SRRT (Social Responsibilities Round Table)

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The Social Responsibilities Round Table works to make ALA more democratic and to establish progressive priorities not only for the Association, but also for the entire profession. Concern for human and economic rights was an important element in the founding of SRRT and remains an urgent concern today. SRRT believes that libraries and librarians must recognize and help solve social problems and inequities in order to carry out their mandate to work for the common good and bolster democracy.

Learn more about SRRT on the ALA website.

  • 1.  SRRT Statement on Meeting in Texas

    Posted Sep 03, 2021 07:32 AM
    Edited by Sherre Harrington Sep 03, 2021 07:37 AM
    Good morning, everyone!

    SRRT Action Council has approved the following Statement on Meeting in Texas. We've shared the statement with ALA President Patty Wong and other members of the ALA Executive Board this morning. Thanks to Action Council for moving on this very quickly. I'm sure all of us will be happy to answer any questions.

    Warm regards,
    Sherre L. Harrington
    SRRT Action Council Coordinator

    Social Responsibilities Round Table Statement on Meeting in Texas


    The ALA Social Responsibilities Round Table calls on ALA leadership to take action in support of our shared values of social responsibilities, racial and social justice, and democracy, as well as safeguarding the health and safety of the ALA membership and LIS community by cancelling the in-person LibLearnX meeting in January 2022 in San Antonio, Texas.

    The state of Texas has recently passed the historically most restrictive law concerning access to abortions, and the most restrictive voting rights law in the nation.

    In May, Texas passed Senate Bill 8, restricting abortions after 6 weeks and actively incentivizing lawsuits against those who provide abortions. The United Nations Human Rights Council has declared that S.B. 8 "endangers women with unprecedented obstacles to safe abortion." Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor has called the Texas law an "unconstitutional law engineered to prohibit women from exercising their constitutional rights."

    In addition, Texas has passed S.B. 1, titled An Act Relating to Election Integrity and Security. This bill is widely recognized as a voting suppression measure. MOVE Texas has called this law "an undemocratic attack on the freedom to vote" while Texas Senator Carol Alvarado has called it a "threat to democracy everywhere."

    Both of these laws are a threat to our democracy. By holding LLX in San Antonio in 2022, ALA will in effect endorse these anti-democratic laws. ALA has long been a proponent of women's and voting rights, including the 1971 resolution on Equal Opportunity for Women in Librarianship, the 1974 resolution on Support for the Equal Rights Amendment, and the 2012 resolution against voter suppression in America. We note the precedent when ALA moved its 1979 Midwinter Meeting from Chicago to Washington, DC because Illinois had not ratified ERA.

    Further, due to the current tragic wave of Covid-19, we advise that holding the in-person LibLearnX meeting unnecessarily risks the health and safety of conference attendees and ALA staff as well as the staff of the venues that support the in-person event.

    We ask the ALA Executive Board to move expeditiously to convert the scheduled San Antonio 2022 LibLearnX meeting from in-person to virtual.

    Passed by SRRT Action Council September 2, 2021
    Endorsed by the Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship September 2, 2021

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    Sherre Harrington
    SRRT Coordinator
    She/Her/Hers
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  • 2.  RE: SRRT Statement on Meeting in Texas

    Posted Sep 04, 2021 04:01 PM
    Thank you for this.

    Jeremy Brett, Texas librarian





  • 3.  RE: SRRT Statement on Meeting in Texas

    Posted Sep 04, 2021 08:56 PM
    I appreciate the statement as well.

    Thank you!

    Annette

    Annette Y Goldsmith, PhD (she/her)
    Part-time Faculty, Kent State iSchool; Librarian, Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel, Los Angeles
     
    "A book is like a world you can carry around with you." Liniers



    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: SRRT Statement on Meeting in Texas

    Posted Sep 06, 2021 08:13 PM
    I suggest that Tara send our statement to the ALA Council, and also forward Michael Gorman's message. and any further endorsements that will likely come through.
    Al

    On Sep 6, 2021, at 4:43 AM, Michael Gorman via Progressivelibrariansguild <progressivelibrariansguild@lists.sonic.net> wrote:

    I think ALA should issue a strong statement in opposition to these appalling Texas laws on behalf of all the members of ALA stating their opposition in straightforward terms and supporting the members of the TLA in any struggle against the far-right and unconstitutional enforcement of childbirth on poor women and far-reaching restrictions on the right to vote,  I would not attend any ALA meeting in Texas that was not dedicated to protest against these attacks on the poor, the young, and minorities.  (For another reason too--I don't like to see jackasses swaggering around n public with guns like so many penny-ante John Waynes.)  Michael
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    Michael Gorman
    525 W. Superior, #225
    Chicago, Illinois 60654

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    312-475-0857

                              
    _______________________________________________
    Progressivelibrariansguild mailing list
    Progressivelibrariansguild@lists.sonic.net
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: SRRT Statement on Meeting in Texas

    Posted Sep 06, 2021 08:18 PM
    I agree with Al why isn't ALA speaking out on this. Speaking as a personal member, there is no way I'm going to Texas.
    Charles

    Sent from my iPhone



    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: SRRT Statement on Meeting in Texas

    Posted Sep 06, 2021 04:50 AM
    I think ALA should issue a strong statement in opposition to these appalling Texas laws on behalf of all the members of ALA stating their opposition in straightforward terms and supporting the members of the TLA in any struggle against the far-right and unconstitutional enforcement of childbirth on poor women and far-reaching restrictions on the right to vote,  I would not attend any ALA meeting in Texas that was not dedicated to protest against these attacks on the poor, the young, and minorities.  (For another reason too--I don't like to see jackasses swaggering around n public with guns like so many penny-ante John Waynes.)  Michael

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    Michael Gorman
    Chicago, Illinois
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  • 7.  RE: SRRT Statement on Meeting in Texas

    Posted Sep 06, 2021 09:08 PM

    As much as I was looking forward to meeting all of you in-person (this conference would have been my first in-person library conference), I fully support this motion.  As a Texan, thank you for standing up and backing those of us in Texas who do not support the actions of our state legislature and governor.  



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    Alicia Deal
    Student
    Texas Woman's UniversitySchool of Library and Information Science
    She/Her/Hers
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