Dear colleagues,
I want to inform the list that I have formally accepted the revised ALA Online Code of Conduct, as is now required for participation in ALA governance and communications spaces BUT I have done so under protest
My decision to sign reflects not agreement with the underlying principles of the revised Code, but a recognition of the structural obligation imposed upon those of us who wish to remain fully engaged in the Association's work. It is precisely this enforced compliance model - one rooted in corporate HR-style management practices - that I believe represents a disturbing shift in ALA's ethos.
As I have argued elsewhere, this version of the Code departs from ALA's long-standing commitments to intellectual freedom, open debate, and social responsibility. It replaces a culture of political accountability and collective deliberation with one of bureaucratic surveillance and risk-aversion. It allows for anonymous denunciations of ALA members in a McCarthyite mode. Its vague standards, expansive enforcement powers, and prioritization of reputational security over principled dissent create conditions that can be and already is being wielded to marginalize critical voices, especially those on the Left.
Moreover, the Code exists in a broader context of enclosure: the elimination of open membership forums (e.g., the Midwinter Meeting), the outsourcing of public programming to private PR firms, and the erasure of "social responsibility" and "democracy" from ALA's own Core Values. These developments signal a transformation of ALA from a member-led association to an administratively managed institution - one increasingly allergic to politicized engagement and internal critique.
My protest is not symbolic. It is a refusal to normalize the idea that democratic participation must be made contingent on adherence to a disciplinary regime that substitutes civility for justice and risk management for solidarity.
In fellowship and struggle,
Mark Rosenzweig
SRRT Action Council member
SRRT /International Responsibilities Task Force, co-chair
former ALA Councilor-elect
co-founder, Progressive Librarians Guild
co-editor, Progressive Librarian
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Mark Rosenzweig
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