Council II

Monday June 30, 2014
8:30am
Las Vegas, NV

Report from the ALA Policy Committee.  The policy manual can be found online here:
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/governance/policymanual/

Improving member access to ALA governing unit information is the item brought before the Council at this meeting.  The policy change is:

A.4.3.16.1 Minutes of Meetings of Governing Units

The governing bodies of ALA Divisions and Round Tables shall make available drafts of their meeting minutes or other reports of actions taken, via the unit’s ALA-hosted web page within 30 days of the meeting.  The final versions of meeting minutes or other reports of actions taken shall be made available via the unit’s ALA-hosted web page within 30 days of their approval.  There shall be an easily available historical record of these meetings and action reports.  Sub-units of the Divisions and sub-units of RoundTables shall be exempt from this policy.

Discussion: The policy is written so that items can be posted to ALA Connect or the roundtable's website.  There was an acknowledgement that there is work ahead because ideally documents will be placed all in one place in the future.  This issue will continue to be discussed over the next year.  This vote was only for the placement of the policy in the manual - not for language smithing or concept changing.  The change to the manual PASSED.

Recognition of retiring counselors and executive board members.

Committee on Organization-

ACTION item #1:​Resolved, that Council approves as policy the following provision:

Each chair of an ALA Committee or a Council Committee is responsible for submitting to the ALA Executive Director at least two times each year a substantive report on the committee’s work and accomplishments so that these reports can be made available to all interested ALA members.  Such reports may address, but not be limited to, matters such as accomplishments,planned activities, issues that affect the committee’s work and their implications for the future, interactions with other units within ALA, relationship of the committee’s work to the ALA strategic plan, a current level of committee members’ involvement (more substantive than an attendance roll), committee self-check on its value and viability (update charge, discontinue committee, consolidate with another, change structure, other observations).

Discussion: This includes reports made to Council at Annual and Midwinter.  What is the penalty for non-reporting committees?  The committee chair just needs to send an email to the governance committee showing where the report is located.  Is this policy or procedure?

Motion PASSED.

ACTION item #2:​Resolved, that Council approves the following revision to ALA policy A.4.3.12:

A Membership Initiative Groups (MIG) is formed when a group of ALA members identifies a common concern or interest about librarianship which falls outside the delegated responsibility of a single division, roundtable, or unit, and wishes to establish a short-term, renewable mechanism to address this concern or interest. To establish a MIG, which must be approved by COO and reported to Council, a group must submit to the Committee on Organization a statement of purpose, at least one hundred signatures of ALA members in good standing, and the names and addresses of designated organizers.  Once established, a MIG may operate for three years at which point it may re-petition for another three- year term or may request another place within the ALA structure by following the procedures for establishing that type of group, or may request the ALA COO to disband it.  The re-petitioning process can be renewed every three years.  If the re-petition process is not carried out when due, the MIG will be disbanded.

Discussion:  Allows groups to continue existing beyond 6 years.  MIGs can be renewed every 3 years indefinitely.

Motion PASSED.

Freedom To Read Foundation Report
Highlighted:  Susan B. Anthony List v. Driehaus, Krug Grant to support library school students, join the Freedom to Read Foundation.

Resolution- Resolved, that the American Library Association urges Congress to grant the District of Columbia budget autonomy in order to prevent the unnecessary closing of city government facilities, including public libraries,in the event of a federal government shutdown.

Discussion: Who is the resolution meant for?  It if for Congress.  Many speakers in support of resolution.

Resolution PASSED.

Announcements:
18396 Attendees - a little fewer than Chicago, but is more than the 2012 Anaheim conference.