ALA Council I Session in Anaheim

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In an unusual session, ALA Council I in Anaheim this morning took time to discuss its own effectiveness, working with ALA President-Elect Maureen Sullivan. Council members broke into small groups and, after several minutes of discussion, reported out on each group’s priorities. The group recorders provided notes to Council Secretariat Lois Ann Gregory-Wood and following the conference, the Council Orientation Committee will work with Parliamentarian Eli Mina to analyze the worksheets and determine next steps.

Councilors also heard a report from Digital Content and Libraries Working Group Cochairs Sari Feldman and Robert Wolven.

Under new business, three resolutions were presented. A resolution opposing voter suppression in America (Council Document #40) was heavily discussed, and passed after an amendment to strike part of the resolution was defeated. The resolution “opposes voter ID laws, restrictions on voter registration, cuts to early voting, and any other laws resulting in the restriction of lawful access to voting, and encourages libraries, librarians, and library professionals to provide information to citizens to mitigate the restrictions should they remain in effect on Election Day.”

Two other resolutions, one affirming access to information and recommending library support for Wikileaks (CD#41) and the other in support of whistleblower Bradley Manning (CD#42), were both defeated.