The Virtual Council Rules (CD#5.1) and agenda (CD#8.5) were adopted. The minutes from the 2020 ALA Midwinter Meeting (CD#2.1) were also adopted. ALA Executive Director Tracie D. Hall presented the review of executive board actions taken since the 2020 Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia (CD#15.2) and the implementation report on Council actions taken at Midwinter (CD#9.1). … Continue reading ALA Council Holds First Virtual Session
Of concern to Ryan and others was the fine print: Tablet users would be charged up to five cents per minute to access most of the tablet content. This included otherwise free public-domain materials, such as books from Project Gutenberg. APBP facilitates prison book clubs, provides tuition for college classes in prison, and sends free books … Continue reading Prisoners Pay to Read
Our current crisis demands extraordinary measures. As most states and the federal government declare states of emergency, we appreciate that libraries and other public facilities have closed temporarily to support critical social distancing efforts. Our top priority and concern is the health and safety of our library staffs and the diverse communities we serve. As … Continue reading ALA Recommends Libraries Leave Wi-Fi Open During Closures
“How much pain are we willing to tolerate when we know we don’t have to?” asked opening speaker Wes Moore, CEO of anti-poverty organization Robin Hood, US Army combat veteran, and one of many speakers who addressed race and inequality. His forthcoming book (with Erica L. Green) Five Days: The Fiery Reckoning of an American City … Continue reading 2020 Midwinter Wrap-Up
Memorials were read for Ellen Greenblatt (M#1), Willis Bernard “Bill” Lukenbill (M#2), Hilda L. Jay (M#3), Bill Ptacek (M#4), Carolyn A. Markuson (M#5), Learned T. “Dag” Bulman (M#6), and Jennifer Ford Paustenbaugh (M#7). Tributes were read to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Florida Library Association (T#1) and to honor Dita Kraus, “The Librarian of … Continue reading Council III: Tributes, Memorials, and ALA Finances
Jim Neal, chair of the Committee on Organization (COO), presented the COO report (CD#27), which included a look at the requirement for committees to file biannual reports, an event that does not happen consistently. Kim Copenhaver, a member of the Committee Information Update subcommittee, presented a report on whether that requirement should be changed, based … Continue reading Committee Reports and Resolutions at Council II
Brown introduced the first Lois-Ann Gregory Wood Fellow, Tashia Munson of Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Brown then introduced Tracie D. Hall, ALA’s new executive director, who will start February 24. The minutes from the 2019 ALA Annual Conference (CD#2) were adopted. ALA Executive Director Mary Ghikas presented the review of executive board … Continue reading Council I Introduces New Executive Director
Macmillan Ebook Policy Draws Fire Macmillan Publishers announced a policy preventing libraries from purchasing more than one copy of a new ebook title for the first eight weeks after a book’s release. In protest, American Library Association (ALA) launched the #eBooksForAll petition, which by November 27 had garnered more than 216,000 signatures. Said ALA President … Continue reading 2019 Year in Review
But as we hear often, many members find the path to engagement too confusing, too insular, and too expensive. How do we address these concerns while also modernizing the way our Association functions? This is where we start. For the past 18 months, as a member of the Steering Committee on Organizational Effectiveness (SCOE), I’ve … Continue reading Forward Together
Memorials were read for Donald B. Cleveland (M#6), Nicolette Warisse Sosulski (M#7), Anne J. Hoffman (M#8), Patricia Meyer Battin (M#9), Catherine Patricia Riesenman (M#10), and Lucille Cole Thomas (M#11). Tributes were offered to honor Ann Carlson Weeks (T#2), Christine Lind Hage (T#2), and Prue Adler (T#4). ALA Treasurer Susan H. Hildreth presented the FY20 annual … Continue reading Council III: Memorial, Tributes, and Resolutions
Shali Zhang, chair of the Committee on Organization, proposed an action item (CD#27.1) to add representatives from the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services and the Association for Rural and Small Libraries to the Rural, Native, and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds Committee. The motion passed. Zhang also reported that the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and … Continue reading Council II: SCOE Preliminary Recommendations
American Library Association (ALA) President Loida Garcia-Febo called the first Council meeting to order at 8:00 on June 23. This Council session began with a facilitated discussion on equity, diversity, and inclusion through a social justice lens, facilitated by DeEtta Jones, founder and principal of DeEtta Jones and Associates. Upon reconvening, the minutes from the … Continue reading Council I Approves Renaming Dewey Medal
