Thank you Maggie. I certainly defer to your better knowledge of ALA and past practice. Sometimes it is hard for newer Councilors to understand where our policies (and past practices) come from. I've re-read the relevant sections of the Policy Manual and can't find a requirement that Councilors must register for conference in order to attend Council. The first paragraph in 7.4.5 says a membership card is sufficient for general membership and Council meetings. In the second paragraph the use of 'other meetings' seems to exempt the previously referenced general membership and Council meetings. Is there somewhere else in the Policy Manual that speaks to this issue? I can see Councilors who do not register being denied access to ALA housing during a conference but I don't see how the policy prohibits them from attending Council without registration.
I find great value in attending in-person ALA conferences and encourage all who can to attend. I have been fortunate in having employers who supported my attendance and wish that all employers understood the value of in-person conferences. But I have learned over the last 3 years that finances, while significant, are not the only barrier to attendance. I hope we continue to look for ways to break down all barriers.
Now that Council meets throughout the year -- not just at Annual and LibLearnX -- it seems unfair to require Councilors to pay to attend some Council meetings but not to attend others. In any case, as this discussion illustrates, there can be honest confusion about what our policy actually does say.
Eileen
-- Eileen M. Palmer Executive Director Libraries of Middlesex Automation Consortium NJLA Chapter Councilor to the ALA 27 Mayfield Ave. Edison, NJ 08837 (732) 750-2525 ext. 103 (732) 225-0910 (fax) empalmer@lmxac.org
On 4/29/2022 9:06 PM, Maggie Farrell via ALA Connect wrote:
0100018078012fcb-6ed8bc58-847a-4345-b05a-ae19cfa204c0-000000@email.amazonses.com"> Thank you for this discussion and the values of access and equity. Prior to the pandemic, in-person attendance and conference registration were...
Re: Rules & Guidelines for ALA Hybrid Council Meetings | | | Thank you for this discussion and the values of access and equity. Prior to the pandemic, in-person attendance and conference registration were required for Councilors. While conferences/LLX were virtual, we were able to try new approaches such as online voting and technology for our work. Now that we are moving forward to whatever may be our future, then we will need to figure how to not only engage with each other but also how do we engage and interact with our members? Conferences and meetings are one of the most important venues in which we have opportunities to listen to and provide information for members. And of course, learn and develop as individuals. The full policy is below that notes the registration requirements. A.7.4.5 Registration at Conferences and Midwinter Meetings (Old Number 7.4.5) ALA members may attend general membership and council meetings, whenever and wherever held, by showing either a conference badge for the day of the meeting or a current membership card. Registration badges shall be shown for admission to all other meetings. Registration at Annual Conferences and Midwinter Meetings is required of all those attending all other meetings of the Association, its units, committees, etc., except as specifically waived by action of the Executive Board.
------------------------------ Maggie Farrell ALA Treasurer Dean of Libraries University of Nevada, Las Vegas maggie.farrell@unlv.edu ------------------------------ | | Forward |
Original Message: Sent: Apr 29, 2022 10:44 AM | |
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Original Message:
Sent: 4/29/2022 9:06:00 PM
From: Maggie Farrell
Subject: RE: Rules & Guidelines for ALA Hybrid Council Meetings
Thank you for this discussion and the values of access and equity. Prior to the pandemic, in-person attendance and conference registration were required for Councilors. While conferences/LLX were virtual, we were able to try new approaches such as online voting and technology for our work. Now that we are moving forward to whatever may be our future, then we will need to figure how to not only engage with each other but also how do we engage and interact with our members? Conferences and meetings are one of the most important venues in which we have opportunities to listen to and provide information for members. And of course, learn and develop as individuals.
The full policy is below that notes the registration requirements.
A.7.4.5 Registration at Conferences and Midwinter Meetings (Old Number 7.4.5)
ALA members may attend general membership and council meetings, whenever and wherever held, by showing either a conference badge for the day of the meeting or a current membership card. Registration badges shall be shown for admission to all other meetings.
Registration at Annual Conferences and Midwinter Meetings is required of all those attending all other meetings of the Association, its units, committees, etc., except as specifically waived by action of the Executive Board.
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Maggie Farrell
ALA Treasurer
Dean of Libraries
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
maggie.farrell@unlv.edu------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: Apr 29, 2022 10:44 AM
From: Jessamyn West
Subject: Rules & Guidelines for ALA Hybrid Council Meetings
> Given that Council members are members of the Association I don't understand how requiring registration
> to attend Council meetings is not a violation of our existing policy?
I was confused too by the seeming conflict between the new Rules & Guidelines and ALA Policy. I saw President Wong's statement about making sure Councilors followed the policy (which I went and read) but this seems to conflict with it.
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Jessamyn West
Chapter Councilor - Vermont
she/her
Original Message:
Sent: Apr 29, 2022 07:44 AM
From: Eileen Palmer
Subject: Rules & Guidelines for ALA Hybrid Council Meetings
Thank you Jessamyn for raising these concerns. I find several of these rules, and the overall tone of the document, problematic -- but I agree that the registration requirement is especially troublesome. I would be happy to join you in working on alternatives for consideration. I also think that requiring registration to participate in Council/Membership meetings is a policy issue not a rules issue and I do not recall the issue coming to Council. Did I miss something?
The ALA Policy Manual states (emphasis mine):
A.7.4.5 Registration at Conferences and Midwinter Meetings (Old Number 7.4.5)
ALA members may attend general membership and council meetings, whenever and wherever held, by showing either a conference badge for the day of the meeting or a current membership card. Registration badges shall be shown for admission to all other meetings.
Given that Council members are members of the Association I don't understand how requiring registration to attend Council meetings is not a violation of our existing policy?
Eileen
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Eileen M. Palmer
Executive Director
LMxAC Libraries of Middlesex
NJLA Chapter Councilor
empalmer@lmxac.orgOriginal Message:
Sent: Apr 28, 2022 08:20 PM
From: Jessamyn West
Subject: Rules & Guidelines for ALA Hybrid Council Meetings
Thanks for this Marsha -- I'm concerned about the new rule about meeting attendance. The new rules read...
Virtual Attendees must register for the ALA Conference Digital Experience and Councilors are encouraged to be in attendance at least 15 minutes prior to the start of each Council meeting to help confirm quorum.
and
In-person Attendees must register for the ALA Conference
In the past, the Membership Meetings and Council Meetings were open to anyone who was an ALA member or who had an exhibits pass, and those people did not have to register for the conference. This change is substantial in terms of potential costs to people who want to be involved in governance via the Membership Meeting or Council but who would not otherwise be attending.
I believe this is a step backwards in ALA's DEI work by creating a cost barrier to participating in ALA governance and I'm dismayed to see it as a newly created rule I do appreciate and respect that ALA has real money concerns generally and doing a hybrid conference comes with associated costs, but I do not think that this is the way forward to encourage participation and attendance at Membership/Council meetings. If there are others who feel like I do, maybe we can change this rule back to the way it was previously to encourage participation while at the same time helping ALA find a way forward dealing with its money issues.
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Jessamyn West
Chapter Councilor - Vermont
she/her
Original Message:
Sent: Apr 28, 2022 05:29 PM
From: Marsha P. Burgess
Subject: Rules & Guidelines for ALA Hybrid Council Meetings
This message is being sent on behalf of ALA President, Patty Wong
Dear Councilors,
The ALA Executive Board approved the "Rules & Guidelines for ALA Hybrid Council Meetings" (ALA CD#5.2, attached) for the 2022 Annual Conference in Washington, DC. Please review in advance of the practice session that will be held at the beginning of June, date and time will be announced. The rules will be for adoption for all hybrid Council meetings. When adopted these rules will govern the conduct of the meeting. Council agendas and documents will be uploaded to the website and ALA Connect in advance of the meetings.
Councilors participating in person or virtually must register for the 2022 Annual Conference, please visit: https://2022.alaannual.org/. And, for those unable to join us in Washington, DC, please register for the Digital Experience: https://2022.alaannual.org/digital-experience
A complete list of Governance Meetings can be found, here: https://www.ala.org/aboutala/ala-governance-meetings.
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Marsha P. Burgess
Council Secretariat
American Library Association
mburgess@ala.org(312) 280-3204
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