WELCOME 
BACK ISSUES
By Tim Grimes, LIRT Councilor, GrimesT@aadl.org
ALA Council tackled several key issues during the January Midwinter Conference. Here are some highlights of important sessions:
ALA COUNCIL/EXECUTIVE BOARD/MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION SESSION/ COUNCIL I
This Sunday and Monday mornings meeting contained several reports, including the reports of the President, Nancy C. Kranich, the President-Elect John W. Berry and the Freedom To Read Foundation.
Highlights
The Budget Analysis and Review Committee (BARC) reported that ALA is in sound fiscal condition and that they were particularly pleased with the attendance at the Financial Planning Seminars held at conference for Association leaders. President Nancy Kranich pointed to highlights of her term of office and her projects to advance her theme - Libraries: The Cornerstone of Democracy. A project of particular interest to LIRT members is a document entitled A Library Advocate’s Guide To Building Information Literate Communities, which is a compilation of tools, tips and techniques to promote information literacy skills as central to the lives of all Americans (The document is available at
http://www.ala.org/pio/advocacy/informationliteracy.pdf.). Kranich also outlined her 5-year @ Your Library - Campaign For America’s Libraries (check out www.ala.org/@yourlibrary for more information). President-elect John W. Berry outlined his three key initiatives: Equity of Access, Recruitment to the Profession with a Strong Emphasis on Diversity and Electronic Participation for ALA Members. Candace Morgan, President of the Freedom To Read Foundation, outlined the Foundation’s activities since the annual conference and urged ALA to be a lead plaintiff in a legal challenge to the Children’s Internet Protection Act.
COUNCIL II
Much of the discussion at this Tuesday morning meeting centered on a proposal from the ALA Committee on Education for a post-master’s certification and discussion of chat-based services for ALA committee members.
Highlights:
Council passed the Library Services for People With Disabilities Policy
Council approved Programmatic Priorities for 2002 - Diversity; Equity of Access; Education and Continuous Learning; Intellectual Freedom and 21st Century Literacy
Council referred both a proposal for criteria for programs to prepare library technical assistants and a proposal for a post-master’s certification back to committees for further details and clarification.
Council passed a recommendation that ALA provide some from of chat-based services for members for committees to work with during 2001.
Council III
Much discussion of the Wednesday meeting centered on a document defining privatization, and the Children’s Internet Protection Act.
Highlights:
Council approved the Betty J. Turock Scholarship, supporting the education of a principal minority group in an ALA accredited masters program in Library and Information Science.
Council resolved to initiate legal action challenging the Children’s Internet Protection Act.
Other actions included passing of resolutions to develop @ your library materials in Spanish, improving public access to government information and LSTA reauthorization. The Council spent much time on a report discussing the terms ‘outsourcing’ and ‘privatization’ - which will be discussed in more detail at the annual conference.
LIRT News, March 2001. Volume 23, number 3.
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