Dear SRRT and SRRT-AC Members,
Below are my draft minutes for last week's meeting. Am also attaching a PDF if that is more convenient. I'm figuring out how Connect works, so hope that this message gets routed to the SRRT-AC Connect also. Someone please let me know if it doesn't. Also, please send any corrections, additions, deletions, etc. to my email address eharger@drizzle.com. Thanks so much!
All best,
Elaine
SRRT Action Council Meeting
24 September 2025 - via Zoom
DRAFT MINUTES
AC MEMBER ATTENDEES: Olivia Blake (MIL/Cochair), Rachel Rosekind (MIL/Cochair), Al Kagan (MIL), Derek Wilmott (MIL/Treasurer), Ian Bogus (MIL), Don Michael (MIL), Tara Brady (SRRT Councilor), Charles Kratz (MIL), Elaine Harger (MIL/acting secretary), Kristina Shiroma (EJTF rep), Julie Winkelstein (HHPTF rep), LaJuan Pringle (MLKTF rep), Mark Rosenzweig (IRTF rep).
GUESTS: Mike Marlin, Katharine Phenix, Mark Hudson, Pat Schuman (SRRT founding member, past ALA Treasurer and President), Sheryl Reyes (ALA Director of Governance), K.C. Boyd (ALA Executive Board Liaison), Lisa Gieskes, Hillary Pearson (ALA ODLOS Liaison), Kayla Kuni, Aaron M. Wilson, and the anonymous "Zoom User."
12:04pm Central meeting convened
Olivia (co-chair) - Asked if someone was willing to act as secretary. Elaine Harger volunteered. Olivia opened the meeting with requests that (1) everyone put on their parliamentarian hat; (2) add to their name tag on Zoom to reflect being a voting AC member; (3) remember that Roberts Rules of Order are in use; (4) limit comments to 2 minutes; (5) use raised hand feature.
BUSINESS ITEM #1: Agenda
MOTION - Al Kagan moved to reinstate as originally intended as a discussion item the first item of business re AC elections. Mark Rosenzweig seconded.
DISCUSSION - Considerable discussion and confusion due in part to the fact that the agenda was changed shortly before the meeting began.
VOTE - 3 yes, 5 no, 3 abstain - FAILED
MOTION - Tara Brady moved to approve the agenda as written. Rachel Rosekind seconded.
DISCUSSION - none
VOTE - 12 yes, 0 no; 0 abstain - APPROVED
BUSINESS ITEM #2: Minutes
MOTION - Tara Brady moved to approve minutes from last meeting. Don Michael seconded.
DISCUSSION - Minutes amended to state that Katharine Phenix walked out of the meeting in protest.
VOTE - 9 yes; 0 no; 3 abstain - APPROVED as amended
BUSINESS ITEM #3: RTCA Update / Elections Update
OVERVIEW: Olivia Blake provided an overview of the Executive Board's recommendation concerning Round Table elections. The positions that will appear on ballots will be: chair, treasurer secretary and ALA councilor. EB's rationale was to streamline election process, and remove burden of diverse RT elections from ALA staff.
DISCUSSION: Pat Schuman shared that an EB member informed her that no research on budgetary impact was done, and asked if that was true. Sheryl Reyes replied in the affirmative. Mike Marlin asked then what was the rationale for making this change Sheryl Reyes replied that no positions in RTs are being eliminated, they just are not elected, but appointed. The reasons are outlined in CD Document 55. Current RT processes for elections vary, and the EB wanted to standardize the election process. Kristina Shiroma asked if RTs could use ALA election system to run elections? Sheryl replied with an example from ACRL noting that it has sections and that elections occur for the sections. Elaine Harger asked about the lack of research into cost savings and why RTs were not informed of this EB recommendation to ALA Council. Olivia replied that in the summer RTCA was, in fact, informed, and speculated that RTCA input was responsible for the position of secretary being restored to the election process. Pat Schuman asked whether or not the EB recommendation went through COO. Sheryl replied no, but that the EB can bring any matter to Council. Julie Winkelstein noted that this development gives ALA an "homogenous look" and wondered why that is a good thing, and why can't ALA units be different. Mike Marlin asked if SRRT can continue to call the "chair" of SRRT a coordinator. Sheryl replied that since chair and coordinator serve the same function, SRRT now has the opportunity to review the terms used for positions. Olivia thanked to Sheryl Reyes for attending the meeting and responding to questions.
BUSINESS ITEM #4: Elections/Ballot Discussion
DISCUSSION: Olivia opened the discussion by reminding everyone of the two minute limit for speaking, and that when one has spoken they cannot speak again until after everyone else has had an opportunity. Pat Schuman read a statement (see attached). Tara Brady noted that she did not believe ALA Council would reverse its vote, and if SRRT attempted to reverse it, we would lose on a 2nd vote. She noted also that any bylaws/rules changes would not be onerous. Julie Winkelstein asked for clarification, to which Tara replied that most AC positions in recent years have been unopposed during elections and that the number of positions that would be elected are the same number under the previous election process, just with different names. Mark Hudson noted that SRRT has always been told to go through proper procedures and committees, but now that doesn't seem to be the case.
MOTION - Elaine Harger moved that SRRT-AC ask the Executive Board to (1) defer implementation on Motion 4 of CD#55 to the ALA annual conference in June; (2) request now that each round table assess the impact of these changes on its function and membership; and (3) that these assessments be referred to COO for a recommendation for ALA Council action. Mark Rosenzweig seconded.
DISCUSSION - Ian Bogus noted that some people are saying there is no cost savings, while others say there was no in depth study regarding costs. So, we don't really know if there is cost difference, and there might be large savings.
Katharine Phenix said that SRRT is not the only RT concerned, as she knows one RT chair who has resigned because of this move. Fourteen other RTs have elected governing board positions that will be impacted. Pat Schuman said that the reason she ran for treasurer was that cost savings were often used as an excuse/justification to do things, but that should always be questioned.
VOTE - yes 8; no 0; abstain 3 - APPROVED
IMPLEMENTATION - Olivia asked Elaine, as the mover of the motion, if she would chair a small committee to implement this motion. Elaine agreed. Tara suggested the committee return to AC at November's meeting with a plan for implementation. To which Elaine replied that the committee would simply communicate the motion to the EB, and send messages to RT chairs informing them of SRRT's action, and noted there should be no need to wait until Nov SRRT-AC to do this. Tara asked if AC wanted to proceed to action Olivia and Rachel proposed earlier in the week to set up a working group to figure out how to implement changes required by the Council decision. Rachel replied that if SRRT gets a positive response from EB to the motion just passed, further steps can be put on hold. Rachel requested that the small committee just established send info regarding the motion to RTCA.
MOTION - Rachel moved, given shortness of time remaining, to amend the agenda to discuss now the program assessment review, and to defer regrounding our shared values discussion to the next AC meeting. Derek Wilmott seconds.
VOTE - 12 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain - APPROVED
BUSINESS ITEM #5: SRRT Program Assessment Review
Hillary Pearson (ALA ODLOS Liaison) provided the rationale for ALA's decision to "score" proposals for programs. Rachel noted that Hillary's input, working with herself and Olivia, identified areas of SRRT's mission and activity that should be "paused or sunset"; "reviewed for retention"; and "preserved and invest." SRRT-AC input is needed by end of September, in a few days.
DISCUSSION: Hillary emphasized that this is a DRAFT statement, and an important opportunity for SRRT-AC review. Al raised two concerns regarding "pause or sunset" the Herb Biblo award. He noted that SRRT approved the award, ALA awards committee did also, and that funds were already raised posing no financial problem. He believes that pausing this award is ridiculous. Secondly, he wondered why the IRTF chosen to be "reviewed" noting it is very active, for many years, and there should be no reason to think of getting rid of it. Olivia clarified that the idea is not to eliminate, but to review. Rachel emphasized that the intent is not to be restrictive, but review in an effort to better communicate to new members about SRRT projects, to level the playing field of knowledge and involvement. Mark Rosenzweig asked who made the analysis. Olivia replied that it was Hillary, Rachel and Olivia. Derek asked, given this is a draft, where do we send our comments and recommendations? Olivia will start conversation on Connect. Hillary echoed Rachel's direction to use Connect to communicate, and noted that comments and recommendations will go to COO and the Awards Committee after EB review.
2:32pm Central meeting adjourned
Draft minutes submitted by Elaine Harger, 25 Sept. 2025
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Elaine Harger
Librarian (retired)
She/Her/Hers, we/all
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