The Executive Sessions

During midwinter week, ALA's executive board contended with how it would challenge the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), signed by President Clinton on December 21, 2000. The new law requires schools and libraries that receive e-rate funds and other federal funding to install filtering software on their computers to block material that is "obscene, child pornography, or harmful to minors." From that point on, the executive board's problem was a matter of how, not if, ALA would challenge the law.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was first off the dime and invited ALA to join its suit against the new law--with ACLU offering to bear all litigation costs, estimated at $2 million or more. The executive board set that financial temptation aside and decided to bring suit on its own, with ALA lawyers arguing a case headed for the Supreme Court.

While the suit is pending, ALA's Washington office urges all school libraries to continue to apply for e-rate funds (the federal aid made possible by the Library Services and Technology Act and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act)--whether or not those libraries have filters on computers used by minors. (ALA has set up a Web site with information on the new law at www.ala.org/cipa.)

Four actions taken by ALA's Council during its three sessions hold particular interest and potential benefits to youth services librarians:

1. Council directed its staff to investigate the best way to issue translations of ALA's publicity materials in the languages of our nation's principal immigrant groups. Endorsed by ALA's affiliate REFORMA, the national association to promote library and information services to Latinos and the Spanish speaking, the resolution was introduced by Councilors Maurice Freedman and Carol Brey. The new translations may prove to be a boon to public and school libraries serving young people, especially libraries in small communities or rural areas that can't afford to generate their own publicity materials.

2. ALA's Task Force on Electronic Meeting Participation, chaired by Karen Schneider, presented its final report, urging Council to direct ALA to establish online chat rooms, which would enable committees to deliberate between conferences and members to observe. This experiment has the potential to remove a longtime barricade to recruiting new ALA members--the inability of youth services librarians to afford the time or expense of attending two conferences a year in order to be an active member of the organization. The flak the proposal attracted included prophecies of the death of democracy in ALA proceedings, but when the vote was taken, it showed that Council could not resist this experiment in democracy via technology.

3. After lengthy and heated debate, Council referred back to the Committee on Education a resolution that would have begun the process to establish a 501(c)6 organization for voluntary certification of a post-master's degree program. Council balked over approving the concept without having the details spelled out. The initiative, five years in the shaping, was a joint proposal from the Public Library Association, the Library Administration and Management Association, and the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies. This proposal has captured the interest of all of ALA's divisions and roundtables because many mount institutes and other programs that provide instruction on topics that library schools don't teach--or have stopped teaching. But most of these programs do not issue certificates that enhance résumés. Library educators on Council argued against the move as a possible threat to the status of ALA's certification of library school programs, but Council again opted for experiment over inaction.

4. Councilors Ruth Gordon and Elaine Harger brought a resolution requesting that Council delay its first session until after the announcement of the Newbery and Caldecott Medals and other literary awards. The later starting time would enable Council members to attend the traditional Monday morning, 9 a.m. press conference. Three councilors rose to question this move as unnecessary. The move was ably defended by councilors from youth services as consequential to their professional information needs. Just as the debate reached the point of becoming a squabble, ALA Executive Director Bill Gordon stepped in with information that turned the tide. Gordon said that this year's press conference had attracted 800 people--including publishers, librarians, and members of the national press. Not only is the event fun, reasoned Gordon, but it generates favorable, nationwide publicity for ALA. The resolution was approved with only three votes in opposition.

President Nancy C. Kranich announced that she had directed ALA's Pay Equity Committee to take a running jump at the problem of inadequate salaries for librarians. The issue of pay is, of course, a matter of widespread interest to ALA members who work in the public sector. Council has a history of sidestepping this issue for fear of compromising ALA's tax status as an organization that advocates for libraries, rather than its member librarians.--Lillian N. Gerhardt