SRRT (Social Responsibilities Round Table)

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last person joined: 2 days ago 

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.  How Can SRRT (and ALA) Help Those in States That Penalize or Prevent ALA Involvement?

    Posted 13 days ago
    SRRT Members,

    At the last SRRT Action Council meeting, we discussed the rise in state legislation and bills that either penalize ALA involvement or make it difficult for librarians to be involved (such as preventing public funding from being spent). We discussed the possibility of avoiding such states for conferences as well as ways we could help build solidarity with library workers in these states. In the end, we thought it best to hear from our membership about what support you need. 

    For example, we value ALA's role in professional development and information-sharing. We are interested in ways that SRRT could help library workers remain connected to these functions in situations where membership, conference participation, resource purchasing, etc., are inaccessible. These could be things SRRT can do autonomously as a round table, or things we can advocate for as part of the larger Association. For instance, when we successfully championed for virtual access to membership and governance meetings.

    If you live or work in a state that has taken anti-ALA action, or in a state that will likely do so soon, we'd like to hear from you. Please feel free to respond to this message on Connect or you can contact Charles and/or April privately.


    April & Charles


    --

    Please know that I honor and respect boundaries around personal time, well-being, caretaking, and time off. My work hours may be different than yours. Should you receive emails from me during a time that you're engaging in any of the above, please protect your time and wait to respond until you're working.


  • 2.  RE: How Can SRRT (and ALA) Help Those in States That Penalize or Prevent ALA Involvement?

    Posted 12 days ago
      |   view attached
    One of the most effective ways to influence anti-ALA legislation is through members of your state senate or house. I have attached the spreadsheet I used to contact house members here in Georgia when we were fighting SB390. Using email is a great way to keep a record and encourage transparency among our representatives.

    Another helpful thing is to talk with people in your state responsible for librarian certification and leaders of accredited MLIS programs. In Georgia, that is Linda Most.  <lrmost@valdosta.edu>

    Finally, start early before legislative sessions by being a strong voice in your community. If you are a student in MLIS program, you have greater protections than if you already out working for Georgia state, such as academic librarians. Different legislation will impact different kinds of librarians differently.

    If you are interested in public libraries and social justice, a IMLS sponsored research is going on right now (I loved it):

    1.Civic Engagement for Racial Justice in Public Libraries (RJ@PL). Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Leadership Grants for Libraries (NLG-L)– FY 2022 Guidelines (Implementation – Project Type), August 2022 – July 2025 (University of Alabama and Chicago State University) [PI: B. Mehra. Co-PI: K. Black]. [LG-252354-OLS-22]. https://www.imls.gov/grants/awarded/lg-252354-ols-22.

    Project website: http://civicengagement4racialjustice.ua.edu.

    2. Training of Community-Embedded Social Justice Archivists (SJ4A). Institute of Museum and Library Services, Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program – FY 2022 Guidelines (LB21) (Implementation – Project Type), August 2022 – July 2025 (University of Alabama) [PI: B. Mehra. Co-PI: R. Riter]. [RE-252356-OLS-22]. https://www.imls.gov/grants/awarded/re-252356-ols-22.

    Project website: http://socialjusticearchivists-sj4a.ua.edu/.

    3. Libraries Count: Co-Developing a Professional Learning Program to Build Capacity of Library Staff to Support Diverse Young Children and their Families in Math.Institute of Museum and Library Services, Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program – FY 2022 Guidelines (LB21) (Research), August 2022 – July 2025 (East Tennessee State University and University of Alabama) [PI: A. Lange. Co-PI: B. Mehra]. https://www.imls.gov/grants/awarded/re-252310-ols-22. 

     





    Attachment(s)

    xlsx
    house at ga.xlsx   11 KB 1 version
    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: How Can SRRT (and ALA) Help Those in States That Penalize or Prevent ALA Involvement?

    Posted 12 days ago
      |   view attached
    Hello April, Charles, and all, 

    I am new to this RT, but I wanted to point out a related ALA-APA webinar I am helping to plan called Empowering Library Workers: Navigating Unionization in Challenging Environments. I also attached the graphic for it below. 

    Thank you!

    -Malana Krongelb



    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: How Can SRRT (and ALA) Help Those in States That Penalize or Prevent ALA Involvement?

    Posted 11 days ago
    Thank you Malana and Rebekah!

    I'll also chime in. Arkansas hasn't passed anti-ALA legislation yet, but is heavily expected to. Due to low salaries, ALA involvement is already difficult for a lot of library workers here. I'm looking at a job posting right now that's offering $15 an hour, bachelor degree required, MLS preferred. If we lose the availability to spend public funds on anything related to ALA, it's just going to be a handful of academics left to participate unless there's some sort of intervention.

    One big help will be to keep as many things free online as possible, such as meetings, programs, and resources. Depending on how these laws are implemented, it could even be difficult for library workers to participate online from within their own libraries. So, we'll need to make sure programs are recorded. Most importantly, we need to find a way to make sure these library workers don't feel isolated. Whether that's more discussion on Connect, a new Connect Community or Facebook group, or online resources; I don't know. All I know is that the most impactful resource us Arkansas librarians have had has been each other.


    April

    --
    April Sheppard
    banhatenotbooks@gmail.com

    Please know that I honor and respect boundaries around personal time, well-being, caretaking, and time off. My work hours may be different than yours. Should you receive emails from me during a time that you're engaging in any of the above, please protect your time and wait to respond until you're working.



    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: How Can SRRT (and ALA) Help Those in States That Penalize or Prevent ALA Involvement?

    Posted 9 days ago
    GLA suggests getting in touch with our Advocacy Division if SRRT needs guidance on our legislative advocacy success here in Georgia. :) <advocacy@georgialibraryassociation.org>

    I attended the quarterly GLA board meeting yesterday, and it was packed full of information. They reiterated the fact, that sometimes, state employees have a hard time vocally speaking out on state legislative issues. I remind people that students are much more protected with free speech issues.

    Hi Rebekah,


    The best way to reach out related to this would be to reach out to the Advocacy Division (cc'ed) on this email. They would be the best point of contact between GLA and ALA-SRRT on these sorts of issues.

    John Mack Freeman
    2024 President
    Georgia Library Association



    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: How Can SRRT (and ALA) Help Those in States That Penalize or Prevent ALA Involvement?

    Posted 9 days ago
    Thanks, April!
    I'd also like to see as many resources, programs, webinars available, free and recorded. And ALA memberships free as well. I see that there's a new document, stressing the benefits of membership. Having a place that's welcoming, free and supportive would make a big difference - this isn't talked about enough as being part of ALA. I also think we should create ways people can attend conferences without paying large amounts of money for registration, transportation and accommodations. This is an ongoing challenge, exacerbated by the current political climate. Julie


    Julie Ann Winkelstein, PhD, MLIS
    Librarian, writer, teacher, activist
    Author: Libraries and Homelessness: An Action Guide (https://products.abc-clio.com/abc-cliocorporate/product.aspx?pc=A5708P)
    jwinkels@utk.edu

    My pronouns are she, her, hers

    Google is not a verb!




    Original Message