ALA Midwinter Conference 2004, San Diego
Wyoming Chapter Councilor's Report
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments.
Jennifer Mayer, Wyoming Chapter Councilor
307-766-5578
mayerj@uwyo.edu
Updates
ALA/APA - The ALA Allied Professional Association has released the first issue of Library Worklife: HR E-News for Today's Leaders. This will be a quarterly electronic newsletter. The purpose of this association is to aggressively advocate for the interests of the profession (including certification, pay equity for librarians and library workers, improved status and recruitment). A full-time ALA-APA Director, Jenifer Grady, began work in December 2003. Significant progress has been made toward the creation of the Certified Public Library Administrator certification program. The first ALA-APA Committee on Salaries and Status of Library Workers has been appointed and began work at the 2004 Midwinter Meeting.
ALA Web Site - Major enhancements to the ALA Web Site will be introduced during the week of January 19, 2004. The most noticeable enhancements will be shorter URLs and a "Cite This Page" feature. New additions to the site include: candidate bios for the 2004 election, the ALA Handbook of Organization, and a "Continuing Education Clearinghouse." The Great Web Sites for Kids site will be reborn as a searchable database. The LIS program directory will also become a searchable database.
Ballot Initiatives - In addition to selecting a new Vice-President/President-Elect, Treasurer, and Councilors-at-Large, ALA members will be asked to vote on an amendment to the ALA Constitution and an amendment to the ALA Bylaws. The constitutional amendment has to do with procedures for filling a mid-term vacancy in the position of ALA Treasurer. The bylaws amendment has to do with the new membership category and dues rate for support staff described below.
Conference Registration - Total registration for the 2004 Midwinter Meeting in San Diego was 10,788 with 5,385 advance registrations and 2,559 on-site registrations. Total registration for the 2003 Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia was 13,664 with 5,213 advance registrations and 5,041 on-site registrations.
Core Values - The ALA Core Values Task Force II has identified ten value domains based on a textual analysis of association documents. They are: access, collaboration, diversity, education, intellectual freedom, preservation, privacy, professionalism, public good, and service. The task force will present a final core values statement at the 2004 Annual Conference.
Electronic Balloting - ALA will initiate electronic voting in Spring 2004. The Association has tested 50,000 email addresses. Members whose email addresses did not work (about 5,000) will receive paper ballots. Members with valid email addresses will receive an electronic notice on March 15, 2004 directing them to request either a paper or electronic ballot. Those who do not respond by April 19, 2004 will receive a second email notice. The election deadline is April 26, 2004. Candidates will be notified by and election results will be reported on May 3, 2004.
Health Insurance - The ALA Membership Committee reported that the new member health insurance program will be rolled out in Spring 2004. The initial roll out has been delayed because the first provider, Near North Group was sold. ALA has identified Marsh & McLennan Companies as the new provider.
President's Report - ALA President, Carla Hayden, continues her presidential initiative on Equity of Access. Look for the "Something for everyone @ your Library" ad and other psa spots and materials. Carla Hayden has been honored by Ms. Magazine as one of ten Women of the Year. See pages 44-45 in the Winter 2003/2004 issue.
President-Elect's Report - ALA Vice-President/President-Elect Carol Brey-Casiano has established grassroots advocacy as her presidential initiative for 2004-2005. The advocacy vision statement for her strategic plan is "Stand Up and Speak Out for Libraries" - Turning Passive Support into Educated Action. She is fluent in Spanish and conducts many of her advocacy training sessions in Spanish and in Spanish-speaking countries. More information about her presidential initiatives and contact information is on her website at www.CarolBrey.com
Rural School, Tribal and Public Libraries Taskforce - The taskforce received 1100+ responses to their questionnaire to identify issues and challenges for this group of libraries. They are currently analyzing the responses. The second part of the taskforce's work is to make recommendations for solving some of the issues raised. There will be a full report with recommendations to ALA bodies and council actions at the June 04 conference.
School Libraries and Librarians - As part of the Resolution on School Libraries and Librarians adopted by Council at the 2003 Annual Conference, ALA is providing state-level training sessions for school library advocates.
Actions
ALA Motto - Council defeated a resolution to rescind the ALA Motto, "The best reading, for the largest number, at the least cost," originally formulated in 1892.
Election Endorsements - Council defeated a resolution on ALA Election Endorsement and Use of Funds. The resolution attempted to codify current election, campaign, and endorsement practices. ALA Executive Board will issue revised campaign guidelines soon.
Clark Atlanta - Council adopted a resolution opposing the closing of Clark Atlanta University School of Library and Information Studies. The resolution notes Clark Atlanta's significant contribution to the diversity of the library profession and establishes a task force to determine the strategies and procedures necessary to ensure that ALA is better positioned to detect warning signs of similar closures and take appropriate preventive actions.
Cuba - Council adopted the International Relations Committee and Intellectual Freedom Committee's Report on Cuba which summarizes ALA's many policies related to human rights and freedom of expression and supports IFLA's actions related to Cuba. A copy of this report is on the ALA web page at http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=News&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=53695
Government Information - Council accepted the report of the Committee on Legislation and the attached document entitled Key Principles on Government Information, which affirms, restates, and gathers together existing ALA principles. This is an important Association document drafted by the Government Documents Round Table. It should be available on the ALA web page soon.
Legal Counsel - Members of council were furious to learn Jenner & Block, the legal firm which ALA employs for legal counsel, has accepted divine Inc. as a client. The Executive Board has not had time to clarify details of the relationship. Council considered a resolution to establish policy on the retention of legal counsel and referred the resolution to the Budget Analysis and Review Committee.
Legislation - Congress reauthorized LSTA last fall. The Committee on Legislation and the ALA Washington Office expressed appreciation for the efforts of library advocates and encourages them to send thank you letters to members of Congress. National Library Legislative Day is scheduled for May 3 and 4, 2004 in Washington, D.C. Council adopted four resolutions moved by the Committee on Legislation:
Programmatic Priorities - Council approved FY2005 programmatic priorities for ALA to include: diversity, education and continuous learning, equity of access, intellectual freedom, and 21st Century literacy.
Support Staff Member Category - Council approved the formation of a new membership category for library support staff with a dues rate of $35. ALA membership will be asked to approve this new membership category and dues rate on the 2004 ALA Elections Ballot. Council asked the ALA Membership Committee to investigate a graduated dues scale based on salary for the future.
Special Recognitions
Book Awards -
Ralph Caldecott Medal: The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein
John Newberry Medal: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
For more awards see: http://www.ala.org (Click on Awards & Scholarships button on the top of the page).
Executive Board Elections - Council elected Janet Swan Hill and Nann Blaine Hilyard to three-year terms on the ALA Executive Board.
Honorary Memberships - Council unanimously approved ALA honorary memberships for Sanford Berman and Norman Horrocks which will be conferred at the 2004 Annual Conference Opening General Session in Orlando.
Memorials - Ann Sandberg-Fox, Senator Paul Simon, Caroline M. Coughlin, Bill Morris, Robert Frase, Elizabeth (Betty) Osborn, and Joyce Parks were honored with memorial resolutions.
Tributes - Council received a tribute honoring San Diego Mayor and City Council, and a second tribute commending the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC).
Other Events and Meetings
After the keynote speaker there was a panel including Alan Davidson, Dan Lulich (from AOL) and Charlie Parker (Chair, ALA E-rate taskforce). Dan Lulich suggested that librarians should use their expertise and create the best filter possible and to take ownership of the web and classify it. He said that each new technology has been greeted with fear.
Council Forum and Council Caucus - The discussions at the forum and caucus centered on the above-mentioned issues: Cuba, Clark Atlanta closing, ALA website. Council's approach is now to attack the parts of the Patriot Act that effect libraries, rather than try to get the entire act voted down. This is because there are some positive things in the act, for example, aid for emergency workers.
Chapter Relations Committee - The CRC offers advocacy training for trustees which can be promoted through the state library. Promoting advocacy can be simple and effective, such as putting "10 Things You Can Do For Your Library" on a bookmark. The recruitment assembly is discussing how to attract new librarians and www.becomealibrarian.org was mentioned.
ALA Membership Information Session - This meeting covered information I provided above in the Updates categories (ALA budget information and other reports).
Other - I went to dinner with councilors from New Jersey, Kansas, Delaware, Maryland and California. Amy Shelley (LCLS) and I roomed together, which was very enjoyable.
Thanks to Julie Brewer, ALA Councilor, for allowing the adaptation of her report-- portions of which appear in this document.
1/27/04 jm