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.  Advocacy Now!

    Posted Jun 23, 2021 10:20 PM
      |   view attached
    An Open Letter to ALA Leaders and Members

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    Patricia Schuman
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  • 2.  RE: Advocacy Now!

    Posted Jun 24, 2021 07:22 AM
    Thank you Pat and Richard.

    I saw where you also posted the letter on the Library Think Tank Facebook Group and there's some really interesting discussions about ALA. I do recommend Action Council read the discussion if possible: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ALAthinkTANK/permalink/5679783885427718/



    April



    Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S10, an AT&T 5G Evolution capable smartphone


    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Advocacy Now!

    Posted Jun 24, 2021 09:09 AM
    Thanks, April. I had seen the beginning of the conversation at LTT but hadn't gone back until just now. Clear common threads - ALA doesn't advocate for/is unresponsive to library worker needs/well-being (fair pay & COVID protections being mentioned most often), consequently the cost of membership/conference attendance simply isn't worth it, even for folks for whom the cost isn't a stretch. And for many commentors, the cost is a big stretch, so they need to see real value (and perhaps less cost). This is consistent with our experience of the organization not actively advocating even for issues it has officially endorsed. Pushing ALA on some of the issues in the LTT discussion is clearly aligned with SRRT's mission & we have a strong record of success.  I think it'll be important to continue to some degree to provide opportunities for connection with SRRT that don't require ALA membership.

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    Sherre Harrington
    She/Her/Hers
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Advocacy Now!

    Posted Jun 24, 2021 09:33 AM
    Totally agree. We have our SRRT Connect set to public so non-ALA members can participate. But when I just tested it out with a new account, I can't access it. After Annual, we can contact someone to look into this for us. Once we have the rest of our meetings scheduled for the year, I'd like to post the meetings and a link to our SRRT Connect in the Library Think Tank page. We can also post about the Afternoon of Social Justice Event as soon as we get that page live. I'd really like this to be a free, annual event - maybe even eventually a twice-a-year event.

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    April Sheppard
    Assistant Library Director
    Arkansas State University
    She/They/Hers/Theirs
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Advocacy Now!

    Posted Jun 24, 2021 10:34 AM
    I also agree. This might be a good theme for an issue of the SRRT newsletter. Julie

    Julie Ann Winkelstein, PhD, MLIS
    Librarian, writer, teacher, activist
    Editor, ALA Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) newsletter
    jwinkels@utk.edu


    My pronouns are she, her, hers



    Original Message