GODORT (Government Documents Round Table)

To all GODORT members:

The Steering Committee wants to bring to your attention the ALA Executive Board's recent statement in response to a number of reports of racialized aggression and harassment at the Midwinter Meeting, including a highly public incident that took place at the Council Forum meeting on Monday, January 28^th.

We want to affirm that violations to the letter or spirit of the ALA Statement of Appropriate Conduct and Strategic Direction: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion are antithetical to our values as an organization, whether those violations happen at conferences or online venues. We look forward to improvements in the reporting process to make our Code of Conduct stronger and more effective. GODORT leadership stands ready to assist those who have experienced violations (or to listen, if appropriate) however we can.

We agree that as GODORT members we should hold ourselves, members of our communities, and our organizations responsible when we do not meet our stated expectations of inclusiveness. We must acknowledge when we have failed, apologize when we are wrong, and hold each other accountable for our actions. We need to do so clearly and without minimizing the pain and trauma these incidents have on people who experience racist, sexist, and other discriminatory behaviors routinely, both in professional settings and in everyday life. The learning from these events must be intentional; the consequences go beyond our institutions and our associations to how we treat each other as individuals and as a whole. 

Principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion should be embedded in GODORT's work as much as any organization within ALA. To that end, an ad hoc committee was formed in July 2018 to develop an action plan for GODORT to improve how we work together and where we should focus our collective efforts. A draft statement will be circulated to members for input and feedback in the coming weeks.

If you have any immediate questions or concerns, please contact any or all of the following GODORT Executive Committee members:

• Hallie Pritchett, Chair (pritchett@ndsu.edu)
• Susanne Caro, Chair-Elect (caro@ndsu.edu)
• Shari Laster, Immediate Past-Chair (laster@gmail.com)
• Bill Sudduth, Councilor (SUDDUTHW@mailbox.sc.edu)

The Steering Committee welcomes responses to this statement, and suggestions for ways in which GODORT can become a better place for our members. Please send to GODORT Chair Hallie Pritchett, who will share with Steering.