SRRT (Social Responsibilities Round Table)

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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.

SRRT Resolutions Analysis 1969-2026

  • 1.  SRRT Resolutions Analysis 1969-2026

    Posted Mar 14, 2026 09:30 AM
      |   view attached


    FYI, see attached.

    Al


    Attachment(s)

    docx
    SRRT res analysis.docx   18 KB 1 version


  • 2.  RE: SRRT Resolutions Analysis 1969-2026

    Posted Mar 14, 2026 03:02 PM
    Al, thank you for this extremely useful analysis.





  • 3.  RE: SRRT Resolutions Analysis 1969-2026

    Posted 12 days ago
     one case I remember so clearly, which is not listed here, was an early 70s one when we passed a resolution supporting Angela Davis and gave money to the Angela Davis defense fund. We were called before the executive board.- Jackie Eubanks was supposed to go, but I ended up going instead and defending the fact that we were not passing an ALA  policy since it was only a SRRT statement. 

    There were also many resolutions that came out of the SRRT pre-conference on the status of women that were taken to Council. 


    Pat 
    Sent from my iPad





  • 4.  RE: SRRT Resolutions Analysis 1969-2026

    Posted 12 days ago
    Pat,
    Do you have the documentation?
    Thanks 
    Al 





  • 5.  RE: SRRT Resolutions Analysis 1969-2026

    Posted 11 days ago
    All my files were sent to the AIa archives, though I doubt I kept much that early in my career, With respect to Angela Davis, I am sure it was written up - probably in Library journal and maybe American Libraries. In those days the library press used to cover the Executive board meetings. It should certainly be in the Executive Board Minutes. 


    The resolutions that came out of the Women's pre-conference should certainly be in the council minutes. Again, I believe this was written up in Library Journal. And there was a book of proceedings edited by Bette- Carol Sellen.  

    Both may have been in the SRRT newsletter too. 





      
    Pat 
    Sent from my iPad





  • 6.  RE: SRRT Resolutions Analysis 1969-2026

    Posted 11 days ago
    According to the February 1971 SRRT Newsletter, it looks like that there was never a formal resolution in support of Angela Davis, but just a vote of the Action Council. Here is the text:

    Al

    FREE ANGELA!

    The following request for action was approved by the Action Council in L. A.;

    POLITICAL REPRESSION IS AN INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM ISSUE. BECAUSE THE ARREST

    OF ANGELA DAVIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THIS REPRESSION, THE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

    ROUND TABLE IS DONATING $200.00 TO THE ANGELA DAVIS DEFENSE FUND TO HELP

    PROTECT HER RIGHTS IN COURT. SRRT IS DOING THIS AS AN EXAMPLE OF EDUCATIONAL

    SUPPORT FOR INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM BY LIBRARIANS.

    MOREOVER, SRRT ACTION COUNCIL INSISTS THAT POLITICAL PRISONERS AND OTHER

    PRISONERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO ACCESS TO INFORMATION, AND AITHORIZE AND WILL

    EXECUTE A MAILING OF THE APPROPRIATE SECTION ON CENSORSHIP IN THE MANUAL

    OF CORRECTIONAL STANDARDS TO PRISON SYSTEMS IN THE U. S. THIS MAILING WILL

    INCLUDE A LETTER TO THE NEW YORK CITY PENAL SYSTEM, WHERE, MISS DAVIS REPORTED,

    ALL ACCESS TO INFORMATION WAS WITHHELD. SRRT IS DOING THIS AS AN

    EXAMPLE OF EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT FOR INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM BY LIBRARIANS.








  • 7.  RE: SRRT Resolutions Analysis 1969-2026

    Posted 11 days ago
    Here is the info on the resolutions from the women's pre conference in 1974, from my book. The resolutions are already in our SRRT Resolutions Archive, 1974 and 1975.

    110 participants discussed "Women in a Women's Profession: Strategies," in a New Brunswick, NJ, preconference held by the SRRT Task Force on Women before the 1974 Annual ALA Conference in New York City.[i] Several resolutions were forwarded to the ALA Council, and successful resolutions included: support for the Equal Rights Amendment; the ALA Committee on Accreditation use of affirmative action recruitment, hiring, and promotion policies as part of the accreditation process; and the ALA Office of Library Personnel Resources development of comparable worth guidelines. The resolution against sexist subject headings lost the first time when the ALA President broke a tie vote (but it won the next year). ALA President Jean Lowrie and Chair of the Intellectual Freedom Committee R. K. Molz showed their disgust with the campaign to change language at the ALA Membership Meeting.  President Lowrie stated that she liked being called "chairman." The SRRT Newsletter article put it this way. Molz and Lowrie "...publicly spayed themselves before the entire membership," and suggested that they read more on "Gynecological self-help."[ii]



    [i] The Bootlegger Magazine staff helped organize the preconference. The ALA Executive Board approved the preconference on condition that the ALA Office of Library Personnel co-sponsor it. However, that Office's internal memos trashed SRRT, and it is unclear whether this co-sponsorship went ahead or not. See Toni Samek, Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibility, 136.

    [ii] Lillian N. Gerhardt, "ALA's 93rd Annual Conference," School Library Journal (September 1974): 29-30; ALA Social Responsibilities Round Table Newsletter, no. 34 (March 1975): 4; and Women in Libraries Newsletter 4, no. 1 (September 1974): 3.








  • 8.  RE: SRRT Resolutions Analysis 1969-2026

    Posted 6 days ago

    Oh, this is a funny story!  Kathleen Molz was one of my professors in library school, and I am not in the least surprised at her opposition to the resolution on sexist language.   Thanks for sharing, Al!

    Elaine



    ------------------------------
    Elaine Harger
    Librarian (retired)
    She/Her/Hers,we/all
    ------------------------------



  • 9.  RE: SRRT Resolutions Analysis 1969-2026

    Posted 6 days ago
    At the time we were horrified and practically in tears!!

    Pat 
    Sent from my iPad





  • 10.  RE: SRRT Resolutions Analysis 1969-2026

    Posted 6 days ago

    Can your analysis, Al, get posted to the SRRT Resolutions page on the website?  It'd be great to have it in a publicly accessible place.

    Elaine



    ------------------------------
    Elaine Harger
    Librarian (retired)
    She/Her/Hers,we/all
    ------------------------------



  • 11.  RE: SRRT Resolutions Analysis 1969-2026

    Posted 6 days ago
    It is already there, at the top.
    Al




  • 12.  RE: SRRT Resolutions Analysis 1969-2026

    Posted 6 days ago

    Oh wonderful!  I've been looking at the resolutions page daily for the past couple weeks and not once looked at the top of the page :-(  Will include the link in the zine!

    Elaine



    ------------------------------
    Elaine Harger
    Librarian (retired)
    She/Her/Hers,we/all
    ------------------------------