CLA Weblog Submissions
To navigate our archives, please click on a category to the left. Do you have information that would be of interest to the library community? Please send your weblog submissions to the CLA office at info@cla-net.org.
ALA Council Report
Submitted by Jackie Griffin, California Chapter Councilor
Mario Gonzalez from Greenwich Public Library, CT, Terri G. Kirk, from Reidland High School, Paducah, KY, and Roberta Stevens from the Library of Congress were elected to the Executive Board.
Gerald Hodges
Gerald was a special friend to ALA Chapters and to the membership. He was a longtime ALA staff member and many of us knew him and his winning smile. Gerald died shortly before ALA. He will be sorely missed.
Certified Public Library Administrators Program (CPLA)
The CPLA program is up and running. This provides an ALA certification to public library administrators who already have a master's degree from an ALA accredited library school and at least 3 years of supervisory experience. Applications to participate in this program are now being accepted by ALA and providers of the required courses were approved at this conference. Contact me for additional information.
Leslie Burger's Presidential Initiative
Leslie Burger will become president of ALA in June. She has chosen as her theme: Libraries Transform Communities. It will focus on leadership development, policy development, salaries and education, tips for transforming libraries, and expansion of the library advocacy network.
Group Call-In to Congress
On Wednesday morning between during a council meeting break, we had a group call-in to Congress - literally. President Michael Gorman led us, while being filmed, in calling his Congress person and asking for support of revisions in the USA Patriot Act.
ALA COUNCIL MEETINGS
ALA council met three times for many hours. It considered both issues of interest and concern to the entire profession and somewhat arcane issues related to the operation of the association.
Here are the major resolutions we considered, how I voted, and the outcome of the discussion.
Resolution on the Instructional Classification of School Librarians. There is a movement around the country for state legislatures to pass a law under the general title of "65% solution." Background on this issue can be found at http://www.schoolmatters.com/pdf/65_paper_schoolmatters.pdf.
I'm sure if you just search Google under "65 percent solution" you can find additional information. In summary, this "solution" says that 65% of each dollar should go to classroom activities. School libraries are not officially so defined as classrooms by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), which is the official federal agency that defines educational activities. These are used primarily for the collection of statistics but impacts also how money is allocated. We have been told, but again I've not verified this, that NCES has issued an interpretation of their definitions that says that school libraries are indeed classrooms but that they cannot officially change the definition until NCES goes through a reauthorization process.
Here is a summary of the resolves:
ALA communicate regularly with state Governors about the "critical need for them to demonstrate their commitment to quality education for every child by including school libraries in all state education priorities and rejecting publicly any policy that would dismantle school libraries and reduce or eliminate the staffing of those libraries by state-certified school librarians."
Inform state legislators that school libraries should be included in any definition of classroom Work with NCES to change the definition
I voted yes. The resolution passed.
Dues increase
ALA Treasurer Teri Switzer gave a brief presentation.
She said it had been 11 years since last dues increase. The recent strategic planning effort at ALA, ALA Ahead 2010 had over 20,000 members providing input. Members told ALA that they wanted more programs and more support for their favorite causes at ALA. They want more support for local advocacy to improve funding and for advocacy training. In order to provide all of these services, ALA needs a strong foundation on which to build. ALA's Executive Board and leadership endorse this dues increase. ALA is barely holding its own now. There has been a 30% reduction in purchasing power since 2000. Budgets have been flat for 5 years. ALA has reached its financial limit. ALA cannot be all we need it to be and want it to be without stepping up to the plate and contributing more to our dues.
ALA members will be asked to vote on the dues increase this spring.
Here is the proposal in brief.
- Regular membership up $10 per year for 3 years.
- Library support staff members raises $3 per year for three years.
- Trustee and Associate members raises $5 the first year, then $4, then $5 for a total of $11 Student members (limited to 5 years) raises $3 the first year, then $2, then $3 for a total of $8.
- Other members (which includes retired) raises $4 the first year, $3 the second and $4 the third for a total of $11.
I voted yes. The resolution passed.
Treasurer's Report
ALA had a fairly good year LAST year due to holding positions open. This was a one-time saving and led to the ability to pay off some long term loans. However, to move forward with long term goals and plans, more revenue is desperately needed. Treasurer Teri Switzer shared this information with us:
$1.00 in 2000 is worth $1.25 in 2005.
Revenues of $43 m should really be $50 m to keep growing programs. In 2000, ALA significantly invested in technology - it is now time to replace the equipment and software. ALA payroll has decreased by $500,000. ALA needs people to continue to offer programs that ALA members say they want. Reserves are ½ of what they were in 2000. At the same time, the ALA Washington Office, and ALA members, are being asked to deal with significant issues: Patriot Act and privacy; CALEA that requires telecommunications carriers to enable law enforcement's legitimate wiretapping requests; Digital TV bills; E-rate; LSTA and other library funding; Social legislation ALA's continuing priorities are: Diversity; Equitable access to information and library services; Education and lifelong learning; Intellectual Freedom Advocacy for libraries and the profession; Literacy; Organizational excellence. All of this leads to the same conclusion: the dues need to be increased as well as economies continued.
Resolution on a Graduated Dues Structure. There was also a resolution recommending a study of a graduated dues structure, and other funding alternatives, with a report due in 2007. Before it could even be discussed, it was moved to refer the resolution to BARC (The Budget Analysis and Review Committee). There were several reasons for the referral. First, we had just passed a resolution for a dues increase. The Membership Committee had studied this issue already. Second, while there was agreement that other sources of funding ALA should be studied, this seemed to come too soon after a potential dues increase. The hope is that there will be a full discussion at the annual meeting in New Orleans. Right now, it is hoped that the new dues increase request will pass and ALA can move forward on implementing ALA Ahead 2010.
I voted for the referral. The referral passed.
Committee on Legislation (COL)
COL brought several resolutions to Council. Here they are with a summary of their content. If you would like to see the full resolution with all its whereas and resolves, I'll be happy to send it to you.
Resolution on the USA PATRIOT Act Reauthorization asks Congress to:
- amend USA PATRIOT ACT in a manner that "safeguards the privacy rights and constitutionally protected civil liberties of all library users, library employees, and U.S. persons"
- amend to show that law enforcement officials have to be specific about who they are investigating with evidence that an investigation is warranted (i.e. no fishing expeditions)
- require FISA Court to make a finding that these facts are sufficient to warrant an investigation
- allow a recipient of a FISA records search order to consult with an attorney, to challenge the search and gag order
- asks that Section 215 have a sunset date of no more than four years
- urges Congress to "intensify its oversight of the use of the USA PATRIOT Act as well as other government surveillance and investigation"programs
- reasserts ALA's "commitment to the rights of inquiry and free expression" of everybody.
I voted yes. The resolution passed.
Resolution on OMB's Guidance to Agencies Pertaining to the Implementation of Section 207(d) of the E-Government Act of 2002
- asks for timely hearings on this Act with librarians as witnesses instead of just posting on the web and asking for comments
- asks that Congress provide oversight that the recommendations of the Categorization of Government Information Working Group be implemented (basically that government documents be cataloged in a way that the public can actually find them)
I voted yes. The resolution passed.
Resolution on Protecting the Toxics Release Inventory Program
- opposes the Environmental Protection Act's proposal to reduce the frequency and threshold requirements for Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reporting
- urges Congress to stay with the original intent to "make information, including off-site consequence analysis information, publicly available on a timely basis"
- urges Congress to "direct the EPA to maintain the current TRI reporting thresholds and frequency."
I voted yes. The resolution passed.
Resolution on the Changes to the IRS Tax Forms Outlet Program asks that ALA work with the IRS to "reconfigure the Tax Forms Outlet Program to meet the needs of the participating libraries and the public they serve." Basically, the IRS isn't sending enough forms and wants librarians to help everybody get the forms online. Some libraries and people would like to actually get the forms.
I voted yes. The resolution passed.
Resolution Affirming Equity of Access Through Universal Service, E-Rate and Advanced Broadband Services
- asks Congress "assess and review the impact of regulatory changes on the public interest, including libraries, educational institutions, and state and local governments"
- asks for "open access and interoperability as well as for prohibitions against control of access by only a few"
- continue the E-rate or a similar program.
I voted yes. The resolution passed.
Opposition to Judge Samuel Alito as U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice. The Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship (COSWL) proposed a resolution to oppose the confirmation of Judge Samuel Alito as associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and communicate this opposition to the U.S. Senate.
Posted on February 14, 2006 2:10 PM | Permalink