Here is some information on a resolution that ALA Council passed at mid-winter.
ALA Council passes resolution in support of immigrant rights to access to information
(CHICAGO) At the American Library Association (ALA) 2007 Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, January 19 - 24, the ALA Council adopted a resolution in support of immigrant rights to access to information. The resolution states that: "America's immigrants are a strong and valuable part of the social fabric of this nation. The library community opposes all attempts at the local, state and federal level to restrict access to information by immigrants."
The resolution:
supports the protection of each person's civil liberties, regardless of that individual's nationality, residency, or status; and
opposes any legislation that infringes on the rights of anyone in the USA or its territories, citizens or otherwise, to use library resources, programs, and services on national, state, and local levels.
The 183-member ALA governing body passed ALA CD#20.2 on January 22, 2007.
To read the full document, please visit the ALA Web site at: http://www.ala.org/ala/ourassociation/governanceb/council/councildocuments/mwmtg2007.htm.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Thursday, February 8, 2007
EPA Library Saga Continued
PRESS RELEASE: EPA Library System Continues to Implode
Contact: Carol Goldberg (202) 265-7337
EPA LIBRARY SYSTEM CONTINUES TO IMPLODE
Union Charges EPA with Unfair Labor Practice for Refusing to Consult on Closures Washington, DC.
Despite public pledges of cooperation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is refusing to consult with its own employees about the effects of past or schedule of future library closures, according to an unfair labor practices complaint released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). In the face of growing congressional opposition, EPA continues to shutter libraries and make collections unavailable both to its own staff and the public.The unfair labor practice complaint was filed on Monday, February 5, 2007 by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) National Council of EPA Locals, Council 238 before the Federal Labor Relations Authority. The complaint centers on the closure of the EPA Regional Library in Chicago and charges that EPA has refused to bargain on the impacts this action has on scientists and other specialists. The complaint asks for intervention to force EPA to enter binding arbitration on the subject."EPA touts its outreach efforts but has refused to consult with its own professionals or anyone else prior to hacking apart its library system," stated PEER Associate Director Carol Goldberg. "It is ridiculous that our nation's top environmental professionals have to wage legal battle just to keep access to information."This Tuesday, in an oversight hearing before the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson testified that only five of the 26-library network had been closed. In fact, additional libraries have been shut, including, most recently the EPA Regional Library in Atlanta (serving eight southeastern states) where virtually all services had been transferred to Cincinnati. When confronted by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), the committee chair, Johnson said he knew nothing about this functional shuttering of the Atlanta facility. The rationale for EPA's library shutdowns has shifted. Originally it was to save funds but agency studies show that its libraries produce cost savings several times their budgets by eliminating staff time that would otherwise be spent on tracking down documents. In addition, EPA's plan to digitize tens of thousands of documents will likely cost far more than the $1.5 million it estimated it might save.Now, EPA claims that it wants to modernize its information system, even as its budget is being cut - the FY 08 proposed budget unveiled by President Bush this week would cut EPA's budget by 6.6%. The agency, however, has not described how the new system it is implementing on a piecemeal basis will ultimately function. Nor is it known how this still-developing new system will perform any better. "EPA is forcing its entire staff to become their own librarians, wasting countless hours and sacrificing access to mountains of information formerly available," Goldberg continued. "These shuttered libraries handled tens of thousands of information requests each year, not the handful that EPA is now implying."
Contact: Carol Goldberg (202) 265-7337
EPA LIBRARY SYSTEM CONTINUES TO IMPLODE
Union Charges EPA with Unfair Labor Practice for Refusing to Consult on Closures Washington, DC.
Despite public pledges of cooperation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is refusing to consult with its own employees about the effects of past or schedule of future library closures, according to an unfair labor practices complaint released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). In the face of growing congressional opposition, EPA continues to shutter libraries and make collections unavailable both to its own staff and the public.The unfair labor practice complaint was filed on Monday, February 5, 2007 by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) National Council of EPA Locals, Council 238 before the Federal Labor Relations Authority. The complaint centers on the closure of the EPA Regional Library in Chicago and charges that EPA has refused to bargain on the impacts this action has on scientists and other specialists. The complaint asks for intervention to force EPA to enter binding arbitration on the subject."EPA touts its outreach efforts but has refused to consult with its own professionals or anyone else prior to hacking apart its library system," stated PEER Associate Director Carol Goldberg. "It is ridiculous that our nation's top environmental professionals have to wage legal battle just to keep access to information."This Tuesday, in an oversight hearing before the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson testified that only five of the 26-library network had been closed. In fact, additional libraries have been shut, including, most recently the EPA Regional Library in Atlanta (serving eight southeastern states) where virtually all services had been transferred to Cincinnati. When confronted by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), the committee chair, Johnson said he knew nothing about this functional shuttering of the Atlanta facility. The rationale for EPA's library shutdowns has shifted. Originally it was to save funds but agency studies show that its libraries produce cost savings several times their budgets by eliminating staff time that would otherwise be spent on tracking down documents. In addition, EPA's plan to digitize tens of thousands of documents will likely cost far more than the $1.5 million it estimated it might save.Now, EPA claims that it wants to modernize its information system, even as its budget is being cut - the FY 08 proposed budget unveiled by President Bush this week would cut EPA's budget by 6.6%. The agency, however, has not described how the new system it is implementing on a piecemeal basis will ultimately function. Nor is it known how this still-developing new system will perform any better. "EPA is forcing its entire staff to become their own librarians, wasting countless hours and sacrificing access to mountains of information formerly available," Goldberg continued. "These shuttered libraries handled tens of thousands of information requests each year, not the handful that EPA is now implying."
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Federal Funding Increases for Libraries
ALA applauds library funding increase in President's 2008 budget
PRESS RELEASEWASHINGTON - The American Library Association (ALA) applauds the funding increases for libraries proposed in President Bush's fiscal year (FY) 2008 budget and thanks the Administration for its consistent support of increased library funding. In an extremely tight fiscal environment, the President's commitment to increase federal funding for libraries demonstrates his recognition of the many ways libraries serve communities.
The President's Budget requests $226,182,000 for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), an increase of $15,585,000 over FY 2006 and an even bigger increase than LSTA would have received for FY 2007. The LSTA number includes an increase in the Grants to States program, bringing funding for that program to $171,500,000. The ALA has actively supported an increase in Grants to States funding as this funding level will allow full implementation of a 2003 law to provide a more equitable distribution of state formula grants. “This administration has demonstrated once again how important libraries are to this country,” said Leslie Burger, President of the American Library Association. “The need for Federal support is greater than ever, as libraries work to do more with less. These funds will allow for the continued development of countless valuable services that libraries provide, including Internet access, public meeting spaces, mentorship programs, cultural development series, and of course traditional library materials.” The Budget also includes $4 million for policy research and statistics. By investing in this analysis, the government can evaluate which library services best serve the needs of patrons, and librarians can adapt policy to changing trends accordingly. The ALA applauds the administration for this proposal and agrees it will strengthen help to better meet Americans' needs from their libraries. The Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program was level-funded.“It's wonderful to see another increase in funding for libraries,” said Emily Sheketoff, Executive Director of the ALA Washington Office. “The Improving Literacy through School Libraries program will help school libraries continue provide students with up-to-date technology and top-quality, age-appropriate reading materials. These resources are essential in order to ensure that America has a strong 21st-Century workforce.” The Budget request includes $26,500,000 for The First Lady's Twenty-First Century Librarian Program, a $2,740,000 million increase over 2006. The funding increase demonstrates a consistent commitment by the President and the First Lady to ensure that the nation has another generation of trained librarians to serve their communities.
#
The Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) is the only federal program exclusively created for libraries, and is administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The law's definition of a library includes institutions of all types and sizes, such as public, academic, research, school, state, and even digital libraries. The law includes grants for Native American and Native Hawaiian library services, as well as National Leadership grants aimed at education and training, research and demonstration projects, the preservation of library materials, and model projects between libraries and museums. The Improving Literacy Through School Library program is part of the No Child Left Behind Act and designed to improve student literacy skills and academic achievement by providing schools with up-to date library materials and to ensure that school library media centers are staffed by well-trained and state certified school media specialists.
PRESS RELEASEWASHINGTON - The American Library Association (ALA) applauds the funding increases for libraries proposed in President Bush's fiscal year (FY) 2008 budget and thanks the Administration for its consistent support of increased library funding. In an extremely tight fiscal environment, the President's commitment to increase federal funding for libraries demonstrates his recognition of the many ways libraries serve communities.
The President's Budget requests $226,182,000 for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), an increase of $15,585,000 over FY 2006 and an even bigger increase than LSTA would have received for FY 2007. The LSTA number includes an increase in the Grants to States program, bringing funding for that program to $171,500,000. The ALA has actively supported an increase in Grants to States funding as this funding level will allow full implementation of a 2003 law to provide a more equitable distribution of state formula grants. “This administration has demonstrated once again how important libraries are to this country,” said Leslie Burger, President of the American Library Association. “The need for Federal support is greater than ever, as libraries work to do more with less. These funds will allow for the continued development of countless valuable services that libraries provide, including Internet access, public meeting spaces, mentorship programs, cultural development series, and of course traditional library materials.” The Budget also includes $4 million for policy research and statistics. By investing in this analysis, the government can evaluate which library services best serve the needs of patrons, and librarians can adapt policy to changing trends accordingly. The ALA applauds the administration for this proposal and agrees it will strengthen help to better meet Americans' needs from their libraries. The Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program was level-funded.“It's wonderful to see another increase in funding for libraries,” said Emily Sheketoff, Executive Director of the ALA Washington Office. “The Improving Literacy through School Libraries program will help school libraries continue provide students with up-to-date technology and top-quality, age-appropriate reading materials. These resources are essential in order to ensure that America has a strong 21st-Century workforce.” The Budget request includes $26,500,000 for The First Lady's Twenty-First Century Librarian Program, a $2,740,000 million increase over 2006. The funding increase demonstrates a consistent commitment by the President and the First Lady to ensure that the nation has another generation of trained librarians to serve their communities.
#
The Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) is the only federal program exclusively created for libraries, and is administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The law's definition of a library includes institutions of all types and sizes, such as public, academic, research, school, state, and even digital libraries. The law includes grants for Native American and Native Hawaiian library services, as well as National Leadership grants aimed at education and training, research and demonstration projects, the preservation of library materials, and model projects between libraries and museums. The Improving Literacy Through School Library program is part of the No Child Left Behind Act and designed to improve student literacy skills and academic achievement by providing schools with up-to date library materials and to ensure that school library media centers are staffed by well-trained and state certified school media specialists.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Council III
Clarification request:
ALA-APA stands for American Library Association- Allied Professional Association. (The Organization for the Advancement of Library Workers - see previous post.)
This final Council meeting started with Memorials and Tributes. The announcement of the newly elected board members was made and newly elected members are Larry Romans and Charles Kratz.
Next, committee meeting reports were given from the following: Committee on Organization, the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, the Committee on Intellectual Freedom, the Committee on Legislation, and the International Relations Committee.
Significant resolutions that came forward include
(1) Resolution in support of "orphan works" legislation. "Resolved that the American Library Association urges Members of the US Senate and the US House of Representatives to introduce legislation to amend the Copyright Act to facilitate the use of "orphan works" if the user has made a reasonably diligent, good faith search to locate the owner of the work but was unable to find the owner." I voted in favor of this.
(2) Resolution in support of Immigrant Rights. There was a great deal of discussion on this resolution's wording. An amendment was introduced by Michael Gorman, former ALA President, to leave out the word "immigrant" to make it less controversial and insert a term that includes all "residents" in the broadest sense of the word. The amendment passed and so did the resolution. The exact wording of this will come out in another document. I voted in favor of this.
(3) Resolution Affirming the role of libraries in providing E-Government and Emergency Services. "Resolved that the American Library Association urge governments at all levels to acknowledge and support the essential role local libraries play in providing e-government and emergency response/recovery services, as well as include libraries in relevant legislative or other policy actions; and be it further...Resolved, that the American Library Association encourage continued research documenting library needs and capacity to provide effective e-government and emergency response/recovery services, and help libraries develop best practices and train staff to deliver these essential services." I voted in favor of this.
Eli Mina, ALA Parliamentarian, gave his report with an explanation of an unusual procedure that occurred at the second Council meeting. The procedure occurred during the introduction of the Resolution to impeach George Bush. A movement was made to strike the resolution as inappropriate. President Burger called for a vote on this and the majority voted in favor of this. This led to great displeasure from several council members because it no longer allowed for discussion and several felt as if this was a form of censorship, certainly anathema to the principles of our profession. In the end, the body overruled this, but it appeared to be out of order. Eli explained today it was not.
The "Accessible Digitization Projects Resolution" was discussed. Exact wording is forthcoming since there were some changes from the originally submitted resolution. Basically it encourages all libraries engaging in digitization projects to create versions of all materials that are accessible to persons using screen-reader or other assistive technologies.
I am honored to be a part of this body of librarians who care deeply about our profession and democracy.
ALA-APA stands for American Library Association- Allied Professional Association. (The Organization for the Advancement of Library Workers - see previous post.)
This final Council meeting started with Memorials and Tributes. The announcement of the newly elected board members was made and newly elected members are Larry Romans and Charles Kratz.
Next, committee meeting reports were given from the following: Committee on Organization, the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, the Committee on Intellectual Freedom, the Committee on Legislation, and the International Relations Committee.
Significant resolutions that came forward include
(1) Resolution in support of "orphan works" legislation. "Resolved that the American Library Association urges Members of the US Senate and the US House of Representatives to introduce legislation to amend the Copyright Act to facilitate the use of "orphan works" if the user has made a reasonably diligent, good faith search to locate the owner of the work but was unable to find the owner." I voted in favor of this.
(2) Resolution in support of Immigrant Rights. There was a great deal of discussion on this resolution's wording. An amendment was introduced by Michael Gorman, former ALA President, to leave out the word "immigrant" to make it less controversial and insert a term that includes all "residents" in the broadest sense of the word. The amendment passed and so did the resolution. The exact wording of this will come out in another document. I voted in favor of this.
(3) Resolution Affirming the role of libraries in providing E-Government and Emergency Services. "Resolved that the American Library Association urge governments at all levels to acknowledge and support the essential role local libraries play in providing e-government and emergency response/recovery services, as well as include libraries in relevant legislative or other policy actions; and be it further...Resolved, that the American Library Association encourage continued research documenting library needs and capacity to provide effective e-government and emergency response/recovery services, and help libraries develop best practices and train staff to deliver these essential services." I voted in favor of this.
Eli Mina, ALA Parliamentarian, gave his report with an explanation of an unusual procedure that occurred at the second Council meeting. The procedure occurred during the introduction of the Resolution to impeach George Bush. A movement was made to strike the resolution as inappropriate. President Burger called for a vote on this and the majority voted in favor of this. This led to great displeasure from several council members because it no longer allowed for discussion and several felt as if this was a form of censorship, certainly anathema to the principles of our profession. In the end, the body overruled this, but it appeared to be out of order. Eli explained today it was not.
The "Accessible Digitization Projects Resolution" was discussed. Exact wording is forthcoming since there were some changes from the originally submitted resolution. Basically it encourages all libraries engaging in digitization projects to create versions of all materials that are accessible to persons using screen-reader or other assistive technologies.
I am honored to be a part of this body of librarians who care deeply about our profession and democracy.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
ALA Council II
The first few votes that were taken at this meeting include some minor changes in wording in the ALA Policy Manual (Document #17) and a change in the timeline for work being done by the Budget Analysis and Review Committee (BARC) (Document 33.1).
The Committee on Membership Meetings (Document 37) reported that they would like to discuss adding 30 minutes to Council meetings for non-council ALA members to speak on the resolutions that are brought before Council. This was agreed to.
The Treasurer's report (Document #13) reiterated ALA's action goals (Access to Information, Legislation/Funding, Intellectual Freedom, Public Awareness, Personnel Resources, Development & Technology.) There is information on Total ALA Operating Expenses, General Fund Dues Revenue, Projections on Revenue, Members and Long term investment among other tables. Progress in aligning ALA with their 2010 strategic plan is also addressed. Bottom line is ALA is currently financially sound and stable. However, there are always concerns such as the tenable nature of library funding, the rising costs of health care, the state of the art technology costs, and loan and interest rates. Teri Switzer from Colorado has served as the Treasurer for ALA, and she has done a fantastic job. We in Colorado should be very proud of her contributions to ALA.
John Berry, the Freedom to Read Foundation President, reported on the foundation. This was reported on in an earlier blog. (Document #22)
Honorary membership nominations were made and voted on. Honorary memberships were given to David Cohen, Alice Hagemeyer, Anita R. Schiller, and Alphonse F. Trezza. (Document #24)
After much discussion, both the Resolutions referred to earlier (Impeachment of George W. Bush and Funding for the War in Iraq) did not pass. I abstained on both votes.
The next resolution that was presented concerned the Boy Scouts of America. The resolution stated that ALA call upon all its units to follow ALA Policies and to suspend all affiliation with the Boy Scounts of America National Council until such time as the Boy Scouts of America ends its exclusionary policy on the basis of a person's religious beliefs or sexual orientation and rescind its decision to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and/or religious beliefs so that it demonstrates a commitment to human rights, inclusiveness and mutal respect, before prior relations with ALA can be restored. This resolution was referred back for review.
To be clear on the amount of time that I spent in meetings on these last three resolutions, it was 2 1/2 hours at two different meetings. I found the discussions on these issues to be appropriate in the sense of clarifying ALA's stance on first amendment issues. However, my comments to the Council were the following (although not verbatim):
"My statement has to do with my role as a representative of my Chapter as well as ALA members. The democratic system calls for us, as leaders, to be representatives of the people's opinions that are passed on to us. For those in favor of this resolution, I agree that the resolution fits into the broader mission of ALA. But, to me the question is not just about whether it is right or moral or appropriate for us to bring this before council, but more importantly, are we representing our constituents. I have heard many of the Chapter Councilors say that the feedback they are receiving is that folks do not believe this is appropriate business to be going forward with in Council. I wonder if there isn't a better way to make sure that we are properly representing our constituents, not our own beliefs."
The Committee on Membership Meetings (Document 37) reported that they would like to discuss adding 30 minutes to Council meetings for non-council ALA members to speak on the resolutions that are brought before Council. This was agreed to.
The Treasurer's report (Document #13) reiterated ALA's action goals (Access to Information, Legislation/Funding, Intellectual Freedom, Public Awareness, Personnel Resources, Development & Technology.) There is information on Total ALA Operating Expenses, General Fund Dues Revenue, Projections on Revenue, Members and Long term investment among other tables. Progress in aligning ALA with their 2010 strategic plan is also addressed. Bottom line is ALA is currently financially sound and stable. However, there are always concerns such as the tenable nature of library funding, the rising costs of health care, the state of the art technology costs, and loan and interest rates. Teri Switzer from Colorado has served as the Treasurer for ALA, and she has done a fantastic job. We in Colorado should be very proud of her contributions to ALA.
John Berry, the Freedom to Read Foundation President, reported on the foundation. This was reported on in an earlier blog. (Document #22)
Honorary membership nominations were made and voted on. Honorary memberships were given to David Cohen, Alice Hagemeyer, Anita R. Schiller, and Alphonse F. Trezza. (Document #24)
After much discussion, both the Resolutions referred to earlier (Impeachment of George W. Bush and Funding for the War in Iraq) did not pass. I abstained on both votes.
The next resolution that was presented concerned the Boy Scouts of America. The resolution stated that ALA call upon all its units to follow ALA Policies and to suspend all affiliation with the Boy Scounts of America National Council until such time as the Boy Scouts of America ends its exclusionary policy on the basis of a person's religious beliefs or sexual orientation and rescind its decision to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and/or religious beliefs so that it demonstrates a commitment to human rights, inclusiveness and mutal respect, before prior relations with ALA can be restored. This resolution was referred back for review.
To be clear on the amount of time that I spent in meetings on these last three resolutions, it was 2 1/2 hours at two different meetings. I found the discussions on these issues to be appropriate in the sense of clarifying ALA's stance on first amendment issues. However, my comments to the Council were the following (although not verbatim):
"My statement has to do with my role as a representative of my Chapter as well as ALA members. The democratic system calls for us, as leaders, to be representatives of the people's opinions that are passed on to us. For those in favor of this resolution, I agree that the resolution fits into the broader mission of ALA. But, to me the question is not just about whether it is right or moral or appropriate for us to bring this before council, but more importantly, are we representing our constituents. I have heard many of the Chapter Councilors say that the feedback they are receiving is that folks do not believe this is appropriate business to be going forward with in Council. I wonder if there isn't a better way to make sure that we are properly representing our constituents, not our own beliefs."
ALA Council Forum
In preparation for the second Council meeting was a forum last evening to discuss the business that comes before formal Council meetings including the oftentimes controversial resolutions. The resolutions coming forward this year are no less controversial than in the past. There was a great deal of debate as to the appropriateness of Council discussing and taking a stand on issues that are more political in nature. The Social Responsibility Roundtable brought forward the Resolution to Advocate Ending the Funding for the Iraq War and the Resolution on Impeachment of President George W. Bush. I have a similar opinion to many other Chapter Councilors that we need to be representatives of our Chapters. The majority of people who spoke to me about ALA business requested that I not become involved in non-library related issues.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Freedom to Read Foundation
The Freedom to Read Foundation was established in 1969 as the First Amendment legal defense arm of the American Library Association. It is the only organization in the United States whose primary goal is to protect, promote, and defend the First Amendment in libraries. All chapters are expected to donate to the organization, and Colorado is a member through CAL. This is the organization that assisted Denver's Tattered Cover Book Store in its successful fight against a search warrent targeting customer records. More information can be found at www.ftrf.org/joinftrf.htm.
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