SRRT (Social Responsibilities Round Table)

Defense of the International Responsibilities Task Force (IRTF)

The International Responsibilities Task Force has been, and must remain, a vital part of SRRT. From its founding, SRRT has recognized that the social responsibilities of librarianship do not stop at national borders. Information freedom, human rights, peace, and global solidarity are international issues, and librarians in the United States cannot responsibly claim to serve the public good while ignoring U.S. foreign policy, global inequalities, or the struggles of librarians and communities abroad.

The Program Assessment Overview suggests that the IRTF's distinctiveness is questionable because other ALA units-such as the International Relations Round Table or the International Relations Committee-also address "international issues." But this is precisely the point of IRTF's existence: where those other groups focus on professional exchange, diplomacy, or institutional relations, IRTF brings a justice-centered and political perspective. We address the ethical responsibilities of librarians in relation to war, colonialism, censorship, international solidarity, and global human rights. No other ALA unit does this work, and to fold IRTF into bureaucratic structures that avoid politics would be to erase its distinctiveness entirely.

The criteria used in the assessment-financial sustainability, staff effort, "alignment with strategic priorities"-are especially ill-suited for judging IRTF. Its value cannot be measured by budget cycles or consultant rubrics. Its value lies in its willingness to stand with librarians under repression, to challenge ALA when it has remained silent about U.S. wars and interventions, and to connect our profession to broader struggles for peace and justice worldwide. That role is not duplicative; it is unique.

IRTF has consistently brought forward resolutions, programs, and information resources that highlight issues other units will not touch. From opposing apartheid to resisting wars of aggression, from standing with Palestinian librarians to defending global freedom of expression, IRTF has shown that the library profession's responsibilities are inseparable from international solidarity. To dismiss or weaken IRTF would not only diminish SRRT, but also diminish ALA's credibility as an organization that claims to uphold intellectual freedom and human rights.

The fact that task forces are evaluated by whether they meet twice a year, file minutes, or maintain websites misses the essence of IRTF's work. This is not a bureaucratic service committee but a political and ethical working group. Its continued existence signals that ALA understands librarianship as an internationalist profession bound by responsibilities that transcend borders.

We therefore reject any suggestion that IRTF be discontinued, merged, or "reimagined" out of existence. Instead, we call on ALA to recognize IRTF as essential to the conscience of the Association-distinct, irreplaceable, and truer than ever to SRRT's founding mandate.

Mark Rosenzweig
SRRTAC/IRTF rep 

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Mark Rosenzweig
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Thanks, Mark for this cogent defense of the work IRTF has done and continues to do, and thanks also to Pat Schuman for her eloquent defense of member-driven democracy in ALA. Many SRRT members, especially newer ones, may not be fully aware of the all the programs and resources IRTF has presented over the years. If you're interested, please visit our website at https://www.ala.org/srrt/irtf and find out more about us. Here's a list of events we've sponsored or co-sponsored since 2019 (with a hiatus between 2020 and 2023 because of the Covid pandemic):

"The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: Challenging Disinformation and Efforts to Silence Debate/Discussion" (May 2024)
"Dialogue with Palestinian & Israeli Jewish Peace Activists" (April 2024)
"US-Iran Relations in the Biden Era" with Trita Parsi" (June 2023)
"Native American Treaty Rights in the Time of Covid-19" (June 2020)
"Libraries in Gaza: Between Despair and Hope" with Mosab Abu Toha (January 2020)
"Subverting Other People's Elections: History and Resources" with Stephen Kinzer (2019)
"War Dangers Rising: Trump Foreign Policy & Lack Thereof" with Phyllis Bennis from the Institute for Policy Studies at SRRT's 50th Anniversary Party in Washington DC (2019)

And here's a list of topics we've addressed in recent years, with links to resources:

Free Speech Issues https://www.ala.org/srrt/irtf/free-speech-issues
Global Climate Change https://www.ala.org/srrt/irtf/global-climate-change
Iran https://www.ala.org/srrt/irtf/iran-reading-list
Native American Rights https://www.ala.org/srrt/irtf/native-american-rights
Palestinian Libraries https://www.ala.org/srrt/irtf/palestinian-libraries
US Foreign Policy https://www.ala.org/srrt/irtf/us-foreign-policy
Whistleblowers and Mass Government Surveillance https://www.ala.org/srrt/irtf/whistleblowers-and-mass-government-surveillance

For a complete list of SRRT international programs going back to 1983, visit https://www.ala.org/srrt/irtf/international-programs-and-demonstrations.

As Mark R. has said, "IRTF brings a justice-centered and political perspective. We address the ethical responsibilities of librarians in relation to war, colonialism, censorship, international solidarity, and global human rights. No other ALA unit does this work, and to fold IRTF into bureaucratic structures that avoid politics would be to erase its distinctiveness entirely."

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Mark Hudson
Co-chair, SRRT International Responsibilities Task Force (IRTF)
Pittsburgh, PA, US
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