Response to Report on the progress and current status of the ALA Core Values Task Force.
The committee defines "Values," but not "Core Values. There is an important distinction. Core values statements are declarations of the principles and beliefs that guide the actions and decisions of an organization or an individual. They reflect the core identity and purpose of the entity and serve as a basis for ethical conduct and professional excellence.
There appears to be no definitive answer to how many core values an entity should have, as different organizations and individuals may have different priorities and preferences. AMA (American Medical Association has three core values. ABA (American Bar Association) has seven core values. MLA (Medical Library Association has eight core values. The committee has recommended five core values, a reduction from ALA's current eleven, without providing a convincing rationale for that number.
The committee reports using a survey to gather input and insight into perceptions about core values. They report 200 responses, but not what the initial sample size was or how the sample was selected. Was it representative of the membership at large, or some subset of so-called leaders, and if the latter, what was the basis for selection? Who was included, who not included? Is 200 rconsidered to be a statistically reliable response? What is +/- % error on 200 responses?
Why does the survey ask respondents to identity what they feel to be the top five values? Given that the association has had eleven core values since 2004, did the committee decide in advance of fielding the survey to recommend just five, and if so, on what basis?
Of the eleven core values currently codified in the ALA Policy Manual, B.1.1. why were Social Responsibility and Professionalism excluded from the list in Question # 1 of the survey? What was the rationale for the exclusion of each?
As opposed to a listing of values, why did the committee not choose instead to have respondents rank all eleven core values in Question #1?
Why does the report appear to include some, but not all, of the verbatim responses to Questions # 2 and 4?
Why did the committee recommend some, but not all, of the top-rated values in the survey?
Why did the committee single-out lower-rated values, such as "Sustainability" for recommendation.
Given that Diversity and Inclusion received ratings consistent with Equity, why did the committee not recommend linking as DEI, as so many organizations do? "Diversity, equity, and inclusion are three closely linked values held by many organizations that are working to be supportive of different groups of individuals, including people of different races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, genders, and sexual orientations." See link attached.
https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-diversity-equity-and-inclusion
What was committee's specific rationale for exclusion of each of the following current core values?
Democracy,
Diversity,
Education, Life-Long Learning
Preservation
Professionalism
Service
Social Responsibility
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Thank you for consideration.
Mark C. Rosenzweig