ALA Council meeting, Jan. 24
January 31st, 20128:00-12:30 Dallas Convention Center – C2-C4
ALA Council III
Election results: Robert Banks, Alexia Hudson, John Moorman
Memorials, Tributes and Testimonials
FY2013 Programmatic Priorities
Reports from the Tellers
Constitution and Bylaws Committee (Steven K. Bowers, Chair)
CD #19 Intellectual Freedom Committee (Pat R. Scales, Chair)
There will be changes to the challenge database which collection challenges nationwide. Launching a campaign “Defend the Freedom to Read” to get challenges reported. There is a Choose Privacy Week, May 1-7 and there will be a survey to take. They updated the Internet Toolkit. It has tips for managing communication on the Internet.
Resolution in support of intellectual freedom in Tucson Unified School District Mexican American studies program.
Changed to: Resolution opposing restriction of access to materials and open inquiry in Ethnic and Cultural Studies Programs in Arizona.
• Resolved that ALA condemns the suppression of open inquiry and free expression caused by closure of ethnic and cultural studies programs on the basis of partisan or doctrinal disapproval
• Condemns restriction of access to educational material associated with ethnic and cultural studies programs
• Urges the Arizona legislature to pass HB 2654 “an act repealing section 15-111 and 15-112, Arizona Revised Statutes relating to school curriculum
Approved
CD #20. Committee on Legislation (Eva Poole, Chair)
National Legislation Day will be April 23-24 in Washington, DC
Resolution opposing the Research Works Act
• Urge congress to reject HR3699 because it restricts future access and nullifies public access to already provided to peer-reviewed manuscripts resulting from NIH funding.
• Reaffirm its support for the expansion of the NIH public-access policy to other federal agencies and departments
Approved
Resolution opposing the Preventing Real Online threats to economic creative and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011 (PIPA) and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)
• Urges Congress to reject both bills because they compromise such fundamental rights as free speech, intellectual freedom, and privacy in an attempt to target foreign websites and combat online infringement overseas.
• Oppose any legislation that compromises ALA’s core principles and stifles the dynamic, innovative potential of the global internet.
Approved
Resolution on the loss of crucial government information
• Urges Congress to restore funding to ensure permanent no-fee public access to aggregated sources of government information
• Urge prior notification to libraries… before termination
• Urge Congress to require transference of historical information to GPO…
• Urge Congress to improve the federal government’s policies and capabilities for making government information available to the public in an open, timely, participatory, and transparent manner.
Approved
Apparently there are plans by the White House to continue to move in the direction of not providing or maintaining information such as the documents that prompted this resolution.
CD #18. International Relations Committee (Sha Li Zhang, Chair)
A number of activities that took place during the year were reported on.
Resolution on Publishers and Practices Which Discriminate Against Library Users
• Resolved that ALA opposes any discriminatory policies of publishers and distributors which adversely impact access to content by library users
• Resolved that ALA directs that the Working Group on Digital Content in Libraries to review the situation and recommend appropriate action and/or appropriate parties who should be informed of this resolution
Approved
6236 registraton 3693 exhibitors – total 9929
Last year 7549 and 3575 – total 11,124
Previous year 8526, 3967 – total 12,493
