Current Issues of Professional

OrganizationsEric Blum Lauren Doughty Mary Jo SimonsCassy TraugerPatty Winter

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Issues common among many of the library organizations

• Funding – Where is your library going to get its funds? Local taxes traditionally support

the bulk of the library’s budget.

– Location, location, location. Since local property taxes provide the majority of funding for libraries, you’ll need to think about your neighborhood. Is your library in a young, vibrant community, or does it have an aging population with limited resources. Urban hip, suburban WASP, or rural farmland, the health of the local economy is a significant factor in allocating funds to the library.

– State resources are the next largest supply of funds. There are libraries still trying to recover from the funding cut in the 2003-2004 PA state budget. Reductions occurred in operating hours, books, magazine subscriptions, and personnel.-from ALA’s news archive 2004.

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Funding Continued

• This year Pennsylvania received a 23% increase over last year due in part to strong lobbying efforts by library supporters. A study done by North Carolina’s School of ILS found PA taxpayers received “a return of $55 for every $10 of local, state, and federal taxes invested in supporting public libraries”.- from ALS’s funding impact by state.

• Federal funds are allocated to federal initiatives such as the Library Services and Technology Act, which includes Laura Bush’s Librarians for the 21st Century program, assisting distressed communities, and efforts to improve information access through improvements in technology.

• Other Sources: Librarians now more than ever need to network, lobby and write grant proposals to augment the budget.

• Some of the organizations involved in funding issues: American Library Association, Public Library Association, Association of Research Libraries, PA Library Assoc, American Assoc of School Libraries, and Online Computer Library Center Association .

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• USA Patriot Act

– What is the USA Patriot Act? The acronym stands for the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001. Simply stated, its purpose is to deter and punish terrorist acts.  Among other things, the legislation broadens intelligence gathering surveillance.

– “The American Library Association (ALA) opposes any use of governmental power to suppress the free and open exchange of knowledge and information or to intimidate individuals exercising free inquiry…ALA considers that sections of the USA PATRIOT ACT are a present danger to the constitutional rights and privacy rights of library users.”-from ALA’s Resolution on the USA PATRIOT Act.

– According to the ALA, the act’s “enhanced surveillance procedures pose the greatest challenge to privacy and confidentially in the library.” -from ALA’s The USA Patriot Act in the Library

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Patriot Act Continued• Law enforcement officials may ask to place surveillance software on

computers. This in turn can lead to identifying an individual.

• As a librarian, you’ll need to be prepared to respond in an appropriate fashion when law enforcement officials make a request.

• Guidelines designed by the ALA to manage and comply with the USA Patriot Act include, but are not limited to the following. Please see their website for more complete information atALA’s Intellectual Freedom Issues. a. Questions and Answers on Privacy and Confidentialityb. Procedures for Implementing Policy on Confidentiality of Library

Recordsc. Policy Concerning Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable

Information about Library Usersd. A Privacy Tool kit.

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Patriot Act Continued

• Some of the organizations involved in the USA Patriot Act issues: American Library Association, Association of Research Libraries, Pennsylvania Library Association, Public Library Association, and Records and Information Management.

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Professional Associations and the Issues of the Day

AIC (American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works)

Overview/History

•Founded in 1972, AIC provides support to the professionals “who preserve our cultural heritage.” •Sets and uphold professional standards•Provides continuing education•Facilitates research•Provides forum for information exchange.•AIC has a foundation (Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works) that provides grant funding and develops continuing education programs.

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Mission

• “To preserve the material evidence of our past so we can learn

from it today and appreciate it in the future.”

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Current Issues/Press Releases

• Coordinating with other organizations to recruit professionals to help with emergency preservation issues resulting from Hurricane Katrina.

• The FTC announce a proposed consent order with AIC to settle charges that it engaged in anticompetitive behavior by discouraging members from engaging in price competition.

• Call for papers

• Upcoming Conferences/Training

• Jobs

• Awards

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ALAAmerican Library Association

Overview/History

•Founded in 1876 in Philadelphia.

•ALA is now open to anyone interested in library service and librarianship.

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Mission

• To promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information.

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Current Issues/Press Releases

• Nationwide library Funding Impacts publish news reports about library funding, fundraising, and bond issues from around the country.

• School Library Funding– Funding problems are causing cutbacks in library media, specialists,

resources, and hours.

• New Mandate requires libraries seeking funds from federal grant-making agencies to register and apply via grants.gov.

• Treasure your freedom to read.  Get hooked on banned book.

• ACRL releases “Achieving Racial and Ethnic Diversity among Academic and Research Librarians”.

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Press Releases

• ALA celebrates Banned Book Week in the virtual world.

• YALSA gears up for Mid-Winter with special events media and awards.

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ALA/ALCTSAmerican Library Association/Association of Library Collections and Technical Services

Overview/History

• Celebrating its 50th anniversary, ALCTS holds approximately 5,000 members from across the US and 42 countries.  It is a resource for information specialists in collection development, preservation, and technical services.

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Mission

• To shape and respond numbly to all matters related to the selection, identification, acquisition, organization, management retrieval, and preservation of recorded knowledge through education, publication, and collaboration.

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Current Issues/Press Releases

• Next Steps- a series of recommendations or discussion points for next steps that ALCTS should take to enhance leadership positions with respect to changing nature of bibliographic control.

• Task Force Report-  Using findings from the activity taken place over many years to address the complex issues associated with multi-script and

multi-lingual access.

• 50th Anniversary Celebration

• Annual Conference Preview

• Post Mid-Winter coverage of events and meetings

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ALA/PLA (Public Library Association)

Overview/History

• Founded in 1944

• PLA is based in Chicago and is part of ALA

• PLA has more than 11,000 members

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Mission

• The Public Library Association enhances the development and effectiveness of Public Library staff and Public Library

services.

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Current Issues/Press Releases• Preschool Literacy Initiatives- a partnership with National Institute of

Health and Human developed to use research based finding to help develop programming and reading development.

• Recruitment of Public Library Project- products are being developed to recruit librarians into the profession.  Recruitment website on www.pla.org

• Smart Card Campaign-  public awareness about what our libraries provide and to fill the information gap about their value

• 2008 conference registration to open September 5

• PLA Awards applications now available online

• Registration now open for September CPLA courses from PLA

• PLDS Report highlights key YA statistics

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AMIA(Association of Moving Image Archivists)

Overview/History• The Association has existed since the late 1960’s

• It was originally known as the Film and Television Archives Advisory Committee (F/TAAC)

• It became known as the Association of Moving Image Archivists in 1990.

• In the world of moving image archivists, it is the largest professional organization.

• Recently AMIA has become increasing proactive internationally.

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Mission

• “Dedicated to advancing the preservation, collection, and use of moving images through public and professional education.” http://www.amianet.org/home/about/mission.html

• “As a profession, moving image archivists also advocate for the acknowledgement of moving images as important educational, historical, and cultural resources.” http://www.amianet.org/

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Current Issues/Press Releases• “Continued to contribute to the ongoing development of the moving

image profession in terms of professionalism, information sharing, education, public awareness, research and best practices.”

• “Continued to provide the field with a unique bridge that brings together the public and the private sectors, national and regional interests, archivists and scholars, silent film aficionados and digital futurists.”

• “Come to be viewed as the authoritative source for developing and providing educational resources for moving image archivists.”

• “Developed strategies and recommendations for appraising, preserving and providing access to new moving image technologies and formats.”

www.amianet.org/publication/resources/reports/StratPlan.pdf

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ARL Association of Research Libraries

Overview/History

• Serves 123 major research libraries in the US and Canada

• Includes Smithsonian, Library of Congress, and Library and Archives of Canada

• Member libraries spend more than $1 billion a year on acquisitions

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Mission

• “By supporting its membership, ARL “influences the changing environment of scholarly communication and the public policies that affect research libraries and the diverse communities they serve.”

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Current Issues

• Copyright and intellectual property: ARL libraries “promote barrier-free access to information while exploring ways to protect authors' rights to their intellectual property.”

• High cost of collections

• Promotes new methods of providing access to scholarly works (i.e. digital, online)

• Promotes licensing guidelines and a dialogue between members and vendors

• Diversity

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Press Releases

• “ARL Introduces Expenditures-Focused Index of University Library Members”– new method of measuring collections (benchmarking)

• “ARL, ACRL, SPARC Provide Free Access to Archive of Author Rights Webcast”– train librarians so they can educate faculty about transferring

“ownership of their intellectual output and help them understand the consequences and options.”

• “ARL Affirms Importance of Preservation for Research Libraries”– affirms the library’s role as preservationist; members must invest in

preservation programs

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ARMA International/RIM(Records and Information Management)

Overview/History

• Established in 1955

• ARMA International is a not-for-profit professional association and the authority on managing records and information – paper and electronic

• Originally, ARMA was the acronym for the Association of Records Managers and Administrators

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Mission

• The association also develops and publishes standards and guidelines related to records management. It was a key contributor to the international records management standard, ISO-15489.

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Current Issues/Press Releases• PATRIOT Act Provision Struck Down

– “On September 6, a federal court struck down a controversial provision of the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act that had permitted the FBI to demand information from individuals without a search warrant. The Patriot Act had given the FBI enhanced powers to issue National Security Letters (NSLs), a form of administrative subpoena that prohibited recipients from discussing them unto perpetuity.” http://www.arma.org/news/policybrief/index.cfm?BriefID=2075

• Healthcare Challenges Spur Home-based Solutions– “The financial challenges facing healthcare systems have led to

the increased application of home-based tele-health solutions, online data provider and market analyst Datamonitor reports.” http://www.arma.org/news/policybrief/index.cfm?BriefID=2071

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ASIS&T(Association for Information Science and Technology)

Overview/History

• 1937-Beginnings in Documentation

• 1960’s-The Information Explosion

• “ASIS&T focusing on what might be disparate approaches into novel solutions to common problems.” http://www.asis.org/history.html

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Mission

• “The American Society for Information Science and Technology seeks to advance the information sciences and related applications of information technology by providing focus, opportunity, and support to information professionals and organizations.” http://www.asis.org/history.html

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Current Issues/Press Releases• “ASIS&T members are at the forefront in examining the technical bases,

social consequences, and theoretical understanding of online databases, widespread use of databases in government, industry, and education, and the development of the Internet and World Wide Web.”

http://www.asis.org/history.html

• “Technology, security, and individual privacy: New tools, new threats, and new public perceptions.

– individuals and their activities that are tracked. Yet, a significant unknown is (a) whether the public understands these technologies and the manner in which personally identifiable information may be collected, maintained, used, and disseminated; and (b) whether the public consents to these information practices.”

http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1059509

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Current Issues/Press Releases

• “The effects of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) in public libraries and its implications for research: A statistical, policy, and legal analysis– In upholding the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), the

U.S. Supreme Court has forced public libraries to face difficult issues about filtering Internet content. The implementation of filters creates a range of practical issues for libraries and also raises myriad research issues related to the effects of CIPA on public library services and on access to Internet-based information in public libraries.”

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/109089142/ABSTRACT?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

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Special Libraries Association (SLA)

Overview/History

• Established in 1909

• First conference independent of ALA in 1919

• SLA opens headquarters library Virginia in 1943

• Conventions renamed conferences to emphasize the professional program content in 1967

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Mission

• “The Special Libraries Association promotes and strengthens its members through learning, advocacy, and networking initiatives.” http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/AssnProfile/slanplan/index.cf

• The core values are leadership, service, innovation and continuous learning, results and accountability, collaboration and partnering.

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Current Issues/Press Releases• “FTC Position Fails to Protect the Public's Most Valuable Information

Asset and Threatens an Open, Robust and Independent Internet.– The SLA supports a policy of an open internet. They desire to keep a

protected open-access internet for the public.”

http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/pressroom/pressrelease/07pr/pr2719.cfm

• “Special Libraries Association in Conjunction with the Library Copyright Alliance Strongly Supports H.R. 1201, The FAIR USE Act.”– The SLA strongly supports the Library Copyright Alliance and FAIR

USE Act which enforce exemptions in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

– "In the past, the SLA community of librarians and information professionals stood in support of these exemptions for screen readers and film clip compilations.”

http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/pressroom/pressrelease/07pr/pr2709.cfm

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Current Issues/Press Releases

• “Public Health and Safety Imperiled by Slashing of EPA Library Services, Information Professionals Association Warns U.S. Senate Committee.”

– "While the loss of some libraries may be inevitable, our primary concern is the loss of access to the crucial information contained in these libraries, which could have devastating long-term impacts on public health and safety.”

http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/pressroom/pressrelease/07pr/pr2704.cfm

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ULC Urban Libraries Council

Overview/History

• A subset of ALA, the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) was founded in 1971

• It represent public libraries in urban areas and the organizations that serve them.

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Mission

• Help public libraries flourish by helping leadership--directors, trustees, and representatives of member institutions--work together to tackle problems, seize opportunities and to improve professional practices.

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Current Issues

• Changing face of cities

• Immigration

• Changing populations in urban centers

• Libraries as safe havens for kids

• Future of libraries

• Importance of public-private-non-profit collaborations for funding and strategic direction

• Training staff

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Press Releases• “ULC donates $5,000 to the Jefferson Parish Library rebuilding”

• “ULC's Making Cities Stronger Economic Development Report”– changing face of libraries as economic development engines– working to support literacy programs, workforce development,

business climate, and health of the community.

• “ULC is Getting Libraries Ready for the Future”– training libraries to look ahead so they can spot trends and respond

rapidly

• “ULC Conference Examines Role of Libraries as City” Demographics Transform”– immigration and growth of Latino population and how this will impact

cities and libraries

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Discussion Questions

• Do you feel the various professional library organizations are proactively dealing with the issues of the day?

• What will your library do to secure funding if the economy forces lawmakers to cut funding?

• Are there steps you can take, as a librarian, to enhance your library's reputation in the community.

• What can these organizations do for you, in your role of a librarian?

Discussion Questions Continued

• Are you a member of, or intending to become a member of, a professional library association? Which association or associations? What informed your decision?

• If you are currently a member of a professional organization, what aspects of membership do you find most useful?

• If you are a member of more than one organization, have you found significant differences in their resources for members?

Works Cited1. http://www.ala.org2. http://www.ala.org/alcts/3. http://www.amianet.org/4. http://www.amianet.org/home/about/mission.html5. www.amianet.org/publication/resources/reports/StratPlan6. http://www.arma.org/news/policybrief/index.cfm?BriefID=20717. http://www.arma.org/news/policybrief/index.cfm?BriefID=20758. http://www.asis.org/9. http://www.asis.org/history.html10. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/109089142/

ABSTRACT?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=011. http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=105950912. http://www.pla.org/13. http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/AssnProfile/slanplan/index.cf14. http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/pressroom/pressrelease/07pr/pr2719.cfm15. http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/pressroom/pressrelease/07pr/pr2709.cf16. http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/pressroom/pressrelease/07pr/pr2704.cfm

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