ALA press release touts student loan forgiveness for librarians in low income areas while managing to hype the librarian shortage we’re all still wondering about and gives a tip of the hat to Laura Bush. I looked for more information on the Librarian Education and Development Act in several places online and could not find specific reference to the information the press release discussed. Anyone else? [update: you guys scare me sometimes, you’re so fast with this – here’s the link, and here’s another one]
Category: ala
Versed, published by ALA’s Office for Diversity
I know I’ve mentioned this before, but it was over a year ago. Under Tracie Hall’s skillful directorship, the ALA Office for Diversity has really been turning out some quality content in their newsletter Versed. I picked up the latest issue at ALA and read it on the plane on the way home. I particularly enjoyed the interviews with past ALA president Betty Turock, East Cleveland Public Library director Greg Reese and the conversation about how to grapple with racism, sexism and the future of the profession.
I wrote my dissertation on job satisfaction of Black librarians in some urban systems of the Midwest, New England, and the Mid-Atlantic states. I did a lot of interviewing. Salary was not a factor in why people were happy or unhappy. It wasn’t even mentioned. What gave people the greatest job satisfaction was being able to help people and doing the work of a librarian. A third major reason was one I was totally unprepared for — a feeling by Black librarians that they were doing the work of God. They felt a calling. It was really striking. The major reason for workplace dissatisfaction was working in a hostile workplace and being subjected to discrimination by library directors, staff, and patrons.
some ALA resolution information
Rory includes the full text of the Iraq resolution that passed through ALA Council this past session. He’s also included the Resolution on Disinformation & Media Manipulation and the Destruction of Public Information and the Resolution on Threats to Library Materials Related to Sex, Gender Identity, or Sexual Orientation. Remember, ALA isn’t a legislative body and so these resolutions are, at best, statements of good intentions, position papers if you will. If any of these resolutions [and I’ll be trying to find the text of the rest of them this week] are applicable to your library situation, feel free to print them out and tell whoever needs to know “The largest library association in the world thinks this is important” James Casey who serves with me on Council and always distributed his post-Council reports widely, had this to say about the importance of wide-ranging resolutions.
Discussions were intense and substantive (most of the time), but there was a surprising tendency in this session for the Councilors not to worry about straying from “Library Issues”. In fact, I don’t recall hearing that term : “This is not a Library issue.” even once from the floor of Council during the whole of this Conference. There was a clearer connection in the minds of Councilors — at least in my own mind — how the manipulation, destruction and spinning of information can result in wars, ecological disasters and other calamities that were previously thought best to be left to the “experts” who supposedly run our government on our behalf. Librarians who believe in the value and importance of access to accurate and truthful information may come to view government actions predicated upon an endless tapestry of lies and misinformation, to be a matter relevant to their professional concerns. Instead of a “leftward tilt” on Council evident, I detected more of a realization that what you don’t know — or aren’t allowed to know — can literally kill you and a lot of other folks as well.
a few ALA wrap-ups
I finally made it back to my house after an extended trip home [extra time in airports, extra time in Boston, extra time on the bus] and it’s great to be here. I felt that this was one of my most productive conferences yet, even though it was a bit lacking in the “seeing all the friends I don’t see often enough” scale. I’m still putting together a wrap up, but in the meantime, feel free to read the ones I’ve found online:
- Pink Sneakers blog
- Karen’s LITA Councilors report
- Rochelle’s Council wrap-up from which I will pull this list of notable resolutions and add one that was important to me at the end
- Resolution in Suport of Immigrants Rights to Free Public Library Access
- Resolution on Disinformation, Media Manipulation & the Destruction of Public Information
- Resolution on the Connection between the Iraq War and Libraries
- Resolution on Threats to Library Materials Related to Sex, Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation
- Resolution on Support for Community Broadband Initiatives [paraphrased for now]
- Some official numbers from ALA, record-breaking attendance.
gorman, coda
Incoming ALA President Michael Gorman’s last line in his [brief] inaugural address: “My completed remarks will be on my blog in the morning.” Classic.