September 1999 Newsletter
Highlights
(from
Volume 17, no. 3)
Leadership Retreat Report:
Goals and
Directions Approved
Membership Dues
Increase Approved
New Board
Members Welcomed
Call for
Nominations: 1999 Jay Ladd
Distinquished Service Award
ALA Chapter
Councilor Report
Legislative
Reports
Leadership Retreat
Report
Jerome
Conley, President, Miami U.
The Annual Leadership Retreat was held
on June 14-15 at The Inn at Honey Run in
Millersburg, Ohio. This annual Board
retreat has several purposes:
- orient new Board members and
Committee and Interest Group Chairs to
ALAO operations, procedures, activities
and organizational structure
- ¨ exchange information among
incoming and outgoing Board members and
Committee and Interest Group Chairs, as
outgoing members step down and incoming
members officially begin their terms of
office on the second day of the
retreat
- plan and adopt the annual
budget
- review goals and set objectives for
the coming year, in accordance with the
current strategic plan
- revise the strategic plan as needed
(every three years, at a minimum)
- foster relationships with other
board members.
The leadership retreat also serves as
the organization's June Board meeting.
Officers, Committee and Interest Group
Chairs, and Association representatives
gave their annual reports during the
meeting, and the Executive Board approved
a new strategic plan. Hopefully, this plan
will serve as the foundation that will
allow our organization to see the 22nd
century.
Goals and
Directions Approved for 1999/2000
The Board also approved new goals and
directions for the upcoming year. These
goals will provide a road map that the
organization will follow during the next
year. The complete text of the strategic
plan, goals and objectives will be posted
on the ALAO Web site later this fall. I
will highlight here three major components
found within the goals and directions:
1. Fostering greater commitment with
college and university administrators, so
that they know the issues libraries are
facing this new century;
2. Broadening our support of activities
to include all library service personnel;
3. Moving the organization' s Web site
from the College of Wooster Web server to
a commercial hosting service.
The Board directed me to write a letter
of thanks to the College of Wooster for
hosting our Web site for the past two
years.
Constitution Changes Approved by Board
In the June Newsletter, Past President Mary Konkel outlined
the proposed changes to the organization's constitution. At
the retreat, the Board approved these constitutional changes.
As pursuant to the organization's constitution, these changes
will be mailed to you via first class mail in September for
ratification.
Top of page
Newsletter
Issues Listing
Membership Dues
Increase Approved
The need for a dues increase was also
outlined in the June Newsletter. The Board
approved increasing the dues to $20.00 for
all members excluding library school
students. The annual dues for library
school students will be $10.00 This
increase will be used to provide
additional budgetary support, additional
scholarships and continuing education
dollars for the membership.
In an effort to keep you informed of the Board activities,
the Board will post the proposed constitutional changes and
officers' reports on the ALAO homepage, in addition to the
strategic plan, goals and directions. Please feel free to
contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Top of page
Newsletter
Issues Listing
New Board
Members Welcomed
Finally, we welcomed our newest
executive board members: Carolyn Radcliff
(Vice President/President-elect), Lisa
Santucci (Membership Chair), and David
Lincove, Susan Scott and Ximena Chrisagis
as first year board members-at-large. We
also welcomed John Burke (Research and
Publications Chair), John
Forsyth (Collection Management Interest
Group Chair), Elizabeth Burns and Betsy
Blankenship (Bibliographic Instruction
Interest Group Co-chairs), Bill Meloy
(Curriculum Materials
Center Interest Group Chair), Anne Gilliland (Technical Services
Interest Group Chair) and former President Sherri Edwards
(Public Relations Committee Chair). Although she didn't attend
the retreat, I am pleased to announce that Lynne Downes (University
of Toledo) will serve as the new Manual Revisions Coordinator.
Thank you to all departing Board members: Cliff Glaviano,
Janice Bosma, Jayne Zetts, George Johnston, Patti Rothermich,
Margy Kramer and Sandra Pesce.
Top of page
Newsletter
Issues Listing
Newsletter
Production Editor Needed!
As noted above, Production Editor
Sandra Pesce was among the departing Board
members. Sandra has left Ohio to take up a
new position in California.
Congratulations to Sandra on her new job!
Enthusiastic kudos have been expressed by
the Board over the past two years,
recognizing Sandra's abilities as
production editor and affirming the new
design and layout she developed for the
Newsletter during 1998 and 1999. We need
someone of her expertise again! Please
consider volunteering to serve as
production editor (four issues per year),
if you have relevant experience with
desktop publishing. Contact Jerome Conley
to express interest in the position:
jconley@lib.muohio.edu; 513/529-3934.
Top of page
Newsletter
Issues Listing
CALL
FOR NOMINATIONS: 1999 JAY LADD
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Mary S. Konkel, ALAO
Past President, U. of Akron
The ALAO Awards Committee is seeking
nominations for the 1999 Jay Ladd
Distinguished Service Award. This award
recognizes an ALAO member, of at least 5
years, who has promoted academic libraries
and librarianship not only on their own
campus, but within the state as well. It
also recognizes someone who has provided
leadership in the promotion of ALAO
through service such as committee
membership, executive board office, or
interest group office. The ALAO
Distinguished Service Award was renamed
the Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award
in 1998 to honor the memory of Jay Ladd,
1932-1997, who was among the founding
members of ALAO in the early 1970s.
Past recipients of this award include:
|
1984 - Virginia Tiefel
|
1991 - Linda Landis
|
|
1985 - Hannah McCauley
|
1992 - Peri Switzer
|
|
1986 - Marian Winner
|
1993 - Ann Allan
|
|
1987 - Martha Laury
|
1994 - Kathy Wright
|
|
1988 - Charles Maurer
|
1995 - Julie Houston
|
|
1989 - Jay Ladd
|
1996 - Susan Phillips
|
|
1990 - Sr. Deborah Harmeling
|
1997 - Sarah Bushong
1998 - Margy Kramer
|
This is a wonderful way to say thank you
and recognize a colleague who has provided
leadership in ALAO and in the profession.
The Jay Ladd Distinguished Service award
recipient will receive an honorary 5-year
membership in ALAO and will be recognized
at the 1999 ALAO Conference to be held
November 12th at the Fawcett Center in
Columbus.
The deadline for nominations is October
15, 1999. To facilitate the nomination
process, please provide the following
information regarding the nominee:
Name of Nominee, Position Title,
College/University, Address, ALAO
Activities, Reasons for Nomination.
Also include your name and contact
information, including telephone and Email
address. Send your nomination via mail,
US Cargo, fax or Email by: OCTOBER 15,
1999 to:
Mary S. Konkel, ALAO Past President
Chair, Awards Committee, University of
Akron, Bierce Library 176A
Akron, Ohio 44325-1712
marykonkel@uakron.edu 330/972-6383
FAX
Top of page
Newsletter
Issues Listing
ALA
CHAPTER COUNCILOR REPORT
Carolyn S. Brodie,
ALA Ohio Chapter Councilor, Kent State U.
Greetings from ALA in New Orleans!
June 25 - 30, 1999
It was hot, steamy, sultry,
humid...well you get the picture...the
event was ALA in New Orleans attended by
a good number of Ohioans. Some noteworthy
events included Colin Powell as the
keynote speaker during the Opening General
session; a number of programs about the
First Amendment, intellectual freedom and
of course, the World Wide Web; and the
inauguration of former Ohioan, Sarah Ann
Long as president of the American Library
Association for 1999-2000. The Report of
the Steering Committee on the Congress
for Professional Education was made to
Council and is available on the Web at
http://www.ala.org/congress/.
The Council actions and discussions at
the 1999 Annual Conference covered a
variety of topics. Highlights include:
COUNCIL I: ALCTs' Response to
CD#37, "Resolution on Subject Heading
Revisions Related to the Poor Peoples"
was challenged with a substitute
resolution, which would have which would
have negated ALCT's referral to
appropriate ALA bodies. This resolution
was later defeated after heated debate
which pointed out most of Council were
not experts on the creation of subject
headings.
During the Council information session
prior to Council I Councilor Bernie
Margolis, a senior trustee of the ALA
endowment fund presented a detailed
Endowment Trustees' report which included
appearances by the fund managers. The
Freedom to Read Foundation reported they
are outsourcing guidelines as directed by
the Outsourcing Task Force at Midwinter.
Due to the fact Council Resolutions are
now being submitted between Midwinter and
Annual via e-mail, Council was presented
with Resolutions under New Business for
Council I. A resolution dealing with the
employment situation of Sandford Berman at
Hennepin County Library was defeated
after extensive debate. Council generally
felt that ALA should not deal with
personnel issues at individual libraries
and/or set a precedent for doing so.
COUNCIL II: At Council II a
resolution entitled "ALA and Professional
Disputes in Libraries Involving the
Infringement of Librarians' Rights and
Responsibilities" was also defeated with
the issues closely aligned to the Berman
Resolution discussion.
A resolution which would have lowered
the numbers needed for a quorum at ALA
membership meetings was defeated, as was
one limiting the amount of compensation
for speakers at ALA conferences. This
resolution was the offshoot of the
controversy surrounding Colin Powell's
appearance in New Orleans.
A resolution related to the Library
Bill of Rights regarding freedom of views
by library staff was referred to the
Ethics Committee. A resolution supporting
the reconstruction of libraries in
Yugoslavia and Kosovo passed unanimously.
COUNCIL III:
The Treasurer's Report on Annual
Estimated Income FY 2000 at Council III
was the focus of major discussion. Some
Councilors continue to be unhappy with the
management of association investment
funds. The report of the Steering
Committee for the Congress on Professional
Education was well received. The
Executive Board is appointing a Task Force
to ensure these recommendations are
pursued. Extensive discussion centered
around proposed procedures by ALA
Treasurer Bruce Daniels in response to the
resolution previously adopted on Socially
Responsible Investing. The Treasurer took
the remarks from the debate under
advisement. The general consensus seemed
to be that the fund should be aware of
Council's direction but not create
expensive or overburdening procedures for
the fund managers.
Routine committee reports were made.
The Intellectual Freedom Committee
included a document that attempts to
address the issues of open record requests
about patrons accessing "inappropriate"
material on public library Internet
workstations. The ALA Legislation
Committee brought forwarded several
resolutions, including one on the
appointment of a Director for the
Institute of Museum and Library Services.
There is concern that the White House may
not consider the importance of having an
experienced library professional in this
position.
A resolution introduced late in Council
III began discussion that has continued on
the Council e-list. This resolution would
have provided for a stand-in or substitute
Councilor for Chapters and Divisions if
the elected Councilor was unable to
attend. It was defeated. A couple of
resolutions related to technology were
passed. One involved the impact of
technology on confidentiality and the
other an examination of Electronic meeting
possibilities for ALA.
Dates to Note:
ALA Midwinter - January 14-19, 2000 --
San Antonio
ALA Annual Conference -- July 6-13,
200-- Chicago
For More Information:
Top of page
Newsletter
Issues Listing
LEGISLATIVE
REPORTS
Government Relations Team
Susan Collins, Ohio U.
Lancaster, Connie Salyers, Shawnee
State U., Pat Walker, Wright State
U.
LSTA GRANT PROCESS UNDERWAY
The LSTA (Library Services and
Technology) Mini-grant FY00 cycle is
currently in process. This federal grant
program stresses partnerships and
collaborative projects. It offers
opportunities with all types of libraries
and funds may be used for technology
purposes. Mini-grants have a federal
request limit of $15,000 and are
competitive. These proposals are of short
duration (6 months) and are most often
used for one-time costs. This is the third
cycle for LSTA Mini-grants and the next
Full Grant cycle will begin early 2000.
Academic libraries that have received LSTA
funding are Hiram College, Northeastern
Ohio Universities College of Medicine,
Kent State University, and Chatfield
College.
For more information including
descriptions of funded projects, both
mini-grants and full grants see http://winslo.state.oh.us/publib/lsta98.html.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: DATABASE
PROTECTION AND LICENSING TERMS
Keep Government Information in the
Public Domain!
This summer was not only hot in the
Midwest but also in Washington D.C. The
ALAO Legislative Team was called to action
to respond to an issue which greatly
impacts libraries and library users:
database protection. H.R. 1858 was
approved by the House Commerce Committee,
retaining the public domain status of
primary legal materials and broadening the
definition of government databases
excluded from the Information Act of 1999.
This is a real coup for libraries! The
fight to keep government information in
the public domain continues on other
fronts. The House Judiciary Committee
approved H.R. 354, which would hamper
legitimate uses of factual information and
databases. These bills will both be
addressed in the full House early this
fall. If you believe that government
information should stay in the public
domain, call your Representative now to
express your views. For more information,
see
http://www.ala.org/washoff/.
ALAO's Mini-Legislative Day
With the assistance of a grant from
ACRL, the ALAO Legislative Team is putting
together a mini-legislative day in April
2000. Plans are underway for an
issues-briefing session followed by visits
to state legislators. Expressing thanks
for OhioLINK is on the agenda for those
visits, along with discussion of other
topics to be determined closer to April.
State Issues: Licensing Terms
One important issue will probably be
the proposed Uniform Computer Information
Transaction Act (UCITA), a national issue
which has shifted to the states. UCITA
would have a negative impact on libraries,
consumers, and state educational
institutions by allowing vendors to exert
greater control over licensing terms in
contracts for software and information
products. If UCITA is passed in each
state, non-negotiable, contract terms
could be embedded within "shrink-wrap" or
"click-on" mass-market licenses. For more
information, see http://www.law.upenn.edu/bll/ulc_frame.htm.
Join us Now!
There is always room for more academic
librarians in the ALAO Legislative
Network! If you value freedom of
information, now's the time to join us in
telling our stories to those who make
policy in our state and country. Contact
Susan Collins (previously Phillips)
phillis1@ohio.edu
or 740-654-6711, ext 236; Pat Walker,
pat.walker@wright.edu,
or Connie Salyers, csalyers@shawnee.edu.
Web site maintained by
ALAO Web Committee.
Please
send comments to
us.
updated 2/28/00
|
