (who chaired the meeting) that in closed session ALA counsel Paula Goedert had presented a legal update, the 2003 Nominating Committee slate had been approved, honorary memberships discussed, and the endowment trustee application deadline extended to December 1.
- Discussed a framework (EBD#12.6) prepared by Ghikas for an association-wide business plan, after having discussed the publishing plan in closed session (because the information is considered proprietary) with Associate Executive Director for Publishing Don Chatham October 12.
- Heard from Committee on Accreditation chair Jane Robbins by speakerphone. She said COA is trying to create a better appeals process, in four areas: shortening the process, appointment to the appeal committee, grounds for an appeal, and the relationship between COA and the Executive Board.
- Referred a request from the Committee on Pay Equity (EBD#10.1) for expanded membership in the National Committee on Pay Equity by $485 to management as a routine budget item.
- Adopted an “adjusted service date” policy (EBD#12.5), which will allow ALA employees rehired within five years to receive credit for prior service.
- Concluded that a request for ALA participation in the National Center on Women and Aging will need Council approval (EBD#12.10).
- Discussed procedures for the annual bestowing of Honorary Membership in ALA and concluded that board members should neither nominate nor supply letters of support for potential honorees.
- Decided that the Spectrum Leadership Institute (EBD#12.8) for Spectrum scholarship recipients will occur every second year beginning in 2002, alternating with a Diversity Leadership Institute open to all ALA members.
- Heard a report from Haycock on ongoing efforts to simplify and routinize procedures to make more time for discussion of substantive issues and make the board “more strategic” (EBD#1.26, #12.28.1).
- Received documents (EBD#5.0, #5.3) on the roles, responsibilities, and relationships between the ALA president and executive director.
Other board members present were Camila Alire, Alice Calabrese, Julie Cummins, Nancy Kranich, Kenton Oliver, Barbara Stripling, and Patty Wong. —L.K.
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