Maine Library Association

The Committee on Library Advocacy will present a free webinar on Library Snapshot Day from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. CST on Wednesday, March 30, 2011.

Library Snapshot Day is an event that provides library staff a simple means to show the value of the library by capturing what happens in a single day in all types of libraries, across a state, community, or even in a single library. Learn how to implement this event, as well as how to maximize photos, statistics and stories to make the case to decision-makers.

Founder of the initiative, Peggy Cadigan, Associate State Librarian for Innovation & Communication, New Jersey State Library and Robert E. Banks, Deputy Director, Topeka & Shawnee County (KS) Library will present the session. The webinar is co-sponsored by the ALA Chapter Relations Office, Office of Government Relations and the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA).

Registration is mandatory.  Visit https://ala.ilinc.com/register/mypwxwt to sign up today.

Jaclyn Finneke, Communications Specialist

Office for Library Advocacy

CHICAGO -  As thousands protest proposed collective bargaining legislation in Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana, American Library Association (ALA) President Roberta Stevens released the following statement in support of those standing up for workers’ rights.

“While governments are facing financial challenges, addressing deficits should not serve as an opportunity to strip away the hard-won right of workers to collectively bargain,” said Stevens.

“As library visits continue to soar, with job seekers and families turning to our libraries to gain new skills and free access to education resources, the value of library service and staff should be recognized and protected.

“The ALA supports library employees in seeking equitable compensation and recognizes the principle of collective bargaining as an important element of successful labor-management relations. We affirm the right of employees to organize and bargain collectively with their employers, without fear of reprisal. These are basic workers’ rights that we defend for thousands of academic, public and school library professionals.”

The American Library Association is the voice of America’s libraries and the millions of people who depend on them. With more than 63,000 members, the ALA is the oldest and largest library association in the world and represents all types of libraries and librarians.

Roberta Stevens

President, American Library Association

This just came through from the ALA Washington Office. Well done everyone.

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Good work, everybody!  Because of ALA’s unprecedented grassroots efforts this week on amendment #35 to H.R. 1 (the Continuing Resolution to the FY2011 budget) was defeated!  This victory for libraries is undoubtedly due to the strong grassroots efforts of librarians and library supporters all across the country.

As you recall, late Monday evening U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ-5) introduced an amendment that would eliminate all funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) including funding for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), the primary source of federal dollars to libraries.

Today, as the U.S. House of Representatives wraps up floor debate on HR 1, Rep. Garrett has made it clear to us that he is no longer “pushing” for a vote on his amendment.  Once the House passes H.R. 1, – likely today or tomorrow – the budget will be sent over to the Senate where they will have the opportunity to make amendments and vote on this year’s budget bill.

Even though we overcame this amendment, our work is not done.  H.R. 1 still has to be approved by the Senate and signed by the President.  Please tell your friends, library users and advocates that their voices will be needed on library issues in the weeks and months to come.

Also, libraries face cuts in President Obama’s FY2012 budget request sent to Congress on February 14.  In his request, President Obama cuts funding to LSTA by $20 million as well as consolidates Improving Literacy Through School Libraries with other literacy programs in the Department of Education.  ALA needs you to continue your calls to Congress in our fight to protect library funding in FY’12.

This is only the beginning; libraries will continue to be threatened in the next Congress.  Now, more than ever, we need your participation on May 9-10, 2011 at ALA’s National Library Legislative Day in Washington D.C. where you will have the opportunity to meet with your members of Congress and explain to them why cutting library funding would be short-sighted.  To register for NLLD, please go to www.ala.org/nlld.

Kristin Murphy
Government Relations Specialist
American Library Association – Washington Office
1615 New Hampshire Ave. NW, First Floor
Washington, D.C., 20009-2520
Phone Number: 202.628.8410
kmurphy@alawash.org

Best-selling author Scott Turow stands up for nation’s libraries

“…let-them-eat-cake-attitude that threatens to destroy a network of public assets” – Scott Turow

CHICAGO -   In the wake of deep library budget cuts taking place in communities across the country, Scott Turow, author of “Presumed Innocent” and its sequel, “Innocent,” and president of the Authors Guild, expressed his views regarding the value of our nation’s libraries in an opinion piece posted today in the Huffington Post.

Though the efforts of Turow, and the work of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Public Information Office, more than 25 million Huffington Post visitors will have access to Turow’s eloquent comments on the value of our nation’s libraries.

“While our economy seems to be slowly staggering back to its feet, state and municipal governments remain hard-hit as the result of lost tax revenues, lost stimulus money and pension fund payments that have grown to monstrous size to make up for the market losses of 2007 and 2008,” stated Turow. “Those governments are cutting everywhere they can, and public libraries nationwide have been one of the biggest and least deserved losers in the process.”

Turow provided recent examples of budget cuts.  “For example, in California, Governor Brown’s new proposed budget decreases General Fund assistance for public libraries by $30.4 million, eliminating the California Library Services Act, Public Library Foundation and the California Library Literacy and English Acquisition Services — that is, access, resource sharing and adult literacy,” Turow said. “In Texas, the cuts are even more stark, with the new budget proposing complete elimination of several programs that have either provided direct aid to libraries or irreplaceable programs, like those that created shared databases. Even in my own community, a small city on the northern edge of Chicago where a major university sits, my neighbors and I have been struggling to save a small branch library that was pivotal to the education of many neighborhood kids.”

Turow closes the article with a very clear message of support. “I count myself as one of millions of Americans whose life simply would not be the same without the libraries that supported my learning. We cannot take that opportunity away from so many Americans who need that help urgently now.”

To read the complete opinion piece please visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-turow/letthemeatcakeattitude-th_b_823609.html.

Scott Turow is a participant in the American Library Association’s “Our Authors, Our Advocates” initiative.  Through “Our Authors, Our Advocates,” one of ALA President Roberta Stevens’ key presidential initiatives, best-selling authors have provided their support for libraries through media interviews, podcasts and public service announcements.

For more information regarding “Our Authors, Our Advocates” please visit ILoveLibraries.org.

A Press Release from Roberta Stevens on Obama’s proposed budget

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American Library Association: President’s budget strips library funding

WASHINGTON, D.C. – American Library Association (ALA) President Roberta Stevens released the following statement today regarding President Obama’s 2012 budget request:

“The president’s budget proposal strips funding away from one of our greatest resources for lifelong learning – our libraries. Libraries are fundamental to meeting the reading and information needs of communities nationwide. During this difficult recession, they rose to the challenge of helping Americans get back to work through vital assistance with online job searches and applications as well as resume development. In addition, many libraries hold classes to teach the critical 21st century digital literacy skills that are essential to thriving in today’s global economy.

We believe President Obama’s request to cut funding to library services is short-sighted, when libraries are being used by millions of people every day. When we invest in them, we invest in the future of our country. We ask Congress to restore the support for America’s libraries.”

The president’s budget requested $194 million for assistance to libraries to be administered by the Institute of Museum and Libraries Services (IMLS). This request is approximately $20 million below the current funding level.

Like last year, the president chose to consolidate the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program with several other literacy programs.

The website ALA Emerging Issues, jointly maintained by ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom and the ALA Washington Office, now has a Wikileaks section which they will add to as new information becomes available. Also if you are attending Midwinter 2011 the OIF and the Office of Government Relations will be sponsoring  a program on issues raised by the Wikileaks disclosures. Its Saturday, January 8 at 10:30 am in Room 25C in the San Diego Convention Center.

http://www.emergingissues.ala.org/wikileaks/

Another potential resolution for Midwinter 2011

RESOLUTION ON WIKILEAKS AND THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

WHEREAS,    On December 3, 2010, the Library of Congress blocked access to the WikiLeaks site across its computer systems, including those for use by patrons in the reading rooms;

WHEREAS,    The Library of Congress explained its actions by stating that “applicable law obligates federal agencies to protect classified information” and that “unauthorized disclosures of classified documents do not alter the documents’ classified status or automatically result in declassification”;

WHEREAS,    These justifications by the Library of Congress imply an endorsement of sanctions against federal employees who access WikiLeaks documents;

WHEREAS,    On matters of vital public concern, citizens’ fullest knowledge and discussion are in the interest of democracy, freedom, peace, rule of law, and good governance here and around the world;

WHEREAS,    Blocking access to published information is censorship, and supporting sanctions against reading is endorsing abridgment of intellectual freedom;

WHEREAS,    The open publication of documents by WikiLeaks and other agencies of the free press renders the government classification status of these documents irrelevant; and

WHEREAS,    The blocking of WikiLeaks by the Library of Congress is a violation of American librarianship’s historic commitments to the public’s right to know, to freedom of the press, and to the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, and fundamentally contradicts the principles of intellectual freedom as embodied in the Library Bill of Rights; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the American Library Association (ALA)

1.            Condemns in the strongest possible terms the blocking of WikiLeaks by the Library of Congress and rejects on all grounds the Library of Congress’s arguments in defense of this move; and

2.            Strongly urges the Library of Congress to restore online access to WikiLeaks for its employees and the general public without delay.

Library, higher education groups’ net neutrality concerns championed by U.S. Reps. Matsui, Markey and Eshoo

WASHINGTON – The American Library Association (ALA), the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), and EDUCAUSE say U.S. Reps. Doris Matsui (CA-5), Edward Markey (MA-7) and Anna Eshoo (CA-14) are championing the concerns of anchor institutions by calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ensure its upcoming order on network (net) neutrality applies to them.

Higher education and libraries are at the forefront of developing new and innovative research applications and educational content over the Internet. The members’ letter sent to the FCC today requests that any net neutrality safeguards ensure that the Internet remains open for such content and essential services to the public.

“During your proceedings, we want to ensure that America’s community anchor institutions – the schools, libraries, community colleges, and other higher education institutions – are not left out of the proposed safeguards,” the members’ letter to the FCC commissioners states.

The members assert that “Community anchor institutions should be included in the definition of broadband Internet access service and in the non-discrimination protections. Leaving these critical institutions out of the proposal will create a gaping hole in the FCC’s net neutrality safeguards.”

Earlier this week, the ALA, the ARL, and EDUCAUSE sent their own letter to the FCC, requesting the same safeguards as well as other changes necessary to make certain the net neutrality order applies to non-profits, such as libraries and education entities, who create and provide access to Internet content.

Here’s a little break from all those whereases and resolves…  The ALA President’s Award for Advocacy is now taking applications.

Applications available for ALA President’s Award for Advocacy, sponsored by ALTAFF

PHILADELPHIA – Applications are now available for the American Library Association (ALA) President’s Award for Advocacy, sponsored by the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF), a division of ALA. Applications are due March 15, 2011.

This award honors and recognizes statewide advocacy for libraries with a $1,000 grant for the development of a program or programs for Friends and Trustees at the state library association conference. The winner will receive honorable mention by the ALA president at the Opening General Session of the 2011 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans.

The winning campaign will have been successfully implemented during 2009 or 2010 and will have engaged citizens and librarians from across the state to make the case for state library funding.

In 2009, the first ALA President’s Award for Advocacy, sponsored by ALTAFF, went to the Florida Library Association for its quick response to a proposal to eliminate all state aid to libraries, as well as its ongoing public awareness campaign.

For more information and application visit http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/altaff/grants_awards/advocacy/index.cfm

or contact: Jillian Kalonick at ALTAFF

Here is another in our series on rough drafts of resolutions that will be brought up at ALA Midwinter 2011.

Clarification Within Job Listings as to the Presence or Absence of Domestic Partner Benefits

Whereas, The recruitment and retention of qualified librarians is of paramount importance to all libraries that publish job announcements;

Whereas, Individuals of any sexual orientation can enter into domestic partnerships, it is in the interest not only of individual applicants but also of the library profession as a whole for applicants to understand whether these benefits are available;

Whereas, Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals are an integral part of the library community;

Whereas, The American Library Association supports equal employment opportunity for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender librarians and library workers. (Policy 54.16)

Whereas, Discrimination against any minority group in the American Library Association is contrary to the Association’s mission;

Whereas, Libraries will enhance their recruitment and retention by offering equal compensation packages, and,

Whereas, Explicit clarity in job advertisements about the provision or non-provision of domestic partner benefits will avoid confusion, maximize efficiency in the application process for both applicants and employers; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, that the American Library Association (ALA)

(1) Requires that potential employers specify explicitly in their job announcements in ALA publications or websites whether or not they provide domestic partner benefits by means of appending one of the following two phrases: “Domestic-partner benefits are not offered by this institution” or “Domestic-partner benefits are offered by this institution.”

(2) Urges other publishers and providers to require potential employers to specify explicitly in their job announcements whether or not they provide domestic partner benefits by means of appending one of the following two phrases: “Domestic-partner benefits are not offered by this institution” or “Domestic-partner benefits are offered by this institution.”