Why shouldn't you have to say it? It seems much more productive to just come out and say what you actually mean.
Perhaps there was a time when ALA Council was willing to ask ALA staff (and round table member leaders) to rip up months of work at the last minute and start again because it had changed its mind about a decision it had just made mere months before. If there was, that time is now past. And honestly, good riddance! If that was how council used to operate I'm not at all surprised there were so many people who wanted it disbanded.
If this change is really so disastrous there will undoubtably be more discussions and probably more votes. But if we don't even try to implement the changes, and instead demand - in true SRRT fashion - that everything be kept exactly the same, nobody will listen to us. And why should they? Trying to overturn this in January will only be pointless, it will backfire. In the debate we'll hear from some who are wholly behind the change and definitely don't want it overturned for any reason, of course. But we'll also hear from people who don't feel all that strongly one way or another about the change itself, who could be persuaded, but who will (rightly!) have serious concerns about the burden on staff of making another change so late in the game, and the (ironic!) lack of respect for democracy that we would be showing by demanding an immediate re-vote rather than even trying to work with the new ballot policy, for one single year. And after losing two debates in a row? Nobody is going to even want to sit through a third, let alone be persuaded by any arguments presented in it.
When we fixate on getting any change we don't like immediately undone we miss our chance to influence work that is going to go on with or without us. If we want to show actual respect for democracy at ALA, we won't waste our limited time at Tuesday's meeting railing about this change. We'll work together, give it a try, and if it really, genuinely doesn't work, all the round tables can put their heads together and start working on a new proposal for annual. That's democracy.
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Tara Brady
Queens Public Library
She/Her/Hers
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Original Message:
Sent: Sep 22, 2025 08:37 PM
From: Al Kagan
Subject: Agenda for September 24, 2025 Action Council Meeting
I should not have to say this, but in the past the ALA staff has always accommodated whatever the ALA Council decided at the Mid-winter meetings. Ballots can be changed, or even delayed if absolutely necessary.
Al
Original Message:
Sent: 9/22/2025 7:48:00 PM
From: Tara Brady
Subject: RE: Agenda for September 24, 2025 Action Council Meeting
No, as far as I'm aware they are still scheduled in late January, after the spring ballots have been finalized, as I just said in my previous post.
Original Message:
Sent: 9/22/2025 7:22:00 PM
From: Al Kagan
Subject: RE: Agenda for September 24, 2025 Action Council Meeting
As far as I know, nobody has suggested canceling the January ALA Council meetings.
Al
Original Message:
Sent: 9/22/2025 6:47:00 PM
From: Tara Brady
Subject: RE: Agenda for September 24, 2025 Action Council Meeting
Thanks as always, Rachel and Olivia, for your time, work and patience.
For what it's worth, regardless of how any members of action council might feel about the change, at this point it
is going to be in effect for the spring ballot, because the next opportunity to even attempt to reverse the new policy will be at the next regular council meeting in late January when the spring ballots will have already been finalized.
In light of that we should be prioritizing preparation for the spring ballot with the new rules in effect over attempts to get the change reversed. This will also give us an opportunity over the next several months to see what other round tables are doing and for RTCA to collect any feedback from round table leadership on their experiences in implementing the new ballot rules before any further changes are considered.
Original Message:
Sent: 9/22/2025 4:40:00 PM
From: Rachel Rosekind
Subject: RE: Agenda for September 24, 2025 Action Council Meeting
Please excuse my previous message - as it indicates, it was intended for Olivia, but I am indeed constrained and confused by this. Of course everyone is free to attend the meetings and have a chance to speak. Olivia and I are not intending to block or propose any specific action but eager to hear what others think and facilitate mobilization as consensus and folks determine is necessary. As others have commented on the thread over the weekend, there are many ways that SRRT Action Council can form and re-form, and we can hash that out within spaces outside of AC, since many of us are also navigating work commitments and pressing community needs and may not have the same level of time and bandwidth to meet as others in this body do. Thanks,
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Rachel Rosekind
Educator, Editor, Writer, Activist, Library Commissioner
Write You Are / Contra Costa Library Commission
Original Message:
Sent: Sep 22, 2025 03:36 PM
From: Rachel Rosekind
Subject: Agenda for September 24, 2025 Action Council Meeting
Thanks, Olivia. Your reply was great on my end, but obviously there is a storm brewing. Just saw Patricia's comment/ask. TBH I'm exhausted by this; we received word late last week that a likely raid is coming to our county within next couple weeks, so have been in a ton of meetings and stress points. Not sure how to respond at this point to Connect thread. Thanks and sorry!
Rachel Rosekind, PhD, MLIS
Editing | Research & Consulting | Communications | Teaching & Mentorship | Admissions
Community is not something we have. It's something we do. -Grace Lee Boggs
You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time. -Angela Davis
There's no single answer that will solve all of our future problems. There's no magic bullet. Instead, there are thousands of answers–at least. You can be one of them if you choose to be. -Octavia Butler
I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.-Richard P. Feynman
Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it. -Hannah Arendt
Original Message:
Sent: 9/22/2025 2:12:00 PM
From: Patricia Schuman
Subject: RE: Agenda for September 24, 2025 Action Council Meeting
FYI i was a founder of SRRT, the first elected SRRT coordinator, an ALA past- Treasurer and past- President, and an ALA Honorary Member.
Sent from my iPad
Original Message:
Sent: 9/22/2025 2:06:00 PM
From: Patricia Schuman
Subject: RE: Agenda for September 24, 2025 Action Council Meeting
I respectfully request that you recognize me to speak briefly on the following agenda item:
Update: RTCA Update/Elections (Olivia Blake; Sheryl Reyes, ALA Director of Governance, will be on hand to answer questions as needed)
Original Message:
Sent: 9/22/2025 10:09:00 AM
From: Rachel Rosekind
Subject: Agenda for September 24, 2025 Action Council Meeting
The agenda for Wednesday's Action Council meeting is attached to this message. Please note that this meeting will be recorded, per members' request. We look forward to seeing you! Thanks, Rachel Rosekind & Olivia Blake
Wednesday, September 24, 2025
1:00 PM Atlantic / 1:00 PM Eastern / 12:00 PM Central / 11:00 AM Mountain / 10:00 AM Pacific
Zoom link: https://ala-events.zoom.us/j/92824817093?pwd=GPWSfrhoIYQ7QUXZqHPMmMVjc7a5jV.1
Meeting ID: 928 2481 7093
Passcode: 650734
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Rachel Rosekind
Educator, Editor, Writer, Activist, Library Commissioner
Write You Are / Contra Costa Library Commission
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