Original Message:
Sent: 5/26/2022 2:24:00 PM
From: John DeSantis
Subject: RE: Proposed Resolution on ALA Council Forum
I want to respond to some of the comments being made regarding the lack of time in Council sessions to discuss business. I've been on Council for 18 years and can tell those of you newer to Council that at 90% of the council meetings at Midwinter and Annual there was plenty of time over the three Council meetings to conduct business. Often one or more of the meetings would end early.
The reason that Council meetings have needed to be extended and that time is short to conduct business is because of the long involved discussions related to the SCOE proposals and the potential changes to ALA governance. It's my expectation that once Council can be done with these deliberations, normal Council business can resume and be accomplished within the time allotted for the three Council meetings at Annual and LibLearnX.
John DeSantis
Councilor-at-large
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John DeSantis
Interim Head of Metadata Services
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
he/him/his
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Original Message:
Sent: May 26, 2022 12:53 PM
From: Heather VanDyne
Subject: Proposed Resolution on ALA Council Forum
So I am nearly halfway through my term as a Chapter Councilor and I agree with others in that Council Forum has helped immensely with giving us who are new to the governance side of ALA a better understanding of what to expect and what we're voting on. It's a space where we can ask the "dumb" questions because Council sessions can be both intimidating and also hard to gauge whether you'll even get a chance to speak on bigger topics. There's a lot of things going on and meetings tend to go over because people have plenty to say and the discussion takes over.
I fully support having more Council meetings because it is easier to schedule quarterly 2-ish hour meetings virtually than to have to make arrangements because the 3-4 hour meeting is now being extended (and then extended again). In my opinion, it actually discourages open discussion because we fall so far behind schedule that at some point the ALA president or staff have to close the floor in order to either vote or move on to the other agenda items. I don't want to see my conference experience being dominated by meetings, which is what I'm afraid will happen if we don't either meet more frequently or keep the Council Forum. As much as I want to be there to represent my state and be a voice in creating positive change, the purpose of these conferences is professional development, where we can grow in librarianship and learn from one another. That would make it hard to do when half of your day is spent in sessions.
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Heather VanDyne
Online Learning Librarian
Fort Hays State University
She/Her/Hers
Original Message:
Sent: May 26, 2022 12:34 PM
From: Andrea Lapsley
Subject: Proposed Resolution on ALA Council Forum
I must admit that I find Council Forum helpful and a more relaxed atmosphere for debate. I also agree that even though Counci is scheduled for 10 hours during conference, that might not be enough time for debate on some very important issues. Instead of extending Council meetings, I would like to see Council meet virtually a couple of times throughout the year. That way it could incorporate the Forum discussions and be on record.
Andrea Lapsley
UFL Division Councilor
Original Message:
Sent: 5/25/2022 6:28:00 PM
From: Ann Symons
Subject: Proposed Resolution on ALA Council Forum
Proposed Resolution on ALA Council Forum
May 25, 2022
Dear Fellow Councilors,
At the end of April, I sent a message to Council expressing my concerns about Council Forum. I received some feedback in support of my concerns, but very little.
The discussion about Forum at the recent TAG meeting was very helpful and understanding the issues is a complex process that doesn't come easily when you are new on Council.
At that meeting I said I would be drafting a resolution to discontinue Council Forum. My draft is below.
Your feedback is appreciated and any Councilor is welcome to be a "seconder". Currently Sara Dallas, Councilor at Large, Eileen M. Palmer, New Jersey Chapter Councilor, and Peter Coyl, Councilor at Large, have agreed to second.
ALA Councilors are elected to conduct Council's business at regularly scheduled open meetings. Forum is an informal, non-required meeting that convenes generally three times at conference. This coming annual is particularly problematic in that Forum is virtual and the schedule makes it difficult for those who are in person in DC to participate, even if they wanted to.
While participation is optional, the times of Virtual Council Forum overlap or are at the same time as many events hosted by ALA's officers and affiliates to which ALA Councilors are invited.
Friday, June 24, 2022
- Council Forum I (Virtual)* @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 p.m. ET (Council attendance optional)
Saturday, June 25, 2022
- Council Orientation Session @ 9:00 am - 10:00 am ET (Council attendance suggested)
- ALA Information Session and Membership Meeting @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am ET (Council attendance suggested)
- Council I Meeting (Hybrid)* @ 2:30 pm - 5:00 pm ET (Council attendance required)
- Council Forum II (Virtual)* @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 p.m. ET (Council attendance optional)
Sunday, June 26, 2022
- Council II Meeting (Hybrid)*@ 9:00 am - 11:30 am ET (Council attendance required)
- Council Forum III (Virtual)* @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm ET (Council attendance optional)
In recent years, discussion on the floor of Council has significantly decreased, and I believe that is because Councilors are using Forum to debate items on the Council agenda. Email traffic on our Council list, once an important tool for preparing for Council that also is viewable to all members, has also almost disappeared.
"We discussed X at Forum last night" has become the "mantra". Observers at Council are left a little mystified that matters that seemed to warrant debate are quickly voted through because debate had taken place outside of Council chambers. It becomes a disservice to members at large and to Councilors who cannot go or do not wish to go to Forum.
ALA Committee Chairs are asked to come to Council Forum to answer questions. This work should be done openly on the floor of Council.
Finally, we are using ALA funds and human resources to provide meeting room space and equipment for these informal gatherings, both Council Forum and Council Caucus'. Improving the accessibility of Forum and Council Caucus' would require even more investment of ALA resources.
ALA has had a longtime commitment to open and inclusive meetings and I believe that Council needs to abide by its own standards.
Resolution to Discontinue ALA Council Forum
Whereas ALA Councilors are elected to conduct Council's business at regularly scheduled open meetings, and
Whereas ALA Policy A.1.4 states that ALA is committed to "[an] open, inclusive, and collaborative environment"; and
Whereas, ALA Policy 4.3.16 states that "All activities of the committees, boards, etc. of the American Library Association and its units should be conducted as openly as is feasible," and
Whereas, ALA Policy 7.4.4, "Open Meetings," reiterates this principle of openness, and
Whereas, in recent years, Council Forum, an informal and nonrequired gathering of ALA Councilors which some but not all Councilors attend, has begun exhibiting the attributes of regular meetings of Council, including debate of items on the Council agenda, and
Whereas, more discussion can and needs to happen in ALA Connect which allows year-round access for all councilors and can be read by all ALA members. Comments, documents, discussions become permanent and helpful to refer to in future years,
Whereas, debate of motions on the floor of Council has significantly decreased in recent years, and
Whereas, discussions in Council are often limited due to insufficient time, Council meetings should be re-structured in ways to allow for the vigorous debate required for Council to act of resolutions that come before it.
Whereas, ALA has in recent years provided meeting room space and equipment for Council Forum, using ALA funds and human resources for these informal gatherings, and
Whereas, ensuring fully accessible Council Forums would require more investment of resources in these extralegal meetings,
Therefore, be it resolved, THAT COUNCIL DISCONTINUE THE PRACTICE OF HOLDING COUNCIL FORUMS OUTSIDE OF REGULARLY SCHEDULED OPEN COUNCIL MEETINGS.
Moved by: Ann K. Symons, Councilor-at-Large
Seconded by: Sara Dallas, Councilor-at-Large, Eileen M. Palmer, New Jersey Chapter Councilor, Peter Coyl, Councilor-at-Large
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Ann Symons
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