Council II

Council II

February 2, 2015

Chicago, IL

10am

Committee on Accreditation 

- The Council approved the Revised Standards for Accreditation.

Policy Monitoring Committee 

- A resolution that requires ALA committees to submit reports.  Adding it to the ALA Policy Manual.  The Council approved the revision to the Policy Manual.

-Lifespan of Membership Initiative Groups - that a group can exist for 3 years and renew every 3 years, or disband.  Adding it to the ALA Policy Manual.  The Council approved the revision to the Policy Manual.

-A new interpretation of the Code of Ethic was adopted in 2014.  Adding the revised interpretation to the Code of Ethics to the ALA Policy Manual.  The Council approved the revision to the Policy Manual.

Committee on Organization (COO)

-Proposing a revision to the composition and description of the Budget Analysis & Review Committee (BARC). The resolution would restrict people from only serving 4 years on BARC in a lifetime unless a person is elected to serve as Treasurer.  There was discussion about concerns about this limitation.  The issue was referred back to COO for revision based on discussion.

Constitution and Bylaws Committee

-The by-law change recommended by this committee will go to the ALA membership for a vote if the Council approves the language change.  The current bylaws refers to "Sturgis Parliamentary Procedure" in the bylaws.  The Committee Recommends that the ALA Council and its committees be governed by Robert's Rules.  There was discussion about this change: some state chapters use Sturgis because ALA has been  using it, people on Council are used to using Sturgis, this change will impact all committee work done by ALA, Robert's is easier to use.  The Council approved the change to go to a vote to the ALA membership.

Freedom to Read Foundation Report to Council

-Antigone Books v. Horne - the laws was written was to target "revenge porn" but has a wide net that impacts historic and artistic photographs.  FTRF is filing as a plaintiff.  There is currently a stay in this case.

-Arce v. Huppenthal - The Tucson Unified School District Case.  Hoping for restults in March or April 2015.  FTRF has filed an amicus brief on this case.

-November 17 - FTRF began celebrating its 45th anniversary.  There are a series of events to mark this anniversary.

-Supporting local activism - a parent group in Texas that is saying they do not want books banned in their schools:  HP Kids Read.

-Provisions in the USA PATRIOT Act continue to be watched by the FTRF.

-Krug Memorial Fund - supports education.  Supported a class at the University of IL library graduate school in 2014.  Provide funds for events during Banned Books Week.

-Strategic Plan Review occurred this week.

Programmatic Priorities

-Looking at the FY 2016 budget.  A motion that the budget will reflect the programmatic priorities for the FY 2016 budget.  The Council approved the motion.

New Business

-Resolution Encouraging Library Directors to Join their Trustees to ALA and United for Libraries, ALA Councilors Susan Schmidt and Emily Bergman.  Urges all public library directors to include membership for each of their trustees in United for Libraries in their budgets.  This referred back to the committee for presentation at Council III.

APA Meeting

ALA-APA

February 1, 2015

Chicago, IL

11:00am

Director's Report highlights 

-April 14 will be National Library Workers Day.  This campaign is supporting library workers advocating for status and salaries. #nlwd15

Treasurer's Report highlights

-Budget for 2014 was $120,320 - there was a decrease in revenue from 2013 to 2014

Council I

February 1, 2015

Chicago, IL

8:30am

Executive Board Report 

- The Midwinter meeting was discussed, but for now the "footprint" will remain the same.

The Council spent about 1.5 hours discussing strategic directions for ALA.  The Council broke up into small groups of 5-8 people and then reported out highlights of the small group discussion.

Some highlights include:

Advocacy:

-Need a national marketing campaign

-Change library stereotypes for public and people looking for a career

-ALA supporting grassroots effort for advocacy

-A need for a unified message across libraries and library group

-Tie every action in ALA to stratigic plan

Information Policy:

-Relevant to the every day member

-Successful lobbying at local, federal, and state levels

-All library professionals understand the significance of policies - and complicated issues are made clear

Professional Leadership Development:

-ALA and the library profession should represent diversity

-ALA not looking at professional development as a revenue-stream but as an investment

-Cost of professional development was mentioned many times

10,552 is current registration for this conference.

Council III

Council III
Tuesday July 1, 2014
7:45am Las Vegas, NV

Memorials and Tributes were given.

ALA Treasurer's Report - the budget presentation was provided.  Publishing and meetings/conferences are the biggest revenue sources.  Revenue from these places supports other ALA services.  FY2015 estimated revenue is $64,078,221.  This is the budgetary ceiling the Council approved.

Motion PASSED.

Report of the Tellers

• Committee on Committees - Elected Counselors are: Ann Credson, Karen Dowing , Jim Kuehne, Susan Gregory.
• Planning and Budget - Elected Counselors are:  Ismail Abdullahi, Matt Ciszek, Loida Garcia-Febo.  Stephanie Braunstein and Regina Greer Cooper.

Committee on Legislation

A new subcommittee has been created called Federal Legislature Advocacy Group.  They are looking for people who have a strong relationship with their legislators to serve on this subcommittee.

Resolved, that the American Library Association (ALA), on behalf of its members:

1.   supports and encourages a national preservation plan for Federal Depository Library Program materials;

2.   encourages policies that promote digitization with a reasonable number of dispersed preserved copies of print FDLP materials;

3.   supports technologies that guarantee long-term, robust, verifiable, complete, accurate, authentic, preservable, and usable digital formats;

4.   works with the Government Printing Office (GPO) and the FDL community on developing procedures to authenticate and ingest digital and digitized content intoFDsys from federal depository libraries and federal agencies; and

5.   supports the creation of a no-fee, searchable, online inventory of digital and digitized government materials with downloadable metadata.

Motion PASSED.

Resolved, that the American Library Association (ALA)

1.

1. affirms its support for network neutrality and open Internet policies that enable access in the library, through remote access to library resources, or by other means;

2.

2. calls on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to codify network neutrality principles following its  Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), Docket Number 14-28;  

3. encourages library supporters to become engaged in the FCC’s current Notice of a Proposed Rulemaking on network neutrality; and

4. urges library supporters to advocate for the development of enforceable policies, whether in legislative proposals or regulatory proceedings, that ensure that the Internet remains an open platform for activities such as information exchange, intellectual discourse, civic engagement, creativity, innovation, and learning.

Discussion: Should legislation be mentioned?

Motion PASSED.

Intellectual Freedom Committee

There are 14 changes to the interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights.

Discussion:  There is a statement about working with the rating system, it seems out-dated.  Discrimination - other groups need to be mentioned in future iterations of the interpretations.  Cataloging groups in RDA are recording rating systems.  Just because a field is there doesn't mean a library has to use it. We need to provide as much information as possible for parents.  Catalogers are taught to use information from the item in hand, and this is information.  Copy cataloging almost always includes this information.  Copy catalogers may be put in a position to delete this information.

A motion was made to refer the labeling and rating system back to committee and those interested bodies.

If this is not approved then the old version will be published in the Intellectual Freedom Handbook.  The IFC looked at this as best practices.  A future interpretation will address user generated comment - this area will have future work for all of these reasons.  There has been ample opportunity for comment prior to this meeting, there has been no comment until this meeting.  It is not true that input was not provided - input was provided.

The motion to refer the labeling system back to the committee FAILED.

IFC said the concern has been heard and will be addressed.

Motion to approve interpretations PASSED.

Ethics Committee - Brought forward an interpretation of Copyright.

Copyright: An Interpretation of the Code of Ethics

The Committee on Professional Ethics moves to adopt “Copyright: An Interpretation of the Code of Ethics”, CD #32.2

Motion PASSED.

International Relations Committee - report and action item.

Resolved that the Council of the American Library Association directs that ALA become a signatore to the Lyon Declaration on Access to Information and Development.  - This is an advocacy document calling on United Nations to ensure everyone has access to information.  This will be presented in France.  The resolution is in keeping with the Library Bill of Rights.

Discussion: Comments in support.

Motion PASSED.

Keith Michael Fiels - Final registration is 18,626.

Chapter Council Forum

Chapter Council Forum
Monday, June 30, 2014 4pm

July 15 is deadline for career counseling deadline for applicants.  Only 11 chapters have applied.  There are 25 spots.

Alaska - Labeling and Rating System Interpretation in the Bill of Rights - This issue will be coming before Council III tomorrow morning.  On one hand the interpretation is saying that you cannot expunge the rating system from the material, but you also cannot add this information to the catalog description.  The request is to take this one issue out of the interpretation and keep the rest of the interpretation in-tact.  The publication of the upcoming Intellectual Freedom Manual is one of the reasons that the committee is looking to pass the entire package now. RDA allows for a statement a bout the intended audience.  There is a lack of consistency about how this issue should be handled.  There was a discussion about Lexile scores, should that information be included in the catalog record?  Are Lexile scores a rating system?  There are questions about how we are using the rating system - not that there is a labeling system noted.  Does the library bill of rights represent the ideal or what is actually happening in libraries.

New York - National Literary Landmark Project - United for Libraries has a program called Literary Landmarks.  Children's Book Week - there is a plan to have 7 landmarks around the country for Children's Book Week - these are all around the country.  They are landmarks for children's authors.  They can be in any state.  Landmarks are a site with a connection with an author or a book or a group of authors.  There is information available on United for Libraries Website.

California - IFLA declaration before vote tomorrow - The report will come before Council III tomorrow.  Asking ALA to become signatories on the declaration of access to information.  This will be a resolution tomorrow.  IFLA will be in Columbus, OH in 2016.

New Mexico - Attracting millennials -

• Young members or new members round table - they are the cutting edge of conference with late night socials.  Librarian games.  Fun more than professional.  
• TLA has a new members roundtable.  New members are automatically enrolled.  The President sponsors new event for library students and newly hired people.  Pre, pre conference for new members.  They are told about the structure of the organization.  The officers come and talk to them about volunteering and getting involved.  Maureen Sullivan has spoken at this even with high level of attention.  
• Oklahoma - ambassadors are in larger libraries who contact new hires to introduce them to association.  "Each one reach one" - each person in the organization reaches out to one new person to ask them to join.  Sometimes the outreach person paid the new person membership.  Personal introduction is the best way.  
• Tennessee Library Association.  New member social on the first night of the conference.  This has had a good turnout.  Very specifically asked long-time members not to come - this is really for new new members.  Not an intimidating social.  Just the president of the organization came, but few other long-time members. 
• Another state looked at how the organization was organized.  Looked at new structure with interest groups.  Looked at individual libraries to get their specific people to join - who are their new movers and shakers.  These new people are bringing new ideas to conference and bring new things from social media.  In a small state like NM there are few people to donate time.  
• What value are associations bringing to professionals?  What is the value of the association beyond the tradition?  The social part is very important for all of us.  
• California struggling with membership.  Success has been through leadership development institute.  That group has cohorts that has taken ownership of programs.  
• Hawaii, look at library schools and online programs.  Discount for students.  Have cheep memberships for students and first year attendees.  Get their foot in the door.  Social media.  New members need to be empowered in the organization and do work for the organization and opportunities for leadership.  Encourage poster sessions to get them presenting at conference.  
• KY - Just ask them - just ask them to do leadership things - personal contact.  Recent graduate discounts are also important.  
• OK - How many have joint state and ALA membership for students?  There are associations that have joint membership for ALA and NMLA.  
• Make the projects small.  Part of the association without taking on something really heavy - project oriented.   

Attracting retired librarians - Ways to engage people after retirement.  New York - There is a retiree roundtable like ALA.  Travel is part of what this group is doing.  Literary destination travel for these members.  Alaska - Ask them to join and participate.  Have programming on retirement.

ALA  - Bring ALA specialists to conferences to present programs. They are good about and ALA pays for some travel.  The council rep makes the initial contact and then works with the conference committee to plan.  Michael Dowling has spoken at several conferences (including NMLA's last annual conference).  Barbara Stripling, ALA President has also done some speaking at chapter conferences.  New York has a standing invitation to the ALA President and the ALA President comes most years.  Immediate past-presidents are also good presenters for conferences.

Disconnect between states and ALA.  It is too expensive to send members to ALA meetings.  It is expensive for people to pay their own way.  Part of our role as a council member is to communicate about the value of ALA.  Act as a filter to ALA information - not too much - and the things that are most interesting.  Holding virtual meetings to save funding for members.  Go to "making the case" on the ALA website for attending conference.

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.

Council I

ALA Annual Conference

Sunday June 29, 2014

8:30am

Las Vegas, NV

Opening presentation from FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler about changes that will occur in the eRate program over the next several years that will make it easier for libraries to get eRate funding.  It will make it easier for libraries to connect with schools and easier for consortia to apply for funding.  FCC wants to provide a reliable source of funding and give libraries the ability to plan.

Council updated language for the guidelines for using the Council listserv.

A resolution was presented to restore funding to Air Force Base and Command Libraries to FY 2011 levels for staffing, materials, services, and programs.  Align library funding with appropriated funds rather than through base operation, where library funding is vulnerable to additional local cuts.  Discussion points:  are Base libraries needed, do they take funding from public libraries? Base libraries are special libraries.  People spoke about their use of Base libraries and their unique importance.  Air Force libraries are in particular danger right now - other branches of the military do not have this same issue.

Announcements

Michael Feils.  12,641 advanced registration.  18,185 total registration which is down a bit from Chicago Annual Conference.