Council III: Strategic Plan Approved

American Library Association (ALA) President Cindy Hohl called the third, final Council meeting of ALA’s 2025 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia to order at 9:08 a.m. on June 30.

The agenda (CD#8.6) was adopted.

Asking those in the room to stand, Hohl read the names of the people to be recognized by memorial resolutions:

Steven Kerchoff (M-#9)
Linda Ernst (M-#10)
Gordon Baker (M-#11)
Maryellen Trautman (M-#12)
Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.)

This was followed by a moment of silence.

Hohl read tributes recognizing or honoring the following:

Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures’ fifth anniversary (T-#4)
Carla Hayden (T-#5)
Sylvia Knight Norton (T-#6)

Peter Hepburn, ALA treasurer, presented the budget update (CD#13.1), financials for fiscal year 2025 through March 31 (CD#13.3) and the fiscal year 2026 revised budget schedule (CD#13.4).

ALA Election Committee Chair John DeSantis delivered the Election Committee report on the Committee on Committees election results (CD#12.1). Anna Elisa Decampos Soles, Bradley Kuykendall, Erika Long, and Joseph Thompson were elected to the committee.

Sophia Sotilleo, president of the Freedom to Read Foundation, a separate nonprofit affiliate of ALA, presented the foundation’s report (CD#22.1).

Stephanie Chase, chair of the Societal Statements Working Group, presented a report and framework for review as well as an action item (CD#51) to extend the group’s work on the framework to August 2025. The motion passed 133–1.

President-elect Sam Helmick presented a report on the proposed ALA Strategic Plan and an action item (CD#53) to approve it. Lead consultant Debbie Trueblood of the Association Management Center joined the meeting via video to share the process that was used to develop the plan. Council approved 135–1 the amended version, which changed strategic objective B-1 to “Continue to enhance the membership model to improve flexibility and demonstrate value,” rather than “Redesign the membership model to improve flexibility and demonstrate value,” and strategic objective A-2 to “Expand partnerships with national and international aligned organizations to impact ALA’s reach, credibility, public visibility, and policy influence,” from “Expand partnerships with aligned organizations to impact ALA’s reach, credibility, public visibility, and policy influence.”

Committee on Professional Ethics Chair Julia Warga presented a report and action item (CD#24.1) to approve the committee’s draft interpretation of Article IV of ALA’s Code of Ethics, regarding copyright. The motion passed unanimously.

Hohl presented an action item (CD#45.1) to approve the Independent Book Publishers Association as an affiliate of the American Library Association. The vote passed 130–1 with 2 voters abstaining.

Councilor Kestrel Ward presented an action item (CD#52) calling for increased awareness of and donations to support the Merritt Fund. The fund is “devoted to the support, maintenance, medical care, and welfare of librarians” who are denied employment rights or discriminated against on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, race, color, creed, age, disability, or place of national origin, or because of defense of intellectual freedom. The motion passed unanimously.

Library History Round Table Councilor Ellen Pozzi presented a resolution (CD#54) to honor the contributions of librarians commemorated in the “Librarians We Have Lost” initiative, “a collective memorial project developed as part of the Sesquicentennial observance to honor the memory, service, and professional contributions of librarians, educators, and library workers over the past fifty years.” The resolution was approved 132–1.

During the announcements, Hohl was informally recognized for her leadership this year. In addition to other expressions of thanks to Council and committee members, Holly Robison, program officer in ALA’s Governance Office, was recognized. This is Robison’s last ALA Conference.

Melissa Walling, associate executive director of ALA offices and member relations and interim senior associate executive director, reported that the final conference numbers as of June 30 had reached 14,292 total registrants—an increase since the day before of 95 registrants, including 10 first-time attendees. Walling will serve as ALA’s interim executive director until newly named executive director Daniel J. Montgomery officially begins in November.

Hohl adjourned the meeting at 11:38 a.m.

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