ALA Executive Board,
Midwinter 2002
Move to Establish Independent Accrediting Agency
Loses Momentum
The ALA Executive Board began the first of its three sessions at the Association’s Midwinter Meeting in New Orleans, January 18, 21, and 23, with a report (EBD#8.3) from Susan K. Martin and Sally G. Reed for the External Accreditation Task Force, which was established in 1999 in response to recommendations of the first Congress on Professional Education. Charged with exploring the possibility of establishing an independent 501(c)(3) agency for the accreditation of library and information science programs, the task force has collected reactions from across the Association and from potential partners such as the Special Libraries Association, the American Association of Law Libraries, and even the Association of Records Managers and Administrators.
However, said Martin, support for the idea of an accrediting body established by joining forces with other associations seems to be slowing down, especially among members of the Association for Library and Information Science Education’s Council of Deans and Directors.
Reed put it more bluntly: “I am not supportive of moving accreditation out of ALA.” She said she believes the Association has everything to lose and nothing to gain, the first and most obvious loss being the cachet that goes along with the tag “ALA-accredited.”
Board member Ken Haycock, who chaired the congress, noted that the impetus behind the move to establish a separate accrediting body was “expanding the boundaries of the profession.” But Martin said it would be “premature” to bring such a motion to ALA Council. She also suggested that a better approach might be to create such an organization but retain it within ALA.
Following further discussion in closed session, the Executive Board voted that the work of the task force had been completed and that it was now up to the board and management to “bring back a framework for considering additional options.”
Accreditation appeals process
A related discussion with Jane Robbins, chair of the Committee on Accreditation, led to strong disagreement over the appeals process in cases where library education programs may be denied ALA accreditation (EBD#10.2). Several board members felt that the process as outlined by the committee gave the board responsibility without authority, which could make it vulnerable to a lawsuit in cases of denied accreditation.
The board finally approved the accreditation appeal process in concept, after modifying the wording of the committee’s motion to authorize the Office for Accreditation to prepare final appeals-process language that addresses concerns raised by ALA legal counsel Paula Goedert and by the board itself, targeting the 2002 ALA Annual Conference in Atlanta for presentation to the board.
The board also discussed documents (EBD#8.4), scheduled for presentation to Council regarding expanded bylaws for a new 501(c)(6) “allied professional association” to focus on professional advancement for librarians, approved by Council last summer. The bylaws would permit numerous initiatives that ALA cannot undertake with its current 501(c)(3) tax status, such as advocating for higher salaries for librarians, one of Vice President/President-elect Maurice Freedman’s proposed presidential initiatives. Concerns were raised over how the adjunct association would be governed and funded, and board members agreed that it must be made clear to Council that control would remain with councilors and the Executive Board members. The bylaws were subsequently approved by Council.
In additional education-related action, the board approved a document (EBD#8.2) presented by James Neal, chair of the second Congress on Professional Education steering committee. He recommended that ALA management incorporate the congress’s recommendations into the budgeting and planning process for FY2003. He also asked the board to consider where the real responsibility for continuing education lies within the Association and whether a new office is needed.
Gearing up for salary push
Annually, the Executive Board approves a budget for the president-elect. This year’s approval of Freedman’s $100,000 budget (EBD#7.4) was complicated by the fact that it depends on the rapid formation of an allied 501(c)(6) organization that will enable him to carry out his proposed “Campaign for America’s Librarians” advocacy initiative to address issues of pay equity and professional status.
President John W. Berry raised questions about the wisdom of adopting a “tag line” for the new president’s campaign, in view of the board’s recent decision that presidents should not adopt themes or taglines independent of other ALA initiatives. The board concluded, however, that Freedman’s campaign complemented the “@ your library” Campaign for America’s Libraries currently under way.
Barbara Stripling and other board members cautioned Freedman that he would need to be cautious about speaking out on issues that might threaten ALA’s tax-exempt status.
The board also expressed concern about the funding of the five-year “@ your library” campaign (EBD#12.20). ALA divisions are expected to roll out mini-campaigns related to their special constituencies, “but there is no money,” said ALA Treasurer Liz Bishoff. The campaign budget is being cut by $150,000 for FY2003, and external funding sources “have not materialized,” she said. Bishoff warned that ALA will have to draw from its general and future funds to pay for the campaign—a practice that Bishoff warned “cannot continue.” Board member Molly Raphael added that the cost of fighting CIPA is also taking a toll.
In other financial matters, the board received an auditor’s report (EBD#4.5) from Frank Jakosz, representing Ernst and Young. The accounting firm gave the Association the highest possible rating and praised Associate Executive Director for Finance Gregory Calloway and the ALA financial staff for their work. To board agreement, Jakosz recommended that board members who use ALA American Express cards pay their own bills and get reimbursed, rather than the current practice of ALA paying directly.
Endowment Trustee Rick Schwiet-erman also expressed concern about the Association’s ability to fund expensive initiatives such as the Campaign for America’s Libraries and the CIPA lawsuit. “The future fund is being exhausted,” he said, calling for more communication from the board. “CIPA is an appropriate issue,” he said, “but is it an appropriate expenditure? Before you initiate programs, you have to identify funding sources.”
Budget Analysis and Review Committee Chair Patricia Smith agreed that better planning is needed. “It’s really apparent to us that if we’re not careful with all the withdrawals that we have experienced just in this year, the future fund is really going to become the today fund and the today fund will soon be the yesterday fund,” she said. BARC nevertheless recommended (EBD#3.3), to board approval, transferring $316,000 from ALA’s net asset balance to the Campaign for America’s Libraries and suggested that for FY2003 through FY2005 $100,000 a year from Library Champions corporate contributions be allotted to the campaign. For FY 2003, ALA will contribute an additional $200,000 from the future fund.
Smith also reported that the Coretta Scott King Breakfast liability has been fully paid and that ticket holders donated ticket purchases in the amount of $6,240 rather than request refunds. The breakfast, scheduled for the Marriott Hotel last year’s Annual Conference in San Francisco, was cancelled to support a union boycott of the Marriott.
Rediscover America
Immediate Past President Nancy Kranich called designer Bob Belinoff “the man who originated the ALA Read posters.” Reporting directly to the board for the first time, Belinoff explained some of the thinking behind the design of materials for the “@ your library” campaign and, through a video presentation, introduced the 2002 National Library Week theme: “Rediscover America @ your library.”
ALA Washington Office Director Emily Sheketoff reported briefly on how America is dealing with library-related issues since September 11. She applauded the new $10-million federal budget initiative to recruit librarians but also indicated that the office was monitoring a Public Citizen lawsuit against Executive Order 13233, which permits the withholding of documents due for release under the Presidential Records Act of 1978. Sheketoff added that the office has joined OMB Watch in creating a database to monitor the government take-down of Web information due to the war on terrorism. “We are hopeful that we will be able to address this with the government, and maybe they will institute a process or procedure to start putting some of this information back up,” she said.
Sheketoff noted that the Washington Office is partnering with over 30 library vendors to start lobbying on LSTA reauthorization.
At its last session, the board heard from Conference Services Director Deidre Ross that Midwinter attendance figures were solid, “ahead of budget,” and at 8,044 by Sunday evening—1,000 ahead of San Antonio in 2000. It was good news for a board concerned about the impact of the current recession on future conferences—although there was considerable concern over the slow traffic in the New Orleans exhibits. The board adopted rough schedules (EBD#12.16) for Midwinter and Annual 2003 in Philadelphia and Toronto, respectively.
Ross informed the board that ALA has virtually outgrown San Francisco as an Annual Conference site, and the board voted to accept Anaheim, California, as the site for 2012. ALA will return to New Orleans for its Annual Conference in 2011.
Other board members present were Camila Alire, Alice Calabrese, Julie Cummins, Kenton Oliver, and Patricia Wong. ALA Executive Director William Gordon was unable to attend for health reasons; Senior Associate Executive Director Mary Ghikas substituted for him.
—Leonard Kniffel
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