Council II: Addressing Priorities

January 11, 2016

Council II discusses FY 2017 Programmatic Priorities. Photo courtesy of Lauren Pressley
Council II discusses FY 2017 Programmatic Priorities. Photo courtesy of Lauren Pressley

ALA President Sari Feldman called the Council II meeting to order at 10:02 a.m. on January 11.

Vicky Crone, chair of the Policy Monitoring Committee, presented their report (CD#17) and requested approval to separate Policy B.2.1.7 Labeling and Rating Systems into two new interpretations (Labeling Systems, CD#19.4, and Rating Systems CD#19.5). The motion passed.

Andrew Pace gave the report for the Committee on Organization (COO), in place of committee chair Susan Considine (CD#27). The committee recommended changing the name of the Office of Literacy and Outreach Services Advisory Committee to the Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services Advisory Committee to match the name of the corresponding ALA office. The motion passed.

COO also proposed that Council formally designate a dean/director position on the ALA Committee on Accreditation. This motion also passed.

Leslie B. Burger, chair of the International Relations Committee (CD#18), reported on the committee’s meeting with IFLA president Donna Scheeder and encouraged councilors to attend the IFLA conference in Columbus in August. Other initiatives of the committee include the recent Sharjah Book Fair in the United Arab Emirates, the German Library Conference coming this March, and the Havana Book Fair next month in Cuba.

James R. Rettig, chair of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, sought approval of the application of the Joint Council of the Librarians of Color to become an affiliate of the ALA (CD#25). The motion passed.

Freedom to Read Foundation (FRTF) President Julius C. Jefferson Jr.  (CD#22), discussed several legal cases the foundation is following, including US v. Moalin, Wikimedia v. NSA, and Antigone Books v. Horne. He also introduced FRTF’s new director James LaRue, who started January 4.

ALA Treasurer Mario Gonzáles presented the FY 2017 Programmatic Priorities (CD#13.1) to develop the budget for fiscal year 2017. The three strategic directions for 2017 are Advocacy, Information Policy, and Professional and Leadership Development. The motion passed overwhelmingly.

Resolutions concerning accessibility of ALA conferences and meetings for people with disabilities and replacing the Library of Congress subject heading “illegal aliens” with “undocumented immigrants” were deferred until Council III on Tuesday.

ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels reported there were 7,128 attendees and 3,608 exhibitors, for a total of 10,736 total registrants; 10,568 attended Midwinter in Chicago in 2015.

President Feldman adjourned the meeting early at 10:40 a.m.

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