ALA Council

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Educational Requirements for Executive Director

Netanel Ganin

Netanel GaninDec 19, 2016 09:41 AM

Victoria Kemp

Victoria KempDec 19, 2016 10:59 AM

Stephanie Chase

Stephanie ChaseDec 04, 2017 10:29 PM

  • 1.  Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 16, 2016 09:29 AM

    Council:


     


    As you know, ALA Executive Director (ED) Keith Fiels is retiring in July 2017, and the Executive Board is developing a selection process for the ED search.  This review involves, among other things, an assessment of the organizational information related to ALA recruitment and hiring, a discussion of position requirements, and preferences for education and experience with Board as well as a scan of ALA’s contemporary hiring practices.


     


    Recognizing that Council is the governing body of ALA and recognizing that there is a variety of opinion about the ALA-accredited degree requirement, the Executive Board would like to expand the conversation of whether or not the degree should be required for the Executive Director position.  Attached is a draft resolution, presented without prejudice, to open the conversation.  The draft resolution presents a single resolved clause that amends existing policy, making the degree preferred.  The test of the draft resolution is pasted below as well.


     


    A second document is attached titled “Educational Requirements for Future ALA Executive Directors Required ALA-Masters -Pros and Cons”.  This document is a collection of notes regarding input to date on the question of requiring or preferring the ALA-accredited degree.  It is provided as information for those who prefer to contemplate decisions in such a way.


     


    The Executive Board welcomes the input of Council in the time before we convene at Midwinter to discuss and refine the resolution that we will ultimately present to Council next month.  Council is invited to post comments to this list and through ALA Connect.


     


    Thank you,


    Peter Hepburn, on behalf of the ALA Executive Board



  • 2.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 16, 2016 10:05 AM

    Thank you for sharing these, Peter.

    I'm in favor of this resolution--changing the degree from a requirement to a preference seems the inclusive course of action which will open the pool up the the greatest number of qualified candidates--but I am curious about Area/Issue 2 in the Pros and Cons document:  "Need an MLIS to manage an organization the size and complexity of ALA." I don't see how a library degree confers any of the knowledge or expertise necessary for managing a membership organization of 60,000; while many (most?) library schools have management courses, these are aimed at preparing students to become mid-level managers, not executives along the lines of university librarians or directors of large public library systems. There are other institutes/professional development opportunities for those sorts of positions (which, admittedly, require the MLS to my knowledge) but the MLIS in and of itself does not confer that knowledge. Area/Issues 1 and 5 make the case that #2 attempts to more logically and strongly.



  • 3.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 16, 2016 10:41 AM

    I am strongly in favor of keeping the requirements as they are. Opening up a loophole makes it possible to end up with a person with a corporate background, who will want to run the association even more like a corporation that it is today. That means downgrading social responsibility concerns and upgrading activities that focus on the bottomline. In this time of great national tragedy with the election of a rightwing bigoted President and seemingly even more far right cabinet, we need to stand up for social responsibility more than ever before.



  • 4.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 16, 2016 02:26 PM

    I believe that all candidates for Executive Director should not only hold the MLS degree, but should also have several years of experience working inside an actual library.

     “Whereas much of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required in the management of an association are not part of the ALA-accredited master’s program curriculum

    The ALA is not just “an association” it is the American LIBRARY Association. Libraries are unique entities. Thus, while knowledge, skills and abilities earned as a result of attending an accredited library school may not be required in the management of “an association” surely they are relevant to and should be a requirement for the management of a “library association” such as the ALA.

    This proposed resolution seems to indicate that the hiring committee foresees a lack of qualified talent (MLS-holders) to fill this position. Such a perception may say more about a lack of vision on the part of the hiring committee than it does about the reality of the MLS “leadership market.”

    In my personal experience, I have seen how non-MLS leaders tend to drive an organization away from core library values and steer it toward corporate-driven ones. It is difficult to adhere to library values and respond to the needs of the community one serves when one has the feeling of working at a corporate franchise (think Burger King) instead of at a resilient, responsive, people-centered community center. I imagine that, should this resolution come to pass, many ALA members would find themselves in the same boat.

    If there is a serious issue finding MLS-bearing Executive Director-level talent, then the ALA might think about forming leadership-incubators for future ALA leaders or creating other systems of sustainable leadership, rather than dispensing with the one thing that differentiates people committed to the knowledge, skills and abilities of libraries from those who are simply committed to the “knowledge, skills, and abilities required in the management of an association.” 



  • 5.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 16, 2016 03:03 PM

    Not requiring an MLS? How can we lose such faith in ourselves as a profession? Keeping the requirement is imperative for maintaining integrity, holding to our deepest values, and showing the next generation of librarians that there are high places for them to strive toward.  

    Madeleine Charney, UMass Amherst Libraries
    Immediate Past Coordinator, ALA Sustainability Round Table

     



  • 6.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 16, 2016 03:57 PM

    While my initial gut reaction was to oppose this change, upon further reflection, I think it is entirely appropriate. 

    I think that there are many "librarian" positions that are advertised that don't attract the largest pool of talent that could fulfill them because of a required MLS. Whether it's in marketing, staff training, IT, or any number of related fields that are becoming more common as ancillary roles in the work of libraries of all types, an MLS helps, but as I have told my coworkers numerous times: my job as a library marketer would be no different working in any comparably sized nonprofit.

    Running a volunteer-driven, membership organization is not a librarian skill; it's a management skill that requires specialized training. It doesn't devalue the librarianship label to not require the ED of ALA to have an MLS. While it would be nice to have, it certainly isn't something that should break the decision on an otherwise talented candidate.



  • 7.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 16, 2016 08:29 PM

    I have been an ALA member for over 35 years. By uncoupling the key admins of ALA--WO, AL, now ED our association loses admin lifelong commitment. It might technocratically  efficient, but we have had a librarian at our helm for over 100 years and this has worked well. Please retain the librarian requirement.

     

    Kathleen de la Peña McCook
    Distinguished University Professor of Librarianship
    School of Information, University of South Florida


  • 8.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 17, 2016 09:16 AM

    I am strongly in favor of requiring an MLS (and actual library experience) of an Executive Director.  Making a requirement optional is, in effect abolishing the requirement.
     
    The relationship between the ED and the Presidents, Executive Board, and Council can be hard enough without having to deal with someone with a completely different set of experiences, value system, and outlook.  I shudder to think of  some non-profit corporate fund-raiser, lobbyist, or, even worse, IT person as ED.
     
    I hate to impute motives without proof but hard experience over many years has taught me that, most of the time, such proposals are the first shot in a pre-determined campaign.

    Michael

    President of ALA, 2005-2006 and Executive Board member, 2003-2007



  • 9.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 17, 2016 10:00 AM
    I want to thank Kathleen McCook and Michael Gorman for their strong statements; I also believe that the MLS should be required.  We are in difficult times especially for libraries and we need someone at the helm who understand Lilbraries the way someone with the degree and the library experience would.  Pat Hogan, Councilor for Smaller Roundtables and Past Executive Board Member, 2009-2012,
    On Sat, Dec 17, 2016 at 9:25 AM, ALA Connect <connect@ala.org> wrote:


  • 10.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 18, 2016 09:43 AM

    While I'm not a fan of the MLIS degree, it's the best tool we have to be sure that the ED has been thoroughly exposed to library values and understands the work that librarians on the ground do. Clearly, having ALA Staff who don't understand or espouse our values is already a problem. Let's not let ALA go further down the road toward simply being a generic association bureaucracy. Require the MLIS; Require actual library work experience.



  • 11.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 18, 2016 10:28 AM

    The MLS and library experience should be a requirement for the the ALA Executive Director, for all the reasons eloquently stated above.



  • 12.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 18, 2016 12:37 PM

    I, too, believe that our professional degree and library experience should be a requirement for the ALA Executive Director. I hope that welcoming the input from the rank and file is not simply a formality.

    I believe this resolution wrongly frames the amendment as an opportunity to broaden the pool of candidates. Please consider the viewpoint of those professional librarians who would see the doors of leadership gently closed by inherently excluding them because they chose to become career librarians. It is elitist and wrong-headed to seek leadership from outside of the rank and file.

    If this is truly a membership organization, applicants for leadership positions should be required to be members. 



  • 13.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 18, 2016 01:27 PM

    "Whereas much of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required in the management of an association are not part of the ALA-accredited master’s program curriculum."

    I could argue that there is much I do in my current position as a Librarian that is not part of the ALA-accredited master's program curriculum. Librarianship is such a diverse and ever-changing field. The foundations that library school provides allow us to confidently adjust to the changes.

    "There are a variety of other avenues – through education and experience in libraries or related settings for example - for acquiring and demonstrating a deep understanding of the values of the profession and of library environments."

    Is this not the argument used to disenfranchise professional librarians' claim to higher-level library leadership roles? Are we not constantly reminding the public every year why we still need librarians? If our own leadership does not see the value, how can we expect it of others?

    Can ALA show that there is some great need for a broader pool of applicants, that the current pool is not satisfactory? I would like to see this information. 



  • 14.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 18, 2016 02:29 PM

    I am perfectly comfortable with the proposed language of "strongly prefer" but not require.  I *would* very much strongly prefer an ED with an MLS for many of the reasons already stated, but I would also like to see the pool be broad enough and diverse enough to weigh the variety of criteria that are important to the association, including the ability to manage a membership association and not just a library.  



  • 15.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 18, 2016 02:58 PM

    ALA accredits library schools and should honor those graduates by hiring an accredited librarian for ED.  Librarians have many skills and many have managed large complicated organizations and are capable of managing ALA.  We will also not have to waste valuable time in educating a non librarian about our issues.  The next 4 years will be difficult and we need someone who knows our issues and has worked on the front line in libraries.



  • 16.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 18, 2016 03:16 PM

    I oppose the resolution and feel very strongly the ED of ALA should be required to hold an MLS. The emphasis throughout my career has been that public library professional position applicants needed an ALA MLS, and I think the ALA ED should have one to be able to understand the needs/jobs of members.

    Though my 32 year career was spent in school libraries, in North Carolina, a master's level library degree (not necessarily ALA accredited because ALA limits the number of schools accredited in the state) has been a requirement to be a school library media coordinator (what NC calls a school library media specialist). When I was looking at library schools when I was an Ohioan, I specifically chose the University of Kentucky because I wanted an ALA accredited degree.

    I share all of this personal history to show why I am passionate about the ED having an MLS.

    Gayle Keresey

    43 years of continuous ALA membership

     

     

     

     



  • 17.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 18, 2016 10:46 PM

    Professional organizations like the American Library Association are a unique animal among non-profit organizations. Executive Directors and Chief Executive Officers of professional organizations are almost always drawn from the ranks of the profession.

    Executive Director of the American Medical Association? You guessed it, a medical doctor. CEO of the American Marketing Association? Yup, someone with a marketing background. Head of the American Bar Association? Sure enough, a lawyer. American Nurses Association? A registered nurse. American Pharmacists Association? Would you believe it’s a pharmacist? What about the National Association of Social Workers? You bet, this guy is a social worker. The more I did research about the credentials of those running most professional associations in this country, the more I found that these individuals are drawn from the very ranks that they represent.

    I support retaining the degree requirement because I believe it's the most straightforward means to ensure that the Executive Director drawn from the ranks of the profession. I firmly believe that the Executive Director of the American Library Association must be a librarian. He or she must deeply understand libraries and librarianship in order to represent the professional interests of librarians and ensure that our shared values are supported, developed, and strengthened on the national, state, and local level. This deep understanding is not something that can be taught in a weekend “short course” or something that can be picked up “on the job” once the Executive Director is hired.

    I do not quibble with those who seek to have someone with non-profit organization management experience or credentials, but this needs to be coupled with a library degree and significant experience in the profession. This is what our peer professional organizations have done, and this is the right course for ALA as well. Anything less, I fear, would be disastrous, not only for the Association, but also for the profession that we all have a stake in upholding.



  • 18.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 12:11 AM

    I agree with all who have argued that the Executive Director of ALA must be an MLS-degreed librarian. We are seeing a widespread de-professionalization of library services nationwide as boards and administrators with a bottom-line mentality increasingly hire non-MLS staff to do work that has traditionally been done by professional librarians. It's an easy way to cut costs and please funders who have little if any understanding of the goals, principles and ethical values of professional librarianship. In the face of this de-professionalization, ALA should be standing up for our values and not undermining them further by hiring a non-librarian to lead our professional association.



  • 19.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 03:59 AM

    Great example of a well-researched answer. My first impression was, "We finally have a Librarian of Congress who is an actual librarisn, and now this?"



  • 20.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 07:56 AM

    Requiring our professional degree, the MLS, is not restrictive.  An excellent pool of candidates can be attracted by requiring the MLS/MLIS.  There should also be evidence of library or archives experience along with the necessary management and board experience, for the future Executive Director.   Association management is a tough enough job and it helps when the director is socialized in the education, ethics, mission, and diversity of an association's profession. I oppose the resolution as currently written and agree with those who argue that the ALA ED must have the MLS/MLIS/ or however the ALA accredited degree is named.  



  • 21.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 08:08 AM

    The Director of the American LIBRARY Association should be a LIBRARIAN.



  • 22.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 08:15 AM
    Generally I agree with the MLS requirement for librarians, but boards don't necessarily hire non-MLS folks as a cost cutting measure.  Our IT director, makes more than any other librarian on our staff, aside from the director.
    The goal is to get a professional to do the job as a professional.  Association management is a profession.  I'd be content with saying an MLS is desired, but that an advance degree in association management is required if there is no MLS.

    Also we need an experienced manager.  ALA is a complex and at times convoluted organization.  This is not a job for novices.



    Christine Lind Hage
    Director, Rochester Hills Public Library
    Division Councilor, United for Libraries
    500 Olde Towne Road
    Rochester, MI 48307-2043
    248/650-7122

    Raising a reader is: Talking * Singing * Reading * Writing * Playing


    On Mon, Dec 19, 2016 at 1:11 AM, ALA Connect <connect@ala.org> wrote:
    (


  • 23.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 08:31 AM

    The ALA accredited MLS is important for this position. Please keep the requirement. 

    Barbara J Ford

    ALA president 1997-1998 



  • 24.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 08:46 AM

    The ED of ALA must have wide-ranging and thorough understanding of the profession and organization that she/he will direct.  This is a serious issue, one with which we must grapple at the local level.  If our own national organization selects an non-librarian to direct its business, how can we prevent  our local governments and/or Boards from fallowing ALA’s own lead. 

    It would be a great disappointment.  As a longstanding member of the organization, I believe that the ED must come from our ranks, value and know the foundation and practice of librarianship.  We have great leaders with ample experience in all fields.

    Lucia Gonzalez, Director. City of North Miami Public Library. 



  • 25.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 09:36 AM

    I believe it is essential that the Executive Director of ALA comes from within our profession, so that they share at least some of the experiences and values of the library community they are representing and serving.  The standard credential for our profession is the ALA-accredited MLIS/MLS degree, and it is not outrageous to expect that leaders in our professional association would be from our profession.

     

    If it is difficult to find an MLIS/MLS-holding candidate for ED (which I find very hard to believe), then ALA should either be amplifying its programs for growing internal leaders or should be increasing the compensation of the ED position in order to be competitive.  ALA should not be supporting the depressing trend of values-driven organizations bringing in "experienced leaders" who do not share the organization's values or experiences. 

     



  • 26.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 09:41 AM

    /

     



  • 27.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 10:04 AM
    Edited by System Apr 06, 2018 02:21 PM

    Good morning, Peter and Council colleagues: 

    The ALSC Executive Committee discussed this issue at our Fall 2016 meeting in October. In early November, we convened an online meeting with the full ALSC Board of Directors, which resulted in unanimous approval of a statement supporting the recommendation, but not requirement, that the ALA Executive Director hold the MLIS degree.

    You may view the entire proceedings related to this issue at http://connect.ala.org/communities/community-home/digestviewer/viewthread?MessageKey=65b7f848-28fd-4a57-a90e-585ef449409b. I've excerpted it here for quick reference: 

    Fundamental to our vision and values is ALA’s pursuit of organizational excellence, an effort helmed by an Executive Director who champions advocacy, information policy, and professional and leadership development for 21st-century libraries, library workers, and library users.

    ALSC remains steadfast in supporting ALA efforts to cultivate organizational excellence, especially during the search for a new Executive Director. Guided by our core values, the ALSC Board of Directors encourages the ALA Executive Board to recommend—but not require—candidates for ALA Executive Director to hold a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree.

    We acknowledge the 2000 ALA Council Resolution on Requiring Professional Librarian Credentials for the Executive Director of ALA and understand its implications. However, should there be an appropriate way to exercise flexibility within the hiring matrix while also respecting the Council resolution, we ask search committee members to do so. Such measured consideration might ensure that credentials beyond the MLIS and other transferrable skills receive equal merit during the search process.

    Given this statement and our careful consideration of the issues presented, ALSC supports the ALA Executive Committee's resolution to make the MLIS a preferred requirement for ALA Executive Director. We look forward to hearing additional discourse on this matter from other Councilors and ALA members.

    Warmest regards,

    Jenna



  • 28.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 10:59 AM

    I agree with you. vck



  • 29.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 11:04 AM

    (This was sent to the Council list but I wanted to make sure to share it via Connect, too )

    Peter,

    Thanks to you and to the Executive Board for continuing this conversation and bringing forth a draft resolution on the Education Requirements of Future ALA Executive Directors. As has been announced previously, the YALSA Board has passed a proposal encouraging the ALA-accredited MLIS degree requirement for the ALA Executive Director to be changed to recommended rather than required. The proposal can be found here in its entirety: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/sites/ala.org.yalsa/files/content/ALAceosearch.pdf
     
    As is stated in the YALSA proposal, "It is a widely acknowledged association industry best practice that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Elected Officer (President) work in tandem and accept the responsibility of co-leading the organization and maximizing mission-driven impact." We also strongly feel that "Industry best practice indicates the CEO position requires expertise in nonprofit and association leadership. Credentials such as the Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), a Certified Association Executive (CAE) or a certificate or degree in non-profit management are typical ways in which individuals demonstrate their qualifications in this area. These types of credentials should be sought after in ALA’s next CEO."
     
    A candidate with considerable association leadership experience is vital to lead an organization the size of ALA. This skill may very well be even more important than the candidate holding an MLIS. Just as a "short course" in librarianship would be inappropriate for a candidate who is not a librarian, so would a mere primer on association leadership be for someone without those skills.
     
    We are also confident that former ALA President Courtney Young and ALA President-Elect Jim Neal's Executive Director Search Committee will consist of leaders within our organization with considerable familiarity of the needs of the ALA Executive Director position, and will select only appropriate candidates for this critical role.
     
    For these reasons, the YALSA Board supports the draft resolution set forward by the ALA Executive Board.
     
    Thanks,
    Todd
     
    -- 
    Todd Krueger
    YALSA Division Councilor


  • 30.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 11:04 AM

    The push to remove the MLS requirement from the requirements of the Executive Director seems, to me, to be shortsighted in the extreme. The Library of Congress has finally hired a person with an MLS as its director; why would an organization whose very function is to support libraries not require it? the director must be well-schooled in the principles and core values upon which this organization is founded. To require less does us all a disservice.

    Victoria Kemp



  • 31.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 11:13 AM

    Many of the points I would make have been made, e.g. President Obama had no trouble finding a well-qualified Librarian to manage a large and complex organization. 

    One point I have not seen is the trust that ALA staff and members must have in the Executive Director in order for that person to be effective.  Having a MLS will not guarantee that trust, but not having the degree will open every controversial decision to questions about shared values and principles.  I have certainly seen that happen in the 46 years I've been a member of ALA and I don't want to see an Executive Director hampered by constant questions because he or she is not really one of us.  Therefore I urge that the MLS remain required. 



  • 32.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 11:47 AM

    "Whereas none of the ALA positions advertised in the most recent five years for the association included a requirement for an ALA accredited degree, but 56% advertised of those identified the ALA-accredited degree as being preferred;"

    The statement above seems to me like a symptom of a much larger and more serious problem in the world of librarianship.  MLIS study may, as the statement says, "instill librarians with the values and principles of libraries and librarianship; values that are distinct from other related disciplines," but in recent years many in the library profession have become infatuated with the shiny objects of technology and  there is an unfortunate  trend of library futurists trying to distance libraries from the "old fashioned" values of literacy, reading and education.  This brand of futurism disparages the value of an ML(I)S degree since as with any professional degree, library education doesn't focus on specific job skills.

    The 2016 election should be a wake-up call to librarians who think librarianship is obsolete and the future is all digital.   We have recently learned that fake news is a huge problem; that civics education is generally lacking; that national information networks are highly insecure and vulnerable to malicious foreign hacking; and that an information-hostile new administration is threatening the availability of online government information, not to mention the whole public education system.   Meanwhile, there has been a renaissance of small-press publishing, and independent bookstores are making a comeback as centers of localized literary communities.

    Librarians should have been out front of these trends, but instead we have been busy clearing out the stacks to make room for "maker spaces" and virtual reality goggles.  As we have shifted organizational priorities away from literacy, reading and education we have been telling ourselves a story that the values and principles of librarianship are obsolete and that we need to hire people with different non-librarian expertise in IT, management, business, instructional design and so forth.

    The problem that I have observed on the ground is this: as non-librarians replace librarians within an organization,  organizational values and principles change as well.

    The biologist E.O Wilson in "Letters to a Young Scientist" warns aspiring biologists against becoming technology experts since any technology will eventually become obsolete.   Wilson tells young scientists that if they need specific expertise they don’t have, they should  hire IT staff or mathematicians to work for them.  He does not advocate hiring IT staff to replace biologists.   Librarians should take Wilson's advice.  We should assert that librarianship is our highest value, put librarians in charge, and hire other experts to work for us if/when we need them.  We should not fall into the trap of thinking that other kinds of expertise are somehow more important that the values and principles of librarianship.

    Because I think that librarian values and principles are of overriding importance, I think it would be a huge mistake to install a non-librarian as ED of the American Library Association.  What's more, I think that ALA should take a strong position against appointing non-librarians to librarian positions. 

    If nothing else, the 2016 election has convincingly demonstrated that traditional librarian values are not obsolete, and the futurists were wrong to assume that librarian expertise doesn't matter.   Librarian values and principles matter (or ought to matter) more than any specific expertise, and we as a profession need to stop pretending that other expertise is "better" than librarian expertise, reaffirm our core values, and reassert the value of literacy, reading and education. ALA should stand up for the value of library education by hiring librarians, not only for the ED position but for those other 44% of advertised positions as well.

    --Amy

     

     

     



  • 33.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 11:51 AM

    EDIT: The more I've gone over and over this, the more I just want someone with the appropriate credentials to be able to handle running an association of this size successfully. MLIS or not, that person is going to have to be very qualified, well-learned in the values of the profession, and knowledgeable in areas that a lot of MLIS holders are actually NOT very knowledgeable. I'd hope the search committee would try to find someone with some library experience in their history, but I wouldn't want the MLIS requirement to be the one thing standing in the way of the perfect candidate not getting the job. 

     



  • 34.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 11:58 AM

    The ALA Executive Director should always have the MLS.  Departing from this requirement doesn't help us in the fight that the MLS is necessary for the rest of us.  Non-MLS holders do not have the background in library matters necessary to advocate for us.  We found this out in Florida.  Be an example to our profession and the state professional organizations and keep the MLS.



  • 35.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 12:23 PM

    I voted for the MLS requirement 16 years ago, but I feel differently now. It's possible to have strong library values while holding a degree from another domain, such as nonprofit management. Making the degree strongly preferred would ensure we get the best possible candidate pool.



  • 36.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 01:16 PM

    Please keep the MLS requirement.  In these uncertain times, libraries need the support and the experience of someone who has worked in a library. 

    Rosa H. Diaz



  • 37.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 01:30 PM

    I so appreciate the robust conversation that’s happening around this question.  It’s very encouraging to see people so engaged with the future of our association! Whatever the ultimate decision, I’m glad to know that many passionate and well-reasoned voices will have contributed to it.

    As a related aside: what is the plan for an interim ED? With Keith retiring in July 2017, and the selection process slated to run into 2018, it sounds like we may have a lengthy gap in this important position.

    Thank you,

    Audrey Barbakoff Councilor-at-Large

    From: ALA Connect [mailto:connect@ala.org]
    Sent: Friday, December 16, 2016 7:41 AM
    To: Audrey Barbakoff <abarbakoff@krl.org>
    Subject: [ALA Connect] ALA Council - Educational Requirements for Executive Director (new)

    ((( r



  • 38.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 01:42 PM

    I can understand the desire to have the broadest, most inclusive talent pool in looking for the next ALA Executive Director, but I believe that talent already exists withing the community of librarians with an accredited MLS degree.  Presuming that degree is unnecessary for the work of the executive director underscores the degree of separation some believe is acceptable between the executive leadership of ALA and it's membership.  We need leaders who understand the work that makes up being a librarian so that our social goals are prioritized as well as our financial goals. Please keep the MLS requirement.



  • 39.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 02:16 PM

    I didn’t know that there was a policy that the ED had to have an MLS until Keith’s retirement was announced and I am honestly surprised that it is.

    I absolutely agree that ALA needs an ED who is committed to the values, mission, purposes, etc., of libraries and ALA.

    As someone who is involved with the ALA accreditation of the MLS degree programs, I know that the MLS does aim to instill those commitments in those who attain an MLS.

    I know from experience that the MLS is not the only path to attaining those commitments – I know many library staff, archivists, technologists, trustees, members of the library vendor community, etc. who have those commitments and do not have an MLS. (Side note – all those people I just mentioned are ALA members in many cases.)

    I also know from experience that not everyone who has an MLS has those commitments (and have even been aware of conversations among MLS students at times about how to “fake” that you do so you can pass the requirements to get the degree – yes, really!).

    So, I’d suggest that we put in the job ad the actual requirement – being committed to the values, mission, purposes, etc. of libraries and ALA – rather than relying on the degree as a proxy for the requirement. And, I’d like the search committee to judge the commitment of applicants by applicants’ words and actions over their careers. 



  • 40.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 02:32 PM

    Beautifully stated, Lisa. I wholeheartedly concur.

    Jenna



  • 41.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 02:49 PM

    Hiring non-MLS staff may not always or necessarily be for the purpose of cutting costs, but in most cases that's what it is. We see it happening all the time in our own libraries, as boards and administrators opt to hire non-MLS staff for reference, programming, collection development and cataloging tasks that were previously done by MLS-degreed librarians. The funders applaud because it's cheaper, and they don't understand what professional librarianship is anyway. Neither do the boards and, increasingly it seems, neither do the administrators, even the ones who have the MLS themselves. The move to drop the MLS requirement for the ALA ED is related to this larger trend toward de-professionalization in my opinion.



  • 42.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 02:52 PM
    Not requiring the degree really continues to distance ALA from its membership (in the same way that we've bemoaned long and hard about the Librarian of Congress not being an actual librarian).
     
    We argue long and hard against appointing non-librarians to librarian positions, which is one of the first tactics when budgets are cut. Why would this be any different?

    Not requiring the degree really continues to distance ALA from its membership (in the same way that we've bemoaned long and hard about the Librarian of Congress not being an actual librarian). It follows the trend in higher ed of not requiring academic experience for their presidents, assuming that commonly held values but extra fundraising and business experience will help. Largely that's been a failed experiment, and I'd rather ALA not have to go through the same difficulties of finding that out the hard way.
     
    We argue long and hard against appointing non-librarians to librarian positions, which is one of the first tactics when budgets are cut. Why would this be any different?

    I'd posit that the MLS is a necessary but *not sufficient* condition; this is where in addition to the MLS I want to see actual work done for associations and for libraries in general. Being committed to the values of libraries is not the same as understanding the hows and whys of libraries and library work.
     
    I'll be very disappointed if they remove the MLS as a requirement. Do we not have MLS holders who are qualified for the position? If not, perhaps we should be busier wondering why we're not growing talented and qualified MLS holders--there is good research being done on library leadership gaps and why and where they exist. 


  • 43.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 03:32 PM

    I'm sorry to see this happening. As has been so eloquently stated by others, an MLS degree seems like the minimum we should require. I also agree the person should have actually worked in a library. The argument that we are limiting the pool of possible candidates by requiring the degree is accurate - we are limiting it to all of those highly professional, committed and capable leaders in our profession.

    I spent many years as a public librarian before I went back to school to get my degree. The difference to me was that I developed a greater appreciation for my chosen profession - its history, its foundations, its beliefs. That education has permeated the work I've done since then.

    I also want to add that I am saddened to see the statements from both ALSC and YALSA. As a member of both, I would like to clearly state my disappointment in them. I don't understand why requiring an MLS means a person has no management skills - that seems like a questionnable and limited assumption to make. As Matthew Ciszek has so clearly outlined, other large professional organizations - such as the American Medical Association and the American Bar Association - are led by those from within their professions. At ALA we need someone who has a deep and clear understanding of librarianship - what it means on every level - locally, nationally, internationally. Someone understands why we are a profession, who we are and why it matters so much. I don't believe that kind of commitment and understanding can come from outside the library profession. And why should it?

    Julie Ann Winkelstein



  • 44.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 03:38 PM

    Thank you for your very eloquent arguments Amy. I too wonder about a professional association who so little values our own terminal degree that we wouldn't require it of our Executive Director.

    I have seen in the last fifteen years a consolidation of a corporate mindset within ALA structures. Perhaps this discussion is capturing what I sense is a battle over the heart of the association. Are we a membership organization as we purport to be or are we a professional development organization? Can we be both? I believe that yes we can but we need to be vigilant about our core values being dismissed when they aren't convenient for ALA structures. We need to reinforce the value of librarians within organizations not diminish it.

    Thanks,

    Laura Koltutsky

    SRRT Councilor



  • 45.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 04:06 PM

    We were so proud to have an actual librarian become Librarian of Congress. Surely there is someone with our terminal degree - the MLS/MLIS/etc. - who has the experience, values, and talent to lead our profession's primary association! I am for keeping the requirement. Let's not sell ourselves short.



  • 46.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 04:12 PM

    The Board of the Association of College and Research Libraries discussed this issue at our Fall Board Meeting in October and supports the continued requirement that the ALA Executive Director hold an MLS degree.  

    While individual members of the Board shared a variety of opinions and perspectives, collectively we felt, as many have expressed here, that the value that the MLS brings to the person in this role, is critical to both the profession and our association(s).  

     

    -LeRoy LaFleur (ACRL Division Councilor)



  • 47.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 09:05 PM

    ALA is facing some interesting challenges internally and externally.  ALA needs to move forward and grow using the organization's strategic plan.  Looking at the gaps and needs, the new Executive Director should have the skill sets, knowledge and temperament to allow the organization to evolve.  I have confidence that the search committee will select the best candidate to administer ALA.  I recommend, the language MLS or MLIS preferred.



  • 48.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 19, 2016 10:58 PM

    I appreciate Lisa Hinchliffe's comment and agree.  A statement to "recommend, but not require" the degree does not repudiate the values of our profession, or of the degree itself. Rather, it turns the focus to the skills, knowledge, and values that a candidate demonstrates for this very unique and critical position, still recommending the MLS.  I expect the Executive Director to demonstrate a commitment to the values and mission of ALA, and a deep understanding of and passion for libraries and their place in our democracy. While I imagine it is likely that the most qualified candidate will hold an MLS, I can also imagine candidates without the degree who still come "from within."



  • 49.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 20, 2016 05:29 AM

    Our leader needs to be one of us. I understand and appreciate the reasons for supporting a change, but the degree isn't exactly a high bar. It's just one of several baseline requirements for such a position.

     



  • 50.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 20, 2016 08:49 AM

    I'd rather we require the MLS and "strongly prefer" a degree/experience in association management, but I would support a resolution that "strongly prefers" the MLS - especially if the search committee will "strongly prefer" the candidates with the MLS if there aren't suitable candidates with both degrees.
    Holly Hibner
    Councilor-At-Large



  • 51.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 20, 2016 10:13 AM

    I believe that we can find a librarian who has the skills, knowledge, and values that we need. We have wonderful leaders/managers now.



  • 52.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 20, 2016 10:14 AM

    If many different kinds of people in various professions will be qualified, then I don't understand the argument for *not* requiring the MLS as a factor to narrow down candidates. if we require an ALA-accredited MLS to work a service desk and represent our institutions, surely we can require one for a position that will be running our professional organization and serving all of us? Surely with an abundance of possibilities, narrowing down to those who think so much of libraries and their values that theyve been trained in the actual work of libraries should be seen as incredibly valuable?

    If the MLS is unnecessary as an indicator of dedication to the profession and its values and work, then why don't we just all agree that you can have whatever degree, or none, and we can just train you on the job, not just for this position, but all positions in libraries? It's yet another nod toward the idea that the MLS is worth little to nothing to libraries as institutions, and to the profession. If that's the case, then let's be honest that it's just a money-maker degree for higher ed and stop pretending that you need the union card to have the skills necessary to do the work and hold the values. 

    A big thank you to Mr. LaFleur who notes above that The Board of the Association of College and Research Libraries discussed this issue and supports the continued requirement that the ALA Executive Director hold an MLS degree. 



  • 53.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 20, 2016 10:35 AM

    I agree with Lisa's comments and I am troubled by the assumption that someone without an MLS degree may not be able to or as committed to our values. I trust that the selections committee will select someone who is strongly committed to our profession without having a degree as a formal requirement.



  • 54.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 20, 2016 11:00 AM

    The only people who can thoroughly understand and support this profession are those who have acquired the appropriate professional qualifications.  There are a great many highly-qualified, intelligent and capable people who have this requirement and who could perform the job admirably; arguments asserting that we need to enlarge the pool of candidates are completely unconvincing and without evidence to support them.  The only way that I could support removing the requirement would be if the profession decides to morph considerably, for instance to merge with some other profession such as computer science.  Otherwise I think it is extremely inappropriate to consider further weakening of support for the accredited MLS which is still at this moment a cornerstone of the profession.  If we as a profession no longer believe that the MLS is important then let us begin discussions regarding what defines us and who we are.  Otherwise, please ensure that we hire one of the great many competent and capable qualified librarians in our midst to lead us.



  • 55.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 20, 2016 11:06 AM

    Audrey, Thank you for bringing that up. The Executive Board will address coverage for Keith's duties to keep the organization operating smoothly in the interim between his departure and the selection of the next Executive Director.

    Thanks!

    Peter



  • 56.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 20, 2016 02:21 PM

    I’m a former Executive Director of a state library association. I have an MLIS degree and more than 20 years’ experience working in libraries. While I appreciate the arguments for requiring ALA’s Executive Director to have a degree in library science, I think that making this requirement mandatory could shortchange the association by eliminating other, better qualified candidates from consideration.

    A library science degree can provide an excellent overview of challenges facing the profession.  Similarly, library employment can bring an understanding of what is involved in working in a library setting. On the other hand, most library education programs and few library jobs prepare one to run a not-for-profit association, especially not one as large and diverse as ALA.

    Guiding a not-for-profit association requires different knowledge and skills from those needed to run most libraries. Serving as Executive Director of a very large, national organization requires administrative ability that only some librarians have the opportunity to develop. The elected leadership and staff of ALA and its subdivisions comprise a world of experience in all facets of the library profession; no one ED candidate can hope to possess such a range of knowledge. And why would she or he need to possess that knowledge when it’s already available elsewhere in the organization?

    ALA’s next Executive Director should be the most qualified individual who has a proven track record in the management of large membership associations and who can support the values of our profession. If this person also has an MLIS degree, that’s even better. 



  • 57.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 20, 2016 05:08 PM

    I was revisiting this today and realized that the current policy is an MLS or an NCATE. What's the rationale for dropping the NCATE completely? It wouldn't even be one of the preferred? 



  • 58.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 20, 2016 05:13 PM

    Lisa, thank you for the excellent question.  I will be sure that the Executive Board is aware of it, especially in case we need to revise the resolution draft before it comes to the floor at Council.

    Thanks!

    Peter



  • 59.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 20, 2016 05:40 PM

    Thanks Peter. I think this is a critical clarification because a lot of the arguments I'm seeing are about affirming the MLS as THE degree for the ED because ALA accredits it - I think because of the resolution as stated only allowing for the MLS. But, if the policy stays as is, the MLS is not affirmed as THE degree but rather one of the degrees. The pro-con grid doesn't engage this either.  So, ultimately people who are arguing to keep the MLS as the required degree may be frustrated to discover that the policy as stands isn't an exclusive affirmation of the MLS. 



  • 60.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 21, 2016 10:03 AM

    I firmly believe that as an organization, we cannot have an ED of the American Library Association who is not a LIBRARIAN. Yes, other skills are necessary to direct such a large and diverse organization, but at the heart of the organization is Libraries. To fully understand and honor that, the ED must come from there. 



  • 61.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 22, 2016 04:52 PM

    This conversation hits close to home.  For the past four years I have had the privilege of serving as the Executive Director of the New York Library Association (NYLA).  NYLA is one of the five largest state chapters in the nation, with over 5K members, representing all library types.  Prior to becoming executive director, I severed as deputy director for three years.  All totaled, I have over a decade of experience working in professional membership organizations.

    Since I have assumed the executive director's position, NYLA membership has increased by over 25%, and NYS Library Aid Funding has increased by over $15M.

    I passionately believe in the core values of librarianship, and have built a career around empowering members of the library community to connect, share and advocate for libraries.

    All that being said - I do not hold my MLS.  I don't believe for a moment that I am qualified to run a library.  I do believe that my record of success demonstrates that an association professional without an MLS has the capacity to effectively run a library association.

    A hard-line requirement for any specific degree may exclude truly viable candidates.



  • 62.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 23, 2016 03:49 PM

    ALA has had effective executive directors with the MLS; it has also had less-than-effective executive directors with the MLS.  As Lisa Hinchliffe has articulated, ALA needs an ED committed to ALA values, etc.  I have known librarian who have the MLS who acted contrary to ALA's values, e.g. by refusing to have books in their collections that they disapprove of or to avoid community controversy.  What matters is how an individual, with or sans MLS, has demonstrably embraced those values through action and public statements.

    Managing an organization as complex as ALA and facing the challenges it has faced in recent years (e.g., declining membership, revenue channels less reliable than in the past) requires knowledge, experience, and insight that MLS programs do not necessarily impart. 

    The Executive Board has responsibility to hire the best candidate it can find to serve as our next ED.  It needs the freedom, and the trust of the membership, to conduct a search that will facilitate that process.  It needs to be able to consider candidates who have the experience, knowledge, and commitment to ALA's core values, whether or not they have developed those in part from earning an MLS. The proposal to remove the MLS requirement, but retain it is a preferred experience factor, will give the EB that freedom.

    Jim Rettig

    Former member of the Executive Board and ALA president 2008-09

    ALA needs an ED who is committed to the values, mission, purposes, etc., of libraries and ALA - See more at: http://connect.ala.org/comment/84592#comment-84592
    ALA needs an ED who is committed to the values, mission, purposes, etc., of libraries and ALA - See more at: http://connect.ala.org/comment/84592#comment-84592
    ALA needs an ED who is committed to the values, mission, purposes, etc., of libraries and ALA - See more at: http://connect.ala.org/comment/84592#comment-84592


  • 63.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 26, 2016 11:05 AM

    I have taught for the past 15 years in MLS programs at San Jose, Illinois, and Dominican, so my comments regarding the requirement are grounded in my experience as an MLS-holder, an LIS educator, a supervisor of MLS students, and someone who has been able to hire dozens of librarians over the years (where some positions required the ALA-accredited degree and others did not).

    I have also taught for the past 4 years in the M.A. in Nonprofit Management program at DePaul University, so my comments regarding the requirement are likewise grounded in my experience of the fact that non-profit management is also a credentialed field that, like librarianship, involves a commitment to a core set of professional values as well as core competence in areas of critical concern to Association management.

    My thinking about this requirement has also been shaped in recent weeks by the debate over the ongoing commitment of the Association to the core values of the profession engendered by a series of press releases issued by the Association since the November election in the U.S. In this regard, I have been thinking about the complementary roles of the Executive Director, the ALA President, and the other elected members of the ALA Executive Committee in ensuring a values-centered approach to ALA leadership (where "value" is understood as the commitment to certain shared beliefs about the role of libraries and librarians and library staff in society, and not solely in the bottom line).

    With those caveats:

    1) I believe that there are certain core competencies required in this position in regard to its responsibility for administrative leadership of the Association, stewarding Association resources, committing to professional development and support for the Association's staff, etc., and that these competencies are not tied to the completion of an ALA-accredited degree (which includes degrees other than the MLS, of course). These may be found in those who have completed degrees in Nonprofit Management, for example, or who have served in leadership positions in libraries, other cultural heritage organizations, other nonprofits, or other Associations

    2) I believe that it is absolutely critical in today's environment that the ED be able to demonstrate his or her commitment to the core values of the LIS professions. This commitment seems to be what many assume may be assessed, by proxy, through the possession of the MLS degree, but I do not believe that assumption is wholly accurate. There are many who have shown their commitment to the values we embrace through their work, inside and outside of cultural heritage organizations, who do not hold the professional degree. And, there are those who hold the professional degree who I might question in terms of what values actually guide their decisions as librarians and as leaders.

    3) I believe it is critical that the Executive Director, sharing a commitment to our values, understands how to best make use of the professional expertise represented by the elected leadership of the Association, including the President and President-Elect, of course, but expanding to other elected leaders at the Executive Board, Divisional, and Chapter levels. For many, a gap seems to have opened up between "Big ALA" and the work they are doing to advance our profession and our shared values at the local, state, and other levels. A new ED should commit to a deeper engagement with the professional leadership in shaping his or her work in administrative leadership.

    4) I note that ALA is a professional association, and not a library, itself. Thus, my comments regarding educational requirements for leadership positions in a professional association should not be assumed to reflect my thinking about educational requirements for the position of library director (we can have a side discussion regarding what I think about trends in librarianship and in higher education, more broadly, regarding the recruitment of senior leaders from outside the fields represented by the organizations they have been recruited to lead)

    If those commitments are the ones guiding the selection of the next Executive Director, we can craft a much more strategic and meaningful recruitment effort than one where so much is assumed through one's possession (or not) of the MLS (or other ALA-accredited degree). Rather than depend on the degree as proxy, let's search for the skills, values, and commitment to professional engagement (and respect for professional expertise) that we need. There are many excellent librarians who might fit this bill, but there are also many excellent Association professionals who are not librarians; I'd advocate allowing as many excellent candidates into the pool as we can, and then focusing on finding the one who has the best combination of core competencies, values, and commitment to collaboration. 

    So, the short answer for the tally: I recommend making the MLS (or ALA-accredited degree) no more than a preferred educational requirement, but I could even see an argument (in the context of a very well-written position announcement) for making it a desired requirement.



  • 64.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 27, 2016 01:19 PM

    I had a wonderful conversation about this last week with a colleague. She and I disagree (I think the MLS should be required for the E.D., she does not.) We wondered if some of the issues with the requirement could be resolved with more flexible language. Doing this would not address the crux of the important conversation we are having, but it may allow us to move forward with a compromise. (Suggestion in italics.)

    "Required Qualifications: A Master’s Degree from a program accredited by the ALA, OR a Master’s Degree with a specialty in school library media from an educational unit accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), OR an equivalent combination of knowledge, education, skills, and experience."  

    This would require trust in the search committee to identify what, if any, alternative experience would truly equate to what we expect from a degree-holder. It also means that we very clearly would have to define what we are looking for in an ED.  I know this suggestion is not a solution, and it is a lot to ask of the search committee,  but it might be worth considering.

    Take care, all.

    Rachel 

     

     



  • 65.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 29, 2016 12:42 PM

    Rachel, thanks for this message.  Between this and what Lisa Hinchliffe had to say about the NCATE, as well as other comments, I feel certain the Executive Board will be discussing how to revise and refine the resolution for presentation to Council in Atlanta.  Thanks, and Happy New Year!

    Peter



  • 66.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 30, 2016 09:45 AM

    During the fall AASL Executive Committee meeting and during our December AASL Board call, we decided to support requiring a “Master’s Degree from a program accredited by the ALA or a Master’s Degree with a specialty in school library media from an educational unit accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) for the Executive Director of ALA.”

    We believe it is essential for the executivedirector of the American Library Association to have the educational training and degree in the field.  This educational background and degreewas also valued when choosing the new Librarian of Congress this year.  Having an MLS does not prevent any candidate from also having managerial and association management experience.

    Respectfully, 
    Diane R Chen
    AASL Division Councilor 
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  • 67.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Jan 03, 2017 01:13 PM

    Hi Bernadine, and happy New Year everyone!

    I've seen some discussion here, on the Council list, and in social media regarding the ED educational requirements in relation to ALA as an accrediting body.  I thought it would be good to provide some additional information (with thanks to Keith Fiels, Mary Ghikas, and Karen O’Brien, director of the Office of Accreditation, for providing some context).  Since it seems you were the first to comment, let me respond to your note with a few words on accreditation and ALA as an accrediting body in hopes that it may provide a fuller picture to Council for use in considering educational requirements for the ALA executive director:

    ALA is, itself, authorized to be an accreditor by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). ALA can accredit an institution, an act that is seen as a public good.  As such, ALA assures the public – those who are enrolled or seeking to enroll in the programs, as well as others – that the programs will provide a graduate education in the field.  For that reason, there must be two representatives of the public on the Committee on Accreditation.  They cannot be ALA members; they cannot be members of the field.  They are there to be the public’s voice ---not the profession’s voice.  As a reminder, the Committee on Accreditation makes decisions on accreditation of programs, not the executive director (or the executive board or Council).

    It may be useful for Councilors and members to keep in mind, at least insofar as the conversation on ALA as an accrediting body goes, that not everyone sharing in the decision-making authority will have an MLIS.

    Thanks!

    Peter



  • 68.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Jan 03, 2017 02:35 PM

    Peter has encouraged me to share my view that the existence of other (non-degreed) points of view built into the system actually provides excellent support for why we should continue to ensure that our ED does have one, bringing the experience and vision that only a person who has worked through the process can share.  Arguably support for the degree has been dwindling to the extent that it seems almost preferred at times to hire non-degreed candidates, thereby limiting opportunities for people who have worked hard to get the degree that we propound as central to defining us as professionals and further lessening any case to be made for any employer to require the degree for any library-related position anywhere.

    If the ALA-accredited degree is not producing fantastic library leaders perfectly poised to lead the Association, we should immediately begin asking ourselves why not.  If it is the case, then our best pool of candidates lies within what in my experience is a really fantastic, large and highly-qualified group of accredited degree holders.

    Simply enlarging the field so as to include a "larger pool" seems like an extremely weak and unconvincing reason to change the requirement for a job. Is it typical for lawyers to welcome non-lawyers into the leadership positions of their associations? There are, as others have pointed out, myriad opportunities for non-degreed people to get involved with ALA.  If we value the ALA accreditation process, why would we even consider not taking an opportunity to actively prove our commitment?



  • 69.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Jan 03, 2017 03:06 PM

    I respectfully disagree with the argument that you need an MLS to fully care about libraries and the function they serve. I further disagree with the premises that having a business background means you won't have our interests at heart. Andrew Carnegie didn't have an MLS, but his passion for public libraries are why there are so many in cities large and small today.



  • 70.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Jan 03, 2017 03:09 PM

    Dear Peter,

     

    Thank you for sharing the draft resolution on education requirements of future ALA executive directors. The PLA Board discussed this matter at our fall board meeting and was unanimous in agreeing that the ALA-accredited MLIS degree requirement be changed to recommended from required. PLA supports the YALSA statement that “an MLIS be recommended, but not required, in the job requirement for the next ALA CEO; that the applicant be able to demonstrate familiarity with the current library landscape and its values; and that relevant nonprofit and/or association credentials (such as the Certified Association Executive) be strongly considered.”

    Draft minutes (to be approved at Midwinter) from our PLA Board meeting follow:

    “The board agreed that the requirement for the position be MLIS recommended not required. The PLA Board sees great value in casting the widest net possible to attract the absolute highest quality candidates to lead positive change and to help resolve significant challenges for ALA and for libraries. Specifically, the PLA Board looks for these competencies in the new ALA ED:

     

    Leadership

    The ideal candidate will demonstrate skill leading complex organizations through periods of change and growth, as indicated by competency in:

    --Strategic vision

    --Deep understanding of core library values and library advocacy

    --Change facilitation

     

    Management

    In addition to understanding and trusting the work of all ALA units, the ideal candidate will demonstrate high-level management competencies in:

    --Association operations, governance, and structure

    --Strategic planning

    --Development, policy, and advocacy

     

    Personal

    To ensure a successful transition to new leadership, the ideal candidate will demonstrate personal competencies in:

    --Building and motivating internal teams

    --Building sustainable partnerships inside and outside the association

    --Clear and consistent communications”

    As YALSA eloquently states, talented, mission-driven nonprofit leaders will want to be part of our organization because they value libraries and the great work we do. The pool of qualified candidates should not be limited. While ALA represents libraries, ALA is not a library. The Board of Directors and Council are composed of librarians, who work in strong partnership with the Executive Director and other staff to ensure the highest commitment to our core values, to our members and to libraries more generally, and to advocacy on behalf of libraries. The position of ALA ED calls for an individual with the commitment, knowledge and skills to move our complex association forward at a critical moment in time. Let’s seek out all the opportunities available to us to find that leader.



  • 71.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Jan 04, 2017 11:24 PM

    As an ALA member, my personal opinion on this matter is that strongly preferring rather than requiring the MLS/MLIS is sufficient for the ALA Executive Director position.

    That said, I am curious about the context in which the original 2000 Midwinter-San Antonio resolution requiring the MLS was made.  It strikes me as odd that we should be considering overturning a resolution that was seemingly made to address this exact situation, and which ostensibly yielded Fiels, shortly after it's adoption.  I assume there are still some folks who were around during the debate on the 2000 resolution? 



  • 72.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Jan 06, 2017 08:59 AM

    Yesterday, on "Here and Now" I heard NPR's Lisa Mullins interviewing Curt Nickisch, Senior Editor of the Harvard Business Review ( http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2017/01/05/boss-do-your-job ).

    The topic was "If Your Boss Could Do Your Job, You’re More Likely to Be Happy at Work."  Nickisch described a recent study that showed that coders whose managers can actually code and, therefore, know the problems faced by their employees, were more satisfied in their work than those whose managers could not code.  Nickisch then referred to an earlier study that found that hospitals administered by physicians significantly out performed hospitals led by non-physicians in national quality of service assessments.  See Amanda H. Goodall's "Physician-leaders and hospital performance: Is there an association?"  Social Science & Medicine, Vol. 73, Issue 4, August 2011, pp 535–539.

    The message I took from this was that sharing the experience of the people one manages is crucial for effective leadership.  Therefore, while an MLS is certainly a very strong indicator of commitment to librarianship and its values, significant successful experience as a librarian AND similar experience as an administrator are the essential qualifications for ALA's Executive Director not the degree per se.  A candidate with an MLS but without a strong track record as a librarian wouldn't qualify for our position just as a person without an MLS but with successful work as a librarian (someone who came up through the ranks so to speak) most definitely could.

    If the requirement is to be changed, I hope that any new wording will stress the equal importance of successful library and successful administrative experience.  "Strongly preferred" doesn't quite do it but I have yet to come up with a better suggestion.   Perhaps adding text such as "the successful candidate must have demonstrated significant, successful library experience AND significant, successful administrative experience" would work.

     



  • 73.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Jan 20, 2017 06:21 PM

    MLS is an important requirement, I agree for all the stated reasons but also because I believe that the education/training of librarians is continuing to evolve to meet 21st century expectations of library leaders in society.



  • 74.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 04, 2017 08:00 AM

    I have been a member of ALA for more years than I care to count.  As our national professional organization that actually accredits the university degrees programs why would we not require the MLS for the head of our organization.  If we do not set the example it will only lead to more "professional" positions at the local level lowering their requirements for the MLS.  We have already begun to see this.  How can ALA advocate for keeping the MLS as a requirement at the local level when they won't require it at the national for our leader.  Thank goodness we finally have a MLS librarian at the helm of the Library of Congress.  Please adjust your requirements so that the MLS is required not preferred.



  • 75.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 04, 2017 08:04 AM

    This is an interesting discussion, but my opinion is it should stay MLIS required (not preferred). 



  • 76.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 04, 2017 08:23 AM

    I'm gratified to see comments in support of retaining the MLS degree for this position.  Some of you know that Council overturned this requirement a couple weeks ago.  There is currently a member initiative petition designed to make this a ballot question on next year's ballot, in hopes of reversing Council's action.  If you support the retention of the MLS degree for the Executive Director, please sign our petition:
     https://tinyurl.com/ybyqpyw7

     



  • 77.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 04, 2017 10:10 AM

    I see requiring a minimum professional background as a major distinction between a organization which attempts to grapple with professional ethics and philosophical concerns versus a mere membership organization of limited scope or utility to its constituents. And I can tell you that the membership and conference investment in the American Library Association represents a financial commitment on the part of individual members and their employers that will definitely be eroded if that leadership has more experience with organizations than with libraries.

    I also believe that the talent pool within our profession exists to support this critical role, but that the ED job description was actually antithetical to our professional ethos. Isn't that insistence on entrepreneurship potentially off-putting for professionals who have devoted their lives to public service and a public good?



  • 78.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 04, 2017 10:30 AM
    I think it is important to realize that some of the members may believe that if ALA does not value the degree, then why should people value the Association.  I recognize that it has been difficult to find the candidate that is needed but there is a tone , almost an attitude, that would suggest ALA thinks librarians cannot run an association.  I have heard from people who feel betrayed and who are proud of their experience and education.  These aspects were not something that people foresaw as they discussed the role of Executive Director, but a lot of members are concerned.  Just my thoughts based on conversations with different members from different types of libraries.  Pat Hogan, Councilor for Smaller Roundtables
    Virus-free. www.avg.com

    On Mon, Dec 4, 2017 at 8:25 AM, ALA Connect <connect@ala.org> wrote:


  • 79.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 04, 2017 01:54 PM

    I totally agree with Michael Gorman.  The Executive Director of ALA should hold an MLIS and have substantial amounts of experience running large and complax organizations.  This questions is similar to the question:  Should directors or Deans of libraries hold an MLIS?  The answer has been and should continue to be:  of course!

    Cesar Caballero, Member of the Executive Board, 1992-1996



  • 80.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 04, 2017 02:01 PM

    Thank you, Cesar!  Please sign the petition aimed at restoring the MLS requirement for this position if you haven't already done so:
         https://tinyurl.com/ybyqpyw7

     



  • 81.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 04, 2017 03:39 PM

    Listing the MLS as a preference leaves too much room for interpretation.  The Executive Director of our profession's organization should, first of all be a member or our profession.  If we cannot find someone from within our ranks who can appreciate, understand, articulate, and offer solutions to issues confronting this organization there is something wrong with our own recruitment, training and professional development.     



  • 82.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 04, 2017 04:19 PM

    I certainly understand the rationale provided for maintaining the requirement of a graduate degree in library and information science for the ALA Exec Director.  But I too, favor a change.  Our association needs to make some changes, and to do so we really need an articulate and experienced "career" association leader and manager. The changes that ALA will want to make in order to remain relevant to the membership, policy makers and to community will certainly benefit by the solicited and volunteered opinions, knowledge and values of the tens of thousands of librarians paying membership dues annually.  Our challenges are organizational, fiscal, strategic and heavily tied to a new dynamic for defining the benefits of membership.  This lesson is not taught in library or information schools.

    I think a candidate that is a strong advocate for libraries can be found.  Afterall we work everyday to develop library advocates in our interactions in public, school, special and academic libraries.   Some of our "Friends" are very true to the profession and hold dear our values and our passion for intellectual freedom and scholarship.

    I would like us to untie ALA leadership's hands and challenge them to find a suitable and best candidate to operate the association, MLS preferred. 

     

     Disclaimer:  I am a former member of the ACRL Board. 



  • 83.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 04, 2017 06:31 PM

    As a long time member of ALA, and a former member of the ALSC Board, I was very proud to see that we finally have an accredited librarian as the new Librarian of Congress.  I think that our association also ought to have a professional librarian with an MLS as its Executive Director.

    Adele Fasick

    Professor Emerita, University of Toronto 



  • 84.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 04, 2017 07:30 PM

    Hi Everyone,

    I’m confused. I was under the impression that we voted and something like 77% agreed that we would add the word “preferred.” While I am very proud of my MLS (I’m old so the “I” isn’t there), I believe we discussed and approved the idea that we need the very best person for this critical job for our organization. Maybe we’ll get lucky and someone with an MLIS will emerge but in the meantime, this allows us to move forward.

    I think we’re being pragmatic here and I believe we need to allow the process to work. I’m not sure this I worth the effort of a “do over” quite yet. Why not see what emerges and in the meantime use our righteous indignation to address our other battles. There are so many other important issues for us to be passionate about, e.g. net neutrality, I hate to see us get entangled with this discussion.

    Regards,

    Rivkah (LLAMA Councilor)

    Rivkah K. Sass | Executive Director

    Sacramento Public Library

    V:  916.264.2830 M: 916.719.9318

    rsass@saclibrary.org

    Raising a reader is:

    Talking l Singing l Reading l Writing l Playing

    From: ALA Connect [mailto:connect@ala.org] Sent: Monday,



  • 85.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 04, 2017 10:29 PM

    Very well put Rivkah -- thank you!



  • 86.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 05, 2017 04:53 AM

    Thank you, Stanton! Please consider signing this petition aimed at restoring the MLS requirement:

       https://tinyurl.com/ybyqpyw7



  • 87.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 05, 2017 04:56 AM

    Professor Fasick- it was very gratifying for me to read your comments. I was one of your students at FLIS many years ago when you were the Dean. 

       Please consider signing our petition aimed at restoring the MLS requirement 

      https://tinyurl.com/ybyqpyw7

    My very best wishes to you,

      John DeSantis



  • 88.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 05, 2017 09:04 AM

     

    The ALA Council email vote eliminating the library degree requirement for the Executive Director may technically be legal, but it is a highly unusual process and ( i believe) ill- advised. I do not recall a Council vote 
    ( electronic or mail) overturning such a controversial issue ever taking place. When I first became an ALA member ( in the dark ages of the sixties) Council and most committee meetings were closed. We young rebels won a hard fought battle for open meetings so that members could hear discussion and talk with their representatives. We also fought back a move to severely limit Membership's ability to overturn Council actions. Fortunately, Membership still has the ability to overturn this recent action— or at the least call for further examination and discussions. I have been a member of Council, the Executive Board, the Treasurer of ALA and the ALA President. I worked hard along with colleagues to maintain and enhance ALA's democratic values and to promote the value of librarians to our publics. I am deeply disappointed by both the perversion of our democratic process and the devaluation of our professional credential.

    Having served ALA in many capacities i know that the ED is considered THE most important librarian in the world.

    Please sign the petition calling for a Membership vote.

    https:/tinyurl.com/ybyqpyw7

     

    Patricia Glass Schuman

    ALA Honorary Member

    Past ALA President

    Past ALA Treasurer

    Founder, Library Advocacy Now!

    MSLS, Columbia University

     

     

     



  • 89.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 05, 2017 09:30 AM
    The option for electronic ballot by Council was 
    approved by the membership and a threshold of
    75 percent was established to endorse an action. 
    In this case, the search committee, the executive 
    board and all of the divisions, as well as many 
    individual members called for an online discussion 
    and an electronic vote to consider the educational 
    requirements for the ALA executive director. There
    was an extended period for debate, and a full 
    week for voting. We may have different views on
    the mandatory or preferred MLS for the ED,
    but the Council process was open, transparent,
    and fair. To accuse people of being undemocratic  
    or somehow unscrupulous is just not right. We 
    are all colleagues trying to do what is best for 
    the Association. We will proceed through the 
    petition process and the member ballot, and then
    we will resume the recruitment and appointment of
    an outstanding new ALA executive director. 
    Sent from my iPhone



    On Dec 5, 2017, at 8:10 AM, ALA Connect <connect@ala.org> wrote:



  • 90.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 05, 2017 09:53 AM
    • This conversation began in December 2016 and was followed by a Council vote defeating efforts to remove the degree requirement for the ALA Executive Director
    • After a relatively brief period and one quick review of a small number of candidates, the search committee asked for a new, electronic vote in another effort to drop the degree requirement for reasons that were not made clear.
    • Over a short period of a few weeks, Council held an electronic vote and reversed its decision
    • Many members were unaware that the decision had been reversed
    • The "we should widen the pool" arguments are unconvincing to members who believe that it is  vital for the Association to take this opportunity to re-affirm the value and importance of the degree for which it plays such a pivotal role
    • Arguments that "other associations" do not have practitioners are inaccurate: the AMA, the APA, the AHA, and the ABA all have eminently qualified professionals (doctors, historians, lawyers) at the helm of their associations
    • Members who feel strongly that the ALA ED position should be a role model representing an aspiration for members and the representation of the pinnacle of a prestigious library career want to be sure that all members realize these developments, consider the consequences, and have the opportunity guaranteed them by ALA policy to take action

    Given these facts, please consider signing the petition so that members can have a voice.

    http://www.ala.org/CFApps/epetition/index.cfm?pid=71D74CE98CC0D9E2

    aka

    https:/tinyurl.com/ybyqpyw7

     

     



  • 91.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 05, 2017 10:00 AM

    As members of ALA, we can agree to disagree about the need for an MLS for the position of ALA Executive Director, but to refer to the process as a perversion is beyond the pale of productive discourse. All of the discussions and debates both at Council meetings and online have been completely transparent and open to the membership.

    When we talk about how highly unusual this process has been, we must also remember that the Search Committee along with the recruiter attempted to find suitable candidates that can fulfill the many needs of leading our organization. When that resulted in no candidates moving forward, this extraordinary step of an online Council vote was taken to open the candidate pool to a potentially more diverse group of people.  

    My YALSA Board colleague Kate McNair said it very well: "ALA is in a fragile moment that can lead to a drop in funding and engagement for an association. We need to be decisive in selecting a leader to take us into the future." We must move forward, instead of constantly impeding the momentum of what could bring our association toward a better tomorrow. 

    Thanks,

    Todd Krueger, YALSA Division Councilor



  • 92.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 05, 2017 10:33 AM

    I am  greatly concerned about how this narrative is being framed - it presumes that the only way to maintain professional values is to sign the petition.  This negates all of the work that was done by the ALA Executive Board, ALA Search Committee, all of the ALA Divisions, and the ALA Councilors.  I would like to remind everyone that the ALA Code of Ethics states that we treat co-workers and other colleagues with respect, fairness and good faith.

    One word was added to the announcement - the word preferred.  I advocate that we put our energy into encouraging people with the degree and qualifications to apply.  The Search Committee and the Executive Board did not ask for the vote in a capricious nor unethical manner.   Every Division endorsed the effort to add the word preferred to the description. I have fullest confidence in Courtney Young’s search committee, Jim Neal, the Executive Board and the ALA Councilors whom voted electronically. 

    Sara Dallas

    ALA Councilor at Large

    Chair Committee on Professional Ethics

    Librarian for over 40 years



  • 93.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 05, 2017 10:38 AM

    I have heard from members who were unaware of the new discussion (which began on one message board and seemed to be moved elsewhere, or at least split, and was by no means as robust as the original thread).

    Presumably the search committee can--if it wishes--continue to search for and interview candidates who do have the qualification even if the petition goes forward. Given the length of time that national searches sometimes take, this has been a relatively short search so far. What would the harm be in continuing to accept applications from candidates who do have the degree? I am sure that when people say we need someone who will "take us into the future," they don't intend to imply that the degree is a handicap, but some might interpret it that way. It is to be hoped that the outcome of the search proves how wrong that idea is. I have full confidence that an excellent candidate can, with a little more time, be found who has the qualification and who is also a fantastic, forward-thinking leader.

    Please sign the petition so that members can weigh in on this matter and to ensure that they are all aware that for the first time in the Association's history, a regular vote of Council was overturned electronically less than a year after the vote on a matter that some of us consider vitally important.

    http://www.ala.org/CFApps/epetition/index.cfm?pid=71D74CE98CC0D9E2

    aka

    https:/tinyurl.com/ybyqpyw7



  • 94.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 05, 2017 10:43 AM

    With all due respect, the word "preferred" has only one function: to permit the consideration of candidates who do not have the degree. It is a major, not a minor change, and one that many members oppose.

    Giving members a voice is a good thing--it is every bit as reasonable as Council's decision to vote. It is built into our policies because we believe in member voice. This does not by any means imply that anyone has done anything wrong.

    Please sign the petition and give members a chance to weigh in on this important matter.

    http://www.ala.org/CFApps/epetition/index.cfm?pid=71D74CE98CC0D9E2

    aka

    https:/tinyurl.com/ybyqpyw7



  • 95.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 05, 2017 11:09 AM

    I strongly endorse Jim Neal's comments. In this online vote--unprecented, but in a GOOD way--Councilors could participate in the vote regardless of their ability to attend a face-to-face meeting. I even followed the vote most without logging in to Connect--a quality of access like CSPAN, and unheard of for Council meetings, which require people to have the time, money, and management of their own work and life schedules to participate.

    With an unheard-of level of participation and endorsement, and its digital equity, it was the most transparent, socially-just Council vote in the history of ALA. It's also how Council *should* be able to respond to issues when they are not gathered twice a year as a physical body.

    I also have seen the vote characterized as "rushed." I recall very few Council votes where we had so much lead time to reflect and discuss an issue. Most (but not all) Council resolutions appear on our dockets in the week leading up to ALA (if not *during* ALA). In this case, Council had over a month before the formal discussion period opened; then had a week of discussion (if that were true at ALA, we'd fly home the following Friday, not that Tuesday); then had a week to vote (unlike f2f Council, where if you have a conflicting meeting when balloting is taking place, well, that's too bad).

    You can object to the outcome of the election--reached after a search committee, one of the very best I have served on, did everything it could to recruit the right person to the job, asked for reconsideration--but to call this process undemocratic is factually inaccurate.

    Other ALA units vote online through Connect, and for that matter meet online. There is value to face-to-face deliberation, but we flogged this one to death last January face-to-face and had a narrow outcome. The real issue is that people feel very strongly about the MLS requirement. I do too. I once felt strongly in FAVOR of it (which is how I voted in 2000) but by 2016 I had to write Lois-Ann to ask her how I voted back then because through experience I had long since acquired an appreciation for the many OTHER specializations that bring value to libraries, such as fundraising, accounting, and yes, association management. How ironic that we should apply the same fallacy about association management that we too frequently confront for librarianship!

    Oh, and because I get some good street rumors by way of ALA colleagues, let me assure everyone that the search committee worked hard, did not have a predetermined outcome (we would have LOVED to have declared victory), and had equal and full participation by all members.

    If this vote was inappropriate, then a whole slew of decisions by ALA units need to be declared null and void. But let's be real, it's not 1899, we don't need to ride buggies to Chicago to deliberate (as this thread, ironically, makes obvious), and Council is capable of taking a vote on an issue in between face-to-face conferences. To me, that is progress TOWARD democracy. Invoking the bad old days, when ALA meetings were not open, only invites the question about how "open" our current processes truly are, and how well they serve ALA, its members, and librarianship.



  • 96.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 05, 2017 11:28 AM

    Thanks for your always-engaging commentary, Karen.

    As a member who isn't on Council now, it was only by coincidence that I happened on something that informed me Council was re-considering its vote. I'm sure it seems to councilors that you've been discussing this forever, but as Association actions go it was a pretty quick about-face. This is not a judgement, simply a statement regarding how these actions may have been experienced by members.

    So on behalf of the members who care deeply about this issue, I ask that you please send the membership a message of support and consideration by signing the petition. We will be very grateful for the opportunity to weigh in on this directly in full accordance with ALA policy and procedure.

    http://www.ala.org/CFApps/epetition/index.cfm?pid=71D74CE98CC0D9E2

    aka

    https:/tinyurl.com/ybyqpyw7



  • 97.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 05, 2017 11:53 AM

    I am posting this for Lauren Comito

    Please remember that electronic voting is in the bylaws.  It had to be approved by the membership to even exist as an option.



  • 98.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 05, 2017 12:09 PM

    The option for membersip petition is also in the Constitution and Bylaws.  This is a healthy debate. Disagreement is not equivalent to disparagement. 

     



  • 99.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 05, 2017 12:39 PM

    Membership petitions are also in the Constitution and Bylaws. 

    ALA is a membership organization. Leadership should welcome member participation and discussion. In my experience as ALA President, Treasurer, and Chair of many Committees, respectful disagreement is engagement that can lead to productive outcomes. This petition in no way halts the search process — it asks that membership have a say in this profound policy change.
     
     


  • 100.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 05, 2017 12:51 PM

    I agree with Sara's well written response.  The word "preferred" allows the pool to be bigger - therefore, a better chance of finding the right person for the position.  As a librarian and ALA member, I would like nothing more than someone with an MLIS to lead ALA.  But, the skills for librarians are vastly different than what is needed to lead a large and influential association with 50k members.

    A strong effort was given with "required MLIS".  And, unfortunately, there was not one who was able to fulfill the needs of ALA.  I strongly feel that the first round of accepting applicants would of brought the best chance for a qualified individual with a MLIS.  

    Kari Mitchell

    ALA Councilor at Large

    Committee on Legislation

    DC Public Library



  • 101.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 05, 2017 02:12 PM

    It is essential to remember that members did have the opportunity to participate, since the introduction of the discussion occurred in a venue open to all members. At any point in the past several months, members have had the opportunity to chime in, as well as to speak with their divisional, chapter, or at-large Council members. Your personal failure to not use the preferred communication tool of ALA -- ie, not checking in on Connect -- is not the same as ALA not communicating with you, or members not being able to participate. To be engaged means to participate throughout the process, and not just when things don't go your way.

    I'd like to remind everyone that the language was changed only to add the word "preferred" -- the hope is still very much to have a successful candidate with an MLS degree. The ALA Executive Board and the Search Committee did not ask for the vote lightly, and 77% of the Councilors agreed with their request to add "preferred." Ten of the eleven divisions of ALA wrote in support of adding "preferred." This is significant support.

    As many pointed out in the discussion, we are not asking the successful Executive Director candidate to lead a library -- we are asking for them to lead a complex membership organization that serves more than 50,000 people. We must consider that there may be a candidate out there without an MLS that is the most uniquely suited to help lead this organization through a period of significant change, and we all surely recognize that some of our best advocates in our own local work are people with a deep passion for and understanding of libraries, but who do not have the degree. People may say the possibility of not having a librarian lead ALA is insulting to librarians, but our unwillingness to consider other, possibly better qualified, candidates who are passionate about the work of libraries is a tremendous insult all of our staff who do not have an MLS, and every community advocate who has worked tirelessly for us. 

    If we feel the ALA Executive Director position is this important, we should also recognize the need to continue to move forward with the recruitment and selection process, and to ensure the most qualified candidate is chosen.



  • 102.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 05, 2017 04:47 PM

    I agree with you, Madeleine. I have heard it said that an MLS is not required to be a librarian so consequently, this position should not require an MLS. I was not aware that it was optional for me to obtain my graduate degree, I seem to recall quite a few job postings being closed to those without one. What percentage of the listings on ALA right now neglect to list the Masters are a requirement?

    The narrative here seems to be that the degree is not, in fact, required and that degree-holding librarians are in short supply. However, where I live, the jobs are where the shortage lies, not the talent pool. Why must a librarian often hold the degree and sometimes state certification while positions we wish to advance to one day are open to all? I feel if we are moving in this direction, it should be reflected across the board, not just in high ranking positions. If the Executive Director can get by without the MLS, I don't see why we are requiring often underpaid librarians to go that extra mile. I feel it's sending a mixed message that leaves me feeling disappointed.



  • 103.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 05, 2017 07:22 PM

    I strongly agree that it should be required to hold a MLS/MLIS to obtain this position.  If we drop this requirement, then what's the purpose of the organization?  We would be failing our own association's existence!  If working in a library environment, then you need to know how they operate.



  • 104.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 07, 2017 02:31 PM
    • Technically speaking, the Executive Director search can continue regardless of the petition. Asserting that it cannot is inaccurate.
    • Many members spent significant time advocating for the requirement to be kept before the first 2017 vote; many members thought the matter was settled and did not have either notice or sufficient time to respond to the second 2017 vote. Those members deserve an opportunity to realize what has happened and respond.
    • Many questions about the search remain unanswered. Why was the search considered stalled after so brief a period of time and so few candidates considered? Why was this considered so urgent that it couldn't wait until the next conference? What was lacking in the pool? What specific criteria is the committee looking for that makes them so determined to remove this qualification? 

    Providing members with more information about such a sudden reversal of official position on something that many feel strongly about is an important and respectful courtesy. This is why I support and thank the petitioners, and ask that you please sign the petition.

    http://www.ala.org/CFApps/epetition/index.cfm?pid=71D74CE98CC0D9E2



  • 105.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 28, 2017 07:49 PM

    Since when did ALA Connect become “ the preferred communication tool of ALA? “ That statement is simply not true. how many members are logged n to this tool and use it in a regular basis?

     

     



  • 106.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 28, 2017 09:00 PM
    Only Pat and I were logged in about an hour ago and then I was alone. It can be a lonely place on ALA Connect.
    On Thu, Dec 28, 2017 at 5:56 PM ALA Connect <connect@ala.org> wrote:


  • 107.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 29, 2017 07:50 AM

    Pat's and Dierdre's observations illustrate some important developments.

    Until relatively recently, it was possible for an ALA member who was interested in ALA policy decisions to attend a meeting, hear everything that transpired, and know what had been decided.

    Electronic Council voting--while perhaps inevitable--is resulting in significant changes that have not yet been addressed.

    If ALA is to remain responsive and transparent to members, then a mechanism needs to be established for announcing agendas and upcoming votes, and a specific venue for members to communicate about those votes. Once this is established, all members need to be notified. This sort of process of public notification is built into sunshine laws for government. While ALA is not government, adhering to these standards is the best way to preserve transparency and democracy.



  • 108.  RE: Educational Requirements for Executive Director

    Posted Dec 30, 2017 04:14 PM

    This discussion illustrates much of the best of ALA and Council. I totally agree that we would like an MLS holder as ED- but I return again and again to the fact that this whole conversation and the associated resolutions and votes came about because of an ABSENCE OF CANDIDATES of the requisite quality. Something has to give, and the degree requirement is an easy target.

    As a result, rather than offer my opinion today I’d like to pose a different question: is there a different way to tweak the job description or listing to entice MLS qualified candidates of quality to apply?

    In the November discussions, I read that some state associations have EDs with MLS, and others have EDs without the degree. Presumably, all those associations are satisfied with their choice. Would anything be gained by asking those who successfully hired MLS candidates how their job description read? Additionally, what might we learn by asking state groups without MLS leaders to discuss the benefits or drawbacks of their decision. I just feel like our conversation is going in circles – we need some new perspectives.

    I think we all might need to step outside the box we are in of yes/no MLS to see what other options might exist. Possibly this is really the only conversation – but I know too many creative librarians to believe we can’t find a new lens or stand in a different place to look at the answer or…

    So, as this new year begins – let’s get creative!

    Dorcas Hand
    School Library Advocate
    ALA Council Member-at-Large