EBD - American Library Web viewThe Washington Office vehemently opposed inclusion of the...

EBD #2.3.12015-2016

MINUTESALA Executive Board Meeting

2016 Midwinter Meeting

January 8-12, 2016Boston, MA

American Library Association

Volume 27

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AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

Executive Board Meeting2016 Midwinter Meeting

Boston, MA

The ALA Executive Board met in the Webster Room of the Westin Boston Waterfront in Boston, from January 8-12, 2016.

PRESENT: President Sari Feldman; President-elect Julie B. Todaro; Treasurer Mario Gonzalez; Immediate Past President Courtney Young; Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels; Executive Board members: Robert E. Banks; Loida A. Garcia-Febo; Peter Hepburn; Sara Kelly Johns; Mike L. Marlin; James G. Neal; and Gina Persichini (via telephone). Board member Julius C. Jefferson, Jr. was absent (excused).

The agenda (2015-2016 EBD #9.2.1) is attached as Exhibit 1.

Session One

The Board convened at 8:30AM on Friday, January 8, 2016, with President Sari Feldman presiding.

Agenda ApprovalBy consent, the Executive Board approved the agenda for the 2016 Midwinter ALA Executive Board Meeting (2015-2016 EBD #9.2.1, Exhibit 1). Consent agenda

Procedural/Consent Items The Executive Board approved the following items:

By consent, accepted the following reports: President’s Report (2015-2016 EBD #7.3, Exhibit 2); President-elect’s Report (2015-2016 EBD #7.4, Exhibit 3); Executive Director’s Report (2015-2016 EBD #12.17, Exhibit 4); Council Standing Appointments (2015-2016 CBD #10., Exhibit 5).

By consent, approved the 2015 ALA Executive Board Fall Meeting Minutes and Vote Tally (2015-2016 EBD #2.2 and EBD #1.4, Exhibits 6 and 7).

By consent, approved the Confirmation of Conference Call Votes, November 17, 2015, in which the Board took the following action (2015-2016 EBD #1.5, Exhibit 8):

Approved St. Louis, Missouri, as the official location for the AASL 2025 conference.

By consent, approved the Confirmation of Conference Call Votes, December 15, 2015, in which the Board took the following actions (2015-2016 EBD #1.6, Exhibit 9):

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Approved Cleveland, Ohio, as the official location for the ACRL 2019 conference and approved the deferment of the originally selected ACRL 2019 location of Minneapolis, Minnesota, to the ACRL 2025 conference.

Approved submission of four nominees for consideration for appointment to the Depository Library Council to the Public Printer of the U.S. Government Printing Office, on the recommendation of the ALA Government Documents Round Table.

IntroductionsPresident Sari Feldman introduced two new staff members to the Board: Jeff Julian, Director, Public Awareness Office, and Jody Gray, Director, Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services.

Executive Committee ReportPresident Sari Feldman reported that the Executive Committee of the ALA Executive Board met on Wednesday, January 6, 2016, during which the Committee discussed concerns regarding a recent American Libraries article, future meetings with division member and staff leadership, and the Past Presidents’ Luncheon.

Center for the Future of Libraries Report – EBD #12.15 (Exhibit 10)Miguel Figueroa, Director of the Center for the Future of Libraries (the Center), and Susan Kent, Chair of the Center’s Advisory Group gave an update on the Center’s recent plans and activities.

The Center announced its Advisory Group in early November 2015. The Group held its first conference call in December 2015 and will meet in person on January 9, at this Midwinter Meeting. The meeting will focus on the following questions:

What are the Center’s priorities for the next two years? How can the Center engage ALA members and the larger profession? What activities should be undertaken by the Center over this period of time (webinars,

crowdsourcing, reports, presentations, etc.)? Should the Advisory Group divide into three sub-groups to focus on the three previous

questions?

The Advisory Group believes the Center should continue to focus on trend scanning and dissemination for the profession. The Center should exist as a resource for ALA members to use in their own institutions, which may involve a focus on changing public perceptions.

The Center’s work aligns with the Libraries Transform campaign, and the Center’s trends have been featured as part of the new Libraries Transform website. The trends collection continues to be the most popular resource on the Center’s website, with 10,000 to 11,000 visitors in a six-month period.

The Center created a weekly e-newsletter to which members may subscribe (approximately 600 subscribers so far.) It contains news and articles to help libraries think about the future of collections, spaces, services, partners, and roles in the community. In addition, the Center continues to promote its work through presentations at state chapters, staff development days,

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and local meetings. In addition, it will host three forums at this Midwinter Meeting: “Libraries Transform - Understanding Change,” “Libraries Transform – Civic Innovation,” and “Libraries Transform – Social Innovation.”

Digital Content Working Group – EBD #12.21 (Exhibit 11) Alan Inouye, Director of the Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP), and Digital Content Working Group Co-Chairs Carolyn Anthony and Erika Linke provided an update on the work of the Digital Content Working Group (DCWG).

In Early December 2015, the DCWG participated in meetings with publishers, led by ALA President Sari Feldman. The ALA delegation met and strengthened its relationships with senior representatives of Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, and Penguin Random House. The meetings yielded a number of possible follow-up activities, including the following:

ALA support of LibraryReads, a program created by a group of U.S. publishers that releases a monthly, top ten list of new books nominated by librarians.

Publisher support of a campaign to build nonfiction ebook collections in public libraries. Currently, collections tend to consist of 75% fiction (contrasted with 58% fiction for print books in public libraries.)

In 2015, Library Journal released “2015 Ebook Usage Reports: Public Libraries,” its annual survey of ereading trends, which cited cost as the biggest barrier to library ebook program implementation. In addition, the Book Industry Study Group (BISG), with ALA as a partner, released the results of its first joint research initiative, “Digital Content in Public Libraries: What Do Patrons Think?” Library patrons were asked about preferences for print or digital formats, collection assessment, preferred devices, and other issues that affect the use and distribution of published content in public libraries. The study found that lack of ebook availability, including an 8:1 hold ratio, is the biggest barrier to expanding library ebook programs.

The DCWG received requests to work with both ReadersFirst and Libraries Simplified. ReadersFirst is an organization of nearly 300 libraries around the world dedicated to ensuring that library users have the same access to e-books as they do to physical books. Libraries Simplified seeks to simplify discovering, borrowing, and reading ebooks from the library by providing accessible technology alternatives to public institutions.

The DCWG extends through the 2016 Annual Conference. While it is certain that digital content issues will remain central to the present and future of the library community, it is less certain whether the current structure of the DCWG within ALA is best for the coming years. The DCWG is using the Midwinter conference and other venues to gauge the communities’ ongoing needs and concerns around ebooks and other digital content and to understand how ALA can best serve members in this area. The DCWG will report to the Executive Board following its deliberation.

An open discussion ensued focusing on the preservation of ebooks, non-fiction ebooks, and the availability of ebooks to school libraries.

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Washington Office Report – EBD #12.19 (Exhibit 12)Emily Sheketoff, Associate Executive Director, ALA Washington Office, provided an update on activities that have occurred since submitting her written report.

President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) on December 10, 2015. Due in large part to ALA’s grassroots efforts, the law includes several school library provisions that were not present in the previous legislation. The Washington Office released an overview of ESSA’s library provisions and will continue to submit comments as the Department of Education releases its rulemaking and regulations on the law.

The White House and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) are working with ALA and the Urban Libraries Council on the ConnectED Library Challenge, which encourages communities throughout the country to create or strengthen partnerships between local governments, schools, and public libraries, so that every child enrolled in school can receive a library card. Mayors, county executives, school superintendents, and library leaders from approximately 50 cities and counties will meet in Washington, DC, on January 19, 2016, to share strategies and to celebrate the initiative.

With support from IMLS, the New York Public Library, Digital Public Library of America, and First Book created the Open eBooks initiative, which seeks to develop a love of reading and discovery by making eBooks (current and popular books, as well as public domain titles) available to children and youth from low-income families. Publishers are committed to the project for three years and ALA is working on extending that timeframe. The New York Public library will demonstrate the application it designed for the initiative at this Midwinter Meeting.

Once the President sends his budget to Congress in February, the Washington Office will submit letters encouraging funding for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL).

10, 087 advocates have taken action on 31,174 issues through Engage, the Washington Office’s new advocacy communications tool. In addition, the Washington Office acquired 2,070 new Tumblr followers and 6,416 new District Dispatch subscribers in recent months. A new relationship between ALA and the Harry Potter Alliance will give ALA access to 250,000 potential advocates, many in an age range (13 to 30) that ALA has been unable to reach in the past.

While the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) passed over a year and a half ago, the final implementation rules have not yet been released. ALA is working with state and local partners to outline the essential role libraries play in workforce development.

In late October, 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit ruled that mass digitization of copyrighted works undertaken by Google Books was fair use, and not an infringement of copyright laws. The Authors Guild plans to appeal the ruling and scholars broadly regard the appeal’s chance for success as very low. The Library Copyright Alliance (LCA), of which ALA is a member, will file comments if the Supreme Court agrees to hear the appeal.

The Washington Office vehemently opposed inclusion of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) in the appropriations bill passed in December. The bill allows companies to directly share information with the Department of Defense (including the National Security Agency) without fear of being sued.

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Development Office Report – EBD #6.2 (Exhibit 13)Development Office Interim Director Jeffrey Roth provided an Association-wide overview of grant-related activities, as well as information on grant opportunities and grants in development.

On Thursday, December 3, 2015, ALA President Sari Feldman, ALA President-Elect Julie Todaro, ALA Past-President Courtney Young, and ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels attended the I Love My Librarian Awards Ceremony at Carnegie Corporation of New York, which honored 10 outstanding librarians nominated from a pool of over 1300. The reception following the awards was hosted by Carnegie Corporation of New York in the offices on Madison Avenue in New York City.

Grant updates:o The Public Programs Office (PPO) submitted a proposal to the Institute for Museum

and Library Services (IMLS) to support the first phase implementation of a two-year comprehensive national research strategy to understand and track how library public programming is having an impact on the American public.

o The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) will be submitting an IMLS proposal in January 2016 for a Laura Bush 21st Century Grant to provide tribal, small, and rural library staff with training to help them connect with middle school youth around the issue of college and career readiness.

o IMLS declined PPO’s Laura Bush 21st Century Library Program pre-proposal for two years of funding the Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC) initiative. PPO plans to submit a revised pre-proposal under the next deadline.

o PPO Director Deborah Robertson recently met with the W. K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) about a potential collaboration between ALA, WKKF, and several other organizations to address racism and human rights in the United States. More information is forthcoming on the role ALA may play in the collaborative effort and should be available by the Spring Board meeting.

o In October 2015, the Public Library Association (PLA) received a $10,000 contract from the Harvard Family Research Project (HRFP) for its “Libraries for the 21st Century: It’s a Family Thing” program.

On December 1, 2015, the Development Office participated in #GivingTuesday, which helped ALA units and offices raise just over $12,000 in donations.

Gwendolyn Prellwitz, Assistant Director, Office of Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services (ODLOS), successfully used a peer-to-peer platform to run a pilot fundraising program with previous Spectrum Scholarship recipients, fundraising on behalf of ALA.

Best Buy will sponsor YALSA’s Teen Tech Week for the second year in a row. The $60,000 National Sponsorship will help thousands of libraries hold special events and programs during the second week of March 2016.

ALA’s Information Technology and Telecommunications Services (ITTS), Membership and Customer Services (MACS), and the Development Offices have been working on updating and improving the Join, Renew, and Donate pages on the ALA website. The new pages streamline each process and offer an easier user experience. An option for recurring donations will not be part of the initial launch, but ITTS hopes to incorporate this option into the system in the coming year.

42.3% of the 15x15 Planned Giving Campaign goal has been reached, and the average gift is $226,000. The Development Office continues to work with more than seventy

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individuals who have indicated their interest in making a planned gift to the Association in their estate plans, and continues to provide reports, resources and staff expertise to ALA units to assist with their marketing and member outreach efforts.

During this Midwinter Meeting, ALA will soft launch the 1876 Club, a new donor circle designed for younger donors. The hard launch will occur at the 2016 ALA Annual Conference in Orlando, FL. Members must be age 50 or younger; make a gift of $1,000 or less to the association, or a division, office, round table or program through an insurance policy or retirement plan; and value philanthropy and passionately support the work of ALA.

Other upcoming promotions and activities include a full page ad in the Spring Issue of American Libraries for the 1876 Club; a lunch for Library Champions at this Midwinter Meeting; and inclusion in the Fall 2016 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) as a member of the Educate America! Federation.

The Development Office requested Board approval of the full list of companies from the Domini and TIAA-CREF portfolio of “socially responsible” companies, which the ALA Development Office and other units could use to prospect for corporate partners, sponsors, and donors in support of ALA’s mission. The list is continuously reviewed by the Development Office with input from divisions, offices, round tables, and ALA management.

ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels noted three issues related to socially responsible companies that may be presented to the Board in the near future:

1. There is a need to clarify how socially responsible funds treat fossil fuels. 2. The socially responsible portfolio in the ALA Endowment Fund has performed well. The

Endowment Trustees are considering whether to increase the amount of this portfolio.3. ALA wants to give planned giving participants the option of their bequests going into a

socially responsible investment.

On a motion by Courtney Young, the Executive Board

Voted to approve the full list of companies from the Domini and TIAA-CREF portfolio of “socially responsible” companies from which the units could use to prospect for corporate partners, sponsors, and donors. EBD #6.2

Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Report Trevor Dawes and Martin Garnar, Co-Chairs of the Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, gave an update on recent Task Force activities.

The Task Force recently completed its second survey of ALA members, which focused on member feelings about conference locations, and specifically about planned attendance at the 2016 ALA Annual Conference in Orlando (the location that prompted the creation of the Task Force, due to the murder of Trayvon Martin and Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law.) The Task Force is currently analyzing the data, in consultation with Kathy Rosa, Director of the Office for Research and Statistics (ORS). Rosa will also assist with the Task Force’s third and final survey, while also laying the foundation for ORS and the Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services (ODLOS) to continue with similar surveys in the future. The third survey will be

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launched, following this Midwinter Meeting, and will focus on the economic implications of participating at ALA functions.

In preparation of its dissolution following the close of the 2016 Annual Conference, the Task Force is developing and prioritizing a grid of recommendations gathered through listening sessions at conferences throughout the year, including the ALA Annual Conference and Midwinter Meeting, the National Conference of African American Librarians, the REFORMA National Conference V, the American Theological Librarian Association Conference, and the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) Conference. Most recommendations fall into a three-year time span and belong to the following categories: membership and participation; training and education; program planning; ALA priorities and planning; recruitment, education, and retention; ALA actions for Annual Conferences; and working with the community. Once the grid is finalized, the Task Force will assign recommendations to appropriate groups across the Association, and will also recommend an implementation group to organize and track the implementation of the recommendations.

Recent and upcoming plans and activities include: The Task Force will provide opening remarks at the President’s Program at this

Midwinter Meeting, featuring Senator Cory Booker. In addition, it is sponsoring a program, facilitated by Community Change Incorporated entitled, “If I Hadn’t Believed It, I Wouldn’t Have Seen It: Exploring Systemic Racism for Our Lives and Work.”

The Task Force reached out to several librarian groups in Florida in order to involve them in programming about Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law at the 2016 Annual Conference in Orlando. However, there has been no response to these overtures. As an alternative, the Task Force will attempt to involve social justice related organizations in the Orlando area in its programing.

The Task Force is working with the Librarians Build Communities member engagement group, with hope of organizing an event at the 2016 Annual Conference. The Task Force will announce the plans once they are finalized.

The Task Force plans to distribute three different arm bands that read “equity,” “diversity,” and “inclusion” – one word per armband – at select programs during the 2016 Annual Conference.

Executive Board Liaison Visits and Talking Points Keith Michael Fiels led a discussion on the talking points for the Executive Board liaison visits that will take place during this conference.

Board EffectivenessImmediate Past President Courtney Young commented on the Board’s effectiveness during this meeting.

The Board adjourned at 11:15AM and reconvened for the ALA-APA Board of Directors meeting.

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Session Two

The Board convened at 2:00 PM on Monday, January 11, 2016, with President-elect Julie B. Todaro presiding while President Sari Feldman attended another function. Feldman arrived at 2:45 PM. PRESENT: President Sari Feldman; President-elect Julie B. Todaro; Treasurer Mario Gonzalez; Immediate Past President Courtney Young; Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels; Executive Board members: Robert E. Banks; Loida A. Garcia-Febo; Peter Hepburn; Julius C. Jefferson, Jr., Sara Kelly Johns; Mike L. Marlin (via telephone); James G. Neal; and Gina Persichini (via telephone).

FY 2015 Audit Report – EBD #4.9, EBD #4.10, EBD #4.11, CBD #9 (Exhibit 14, 15, 16, and 17)Mark Leon, Chief Financial Officer, and Jeff Delheimer and John Fedus of Mueller & Co., presented the results of the FY2015 audit of ALA’s consolidated financial statements and asked the Board to approve the audit.

Mueller & Co. issued a clean, unmodified opinion, meaning that the numbers presented in ALA’s financial statements fairly present, in all material respects, the financial position of ALA, as of August 31, 2015. This is the highest level of assurance that Mueller & Co. gives as an outside auditing firm.

Largely due to market fluctuation in 2015, ALA’s long-term investments decreased from $40,221,326 in FY 2014 to $38,678,845 in FY 2015.

Mueller & Co. performed an evaluation of ALA’s goodwill and found no change from FY 2014 at $1,826,567.

Regarding liabilities and net assets, the most significant change concerns the long-term debt, including the current portion of long-term debt, at approximately $6 million in FY 2015 versus $8.8 million in FY 2014. This is due to paying down and refinancing the loan for the Washington Office Choice Office and Neal-Schuman.

ALA’s net assets decreased by $7,124,004. The two major factors contributing to this are a loss of investment returns and the release of new life expectancy tables that increased the post-retirement liability by $3.8 million in FY 2015.

ALA’s operating activities have been generating cash flows for the past two years, which is a very positive sign of financial health, with $4,690,525 in FY 2014 and $ 4,049,444 in FY 2015.

On December 20, 2013, ALA assumed control of the Margaret Alexander Edwards Trust with an approximate fair value of $970,000. The purpose of the trust is to distribute funds to further the personal reading of young adults.

Mueller & Co. tested two major programs: National Leadership Grants and the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program, both funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. No issues were found, and ALA qualifies as a low-risk auditee.

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On the recommendation of the Finance and Audit Committee, the Executive Board

Voted to accept the FY 2015 audited financial statements as presented by Mueller & Co. EBD #4.9

On the recommendation of the Finance and Audit Committee, the Executive Board

Voted to engage the services of Mueller & Co. LLP for the FY 2016 audit. CBD #9

The Board moved into closed session to hear the legal update from ALA’s legal counsel Paula Goedert of Barnes and Thornburg LLP.

Accreditation Task Forces Report – EBD #10.2 and EBD #10.3 (Exhibit 18 and 19)Barbara Stripling, Chair of the Task Force on Accreditation Process and Communication; Peter Hepburn, Chair of the Task Force on Context of Future Accreditation; and Mary Ghikas, ALA Senior Associate Executive Director, reported on recent plans and activities of the two task forces.

Final reports to the Board for both Task Forces are scheduled for the 2016 Annual Conference. However, both Task Forces may request extensions from the Board, in order to complete the work in a thorough manner.

Task Force on Accreditation Process and Communication Stripling explained that the Task Force is preparing a statement on the value of accreditation for the library and information studies (LIS) profession based on the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) statement on the value of accreditation for higher education. The Task Force is also gathering information on the accreditation process and communications during accreditation among the Office of Accreditation (OA), the Committee on Accreditation (COA), External Review Panel chairs, and LIS Programs. The Task Force has maintained a very positive relationship with all parties involved in the process.

The Communications and Process Subcommittee developed a 10-question survey that will be sent out in the coming weeks, tailored for three audiences: Deans, Directors, and Chairs; External Review Panel (ERP) Chairs; and Committee on Accreditation (COA) members. It is organized around the following categories: cost, effort, clear expectations, communications to LIS programs, value, and the ERP report.

One of the most common concerns that programs share with the Task Force is the amorphousness of the process. Programs often submit unnecessarily large amounts of data, because they are not clear about what the ERP and COA needs to see. The Task Force is discussing possible ways to alleviate this concern, including developing a checklist or rubric that provides substance to the standards, so programs have a better idea about what information is needed.

The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) Subcommittee prepared a timeline of the CAEP process. The Task Force will include the CAEP accreditation process in its

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report, but will not make recommendations for any changes in the process or communications, because those are determined by CAEP, rather than ALA.

The Statement of Value of Accreditation Subcommittee is preparing a joint statement from ALA and the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) that will cover two areas:

1. The value of accreditation to LIS education, the profession, libraries of all types, and the public.

2. The value of professional participation in the work of accreditation (through serving on COA and ERPs) for individual faculty members.

An open discussion ensued and Board members made the following comments: The Office for Library Advocacy is frequently contacted about the move toward

deprofessionalization of librarianship. Therefore, a statement on the importance of the masters of library and information studies (MLIS) is greatly needed.

ALA may want to examine the MLIS outside the accreditation process, possibly in a white paper.

Complexity arises when iSchools offer accredited MLIS degrees alongside related, but non-accredited degrees, particularly when administrative and financial resources are examined.

Task Force on Context of Future AccreditationThe task force is currently divided into three subgroups in order to manage the workflows more effectively: Research, Outreach, and Writing.

The Outreach group met with ALISE at its conference, just prior to this Midwinter Meeting, and is in contact with other interested parties within ALA, as well as in other associations, such as the American Society for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T).

The Writing subgroup set up a shared online workspace and plans to produce the Task Force’s final report and a shorter executive summary. It is currently awaiting input from the other subgroups before proceeding further.

Hepburn, along with Stripling and ALA Senior Associate Executive Director Mary Ghikas, met with the ALISE Council of Deans and Directors at the ALISE Conference on Thursday, January 7. He emphasized that both Task Forces work independently of the ALA Executive Board, and the Board has no preconceived vision about the content of the final Task Force reports.

The Task Force on Context of Future Accreditation met on January 7 and focused on the following themes/issues:

1. The Core Values of Librarianship should guide the work of the Task Force, as it looks towards future accreditation.

2. Many competing competencies exist and the Task Force must sort through them to determine how they connect or conflict with accreditation.

3. The Task Force should determine how badging, credentialing, and certification programs connect with accreditation.

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4. The current accreditation standards do not allow for flexibility and innovation, and as a result programs often move away from the standards, because the Standards have not kept up with the field.

At the 2015 Annual Conference, the ALA Executive Board recommended to Council a formal designation of a Dean/Director position on the COA roster, within the current committee structure. Appointment to that position will be made by the ALA appointing officer from a list of recommendations to be made by the ALISE Council of Deans and Directors. At its January 7 meeting, the ALISE Council of Deans and Directors discussed a proposal that recommends allocation of one half of the COA membership to deans, directors, and chairs. This structure would prove problematic, as it would make it difficult to maintain a balance among practitioners, administrators, and academics on COA.

Policy Revolution!/Information Policy Report – EBD #12.20 (Exhibit 20) Alan Inouye, Director, Office of Information Technology Policy (OITP), and Larra Clark, Deputy Director, OITP, provided an update on information policy strategies, including the Policy Revolution! initiative.

OITP activities at this Midwinter Meeting included: An information policy workshop for nearly 100 ALA member-leaders and staff. Participation in two discussions:

1. “Should There Be a Right to Be Forgotten?”: Panelists discussed the pros and cons of a European Union law that gives citizens the right to have links to certain personal information removed from the results of web searches involving his or her name.

2. “Creativity, Innovation and Change: Libraries Transform in the Digital Age!”: Panelists discussed how library professionals can further emphasize the critical value of libraries to decision-makers and influencers.

Hosted the Youth & Technology Forum Meeting, which explored how libraries can support the current national focus on increasing opportunities for youth in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) related fields.

The Policy Revolution! initiative released its “National Policy Agenda for Libraries” at the 2015 ALA Annual Conference and is now moving towards active engagement both within and beyond the library community. Related plans and activities include:

COSLA created a working group that focuses on the Policy Revolution! initiative. The group examines how the “National Policy Agenda for Libraries” intersects with state library issues.

ALA formed a partnership with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) in order to leverage local member agencies and libraries to help improve the financial lives of armed service members, veterans, and their families.

The organization of a Public Policy Advisory Council is underway and will be launched prior to the 2016 Annual Conference. The Council will be made up of leaders and innovators from a broad range of non-library sectors and provide strategic advice to and boost library national public policy engagement.

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To prepare for the upcoming transition to a new federal administration, OITP is conducting the background research needed to develop products that will appeal to the new administration, while also accommodating the needs of the library community. Relevant issues include entrepreneurship and employment, veterans and military families, and preserving the Nation’s cultural heritage.

OITP is organizing a national policy convening in Washington D.C. during National Library Week (April 10-16, 2016). The event will feature ALA President Sari Feldman and will target national policy-makers.

The Policy Revolution! grant expires at the end of 2016, and OITP is looking towards transitioning the initiative’s work into existing ALA bodies, such as the OITP Advisory Committee. In addition, OITP is exploring the idea of bringing together a cadre of member experts to serve as spokespeople for information policy issues such as copyright, digital preservation, etc.


New Board Member at Executive Board IIIAt this Midwinter Meeting, Council elected John DeSantis to fill the unexpired term of Gail A. Schlachter, who passed away in April 2015. His term will begin on January 12, 2016, at the third session of the Executive Board's Midwinter Meeting. Robert Banks had been reappointed to the Board on an interim basis from July 2015 through January 11, 2016 (the second session of the Executive Board's Midwinter Meeting.) The process for filling Board vacancies is outlined in the ALA Bylaws.

Council Session DiscussionBoard members noted that Council sessions at this Midwinter Meeting ended unusually early. The Board discussed ways to use the remaining time for in-depth discussion of a pre-selected topic. This issue will be discussed further at the 2016 Spring Executive Board Meeting.

The Board adjourned at 4:30 PM.

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Session Three

The Board convened at 1:30 PM on Tuesday, January 12, 2016, with President Sari Feldman presiding.

PRESENT: President Sari Feldman; President-elect Julie B. Todaro; Treasurer Mario Gonzalez; Immediate Past President Courtney Young; Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels; Executive Board members: John DeSantis; Loida A. Garcia-Febo; Peter Hepburn; Julius C. Jefferson, Jr., Sara Kelly Johns; Mike L. Marlin (via telephone); James G. Neal; and Gina Persichini (via telephone).

IntroductionsPresident Sari Feldman introduced James LaRue, Director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom to the Board.

Budget Analysis and Review (BARC) Report and Finance and Audit Committee (F&A) Report – EBD #3.2 and EBD #4.13 (Exhibits 21 and 22)ALA Treasurer Mario Gonzalez and Ann M. Martin, chair of the Budget Analysis and Review Committee, reported on the BARC, F&A, and Planning and Budget Assembly (PBA) meetings during the Midwinter Meeting.

FY 2015 Final Executive Summary - EBD #14.3 (Exhibit 23) Total ALA revenues were $51.7 million compared to the budget of $49.5 million. Expenses were impacted by lower expenses for the Divisions ($1.0 million) and the

General Fund ($722,000). General Fund revenues were $29.0 million compared to the budget of $29.5 million. Publishing produced net revenue of $630,000 and overhead of $3.2 million. General Fund expenses were $28.8 million compared to the budget of $29.5 million.

FY 2016 1st Quarter Financial Report - EBD #14.4 (Exhibit 24) Total ALA revenues of $10.2 million compared to the budget of $11.4 million. Total ALA expenses of $11.7 million compared to the budget of $12.4 million. General Fund revenues were $5.0 million compared to the budget of $5.2 million. General fund expenses were $6.0 million compared to the budget of $5.9 million.

FY 2017 Budget Instructions/Process Guidelines and Objective - INFO #1 (Exhibit 25)ALA Executive Director Keith Fiels and ALA Chief Financial Officer Mark Leon updated BARC and F & A on the 2017 budget instructions, noting the value and opportunity presented by management’s refinement of ALA’s five-year planning model/tool.

The current budget instructions do not include a salary increase, but management is working under the assumption that resources will be available to provide an increase. Major concerns for the 2017 budget include rising healthcare costs and ITTS investment.

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Proposed Presidential Initiative Budget - EBD #14.5 (Exhibit 26)President-Elect Julie Todaro presented her Presidential year budget. The focus of Todaro’s presidential initiative is “Libraries Transform: the Expert in the Library.”

On the recommendation of Finance and Audit Committee and BARC, the Executive Board

Voted to approve the proposed 2016-17 Presidential Initiative budget of President-Elect Julie Todaro in the amount of $75,000. EBD #14.5

Publishing Update - EBD #12.26 (Exhibit 27)Don Chatham, Associate Executive Director of Publishing, updated BARC and F & A on the first quarter operating results in the Publishing department and expectations for future activities. Publishing realized net expenses of ($122,375), which was less than the budget of $213,704 by ($336,079). Advertising revenue ($43,000) and subscription equivalents ($55,000) outperformed the budget, while Booklist ($64,000), Graphics ($55,000), ALA Editions ($191,000), and Neal Schuman ($31,000) underperformed budgeted net revenue.

Publishing expects that Neal Schuman will benefit from three major publications in the future and from filling the publisher position for ALA Editions. In addition, Publishing will soon be partnering with American Association of School Librarians (AASL) on the publication of AASL Standards using a new business model. If successful, that model could be used as a template for future collaboration with other divisions.

Planning and Budget Assembly (PBA)Board Members mentioned comments made at the Council Forum at this Midwinter Meeting. Several Councilors expressed disappointment with PBA, stating that it is merely a reporting structure that duplicates information heard in Council sessions and should be sun-setted. However, after speaking with Keith Michael Fiels, a Council member reported that members are encouraged to become more active and to redefine how PBA operates.

Controller’s Report – EBD #4.12 (Exhibit 28)Joanne Lee, Controller, presented the Controller’s Report to F&A. Highlights included the following:

As of November 30, 2015, the debt service coverage ratio was (-0.57), compared to (-0.25%) for the same time last year. Although negative, this is typical for this time of year as certain revenues, such as Publishing, are realized later in the year.

ALA’s cash to debt ratio was 5.52 compared to 4.32 for the same time last year. This is a strong indicator of the Association’s ability to cover its short term obligations.

Endowment Trustees Report – EBD #13.2 (Exhibit 29)ALA Treasurer Mario Gonzalez reported on the most recent position of ALA’s portfolio, its managers, and their performance.

The endowment fund is at $39,537,981, as of November 30, 2015, a 0.8% decline from last year.

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Issues impacting the market in the third quarter include a 0.25 point increase in the Federal Funds rate, the economic slowdown in China, and the highest market volatility since 2011.

The Endowment Trustees conducted two new Trustee orientations with its investment advisor and staff.

The Endowment Trustees added two private equity managers to the portfolio: Blackstone Group, LP ($2.0 million) and Kohlberg, Kravitz and Roberts & Co, LP ($750,000).

The Endowment Trustees are considering the investment of an additional $1.0 million in the Socially Responsible Investments asset class. The decision will depend on an impact study being prepared by Merrill Lynch.

Conference Services - EBD #12.18 and EBD #12.27 (Exhibit 30 and 31)Paul Graller, Manager of Conference Services, and Senior Associate Executive Director Mary Ghikas gave a recap of this Midwinter Meeting, presented the 2017 Midwinter and Annual Conference Skeleton Schedules, and presented a possible conference site change.

Total registration was 11,716 (8,094 members and 3,622 exhibitors). This is 219 more than last year’s Midwinter Meeting in Chicago, but 1,194 less than the 2014 Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia.

While exhibitors noted slower traffic on the exhibits floor, the quality of interactions was high. However, the number of exhibitors has decreased in recent years and exhibitors are purchasing smaller booths. Conference Services will conduct surveys in 2016 with exhibitors and attendees to better understand trends.

Many exhibitors (and possibly members) chose to attend the 2016 Public Library Association (PLA) Conference in April, rather than the Midwinter Meeting.

In the coming weeks, Conference Services will send email blasts to ALA members promoting the changes and enhancements that have been made in the Orlando Convention Center area, since the 2004 ALA Annual Conference.

The Board made the following changes to the 2017 Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference skeleton schedules:

o Move the Midwinter Meeting Council III session to 8:30am.o Move the Midwinter Meeting Executive Board III session to 1:00pm.o Remove the ALA-APA meeting from the Annual Conference schedule.


Voted to approve as amended the 2017 Midwinter Meeting (Atlanta) and Annual Conference (Chicago) skeleton schedule. EBD #12.18

In November 2009, ALA booked the 2015 and 2021 Annual Conferences in San Francisco. During the execution of the 2015 Annual Conference, it became clear that rising hotel rates in San Francisco and the significant expansion of the LGBT Pride Parade had created a problematic environment for the ALA Annual Conference. Costs, including staff resources and hotel rates, related to the conference had reached a point that seems economically unsustainable. Based on a

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legal review, ALA believes there is a basis for requesting cancellation of the site commitment for 2021. Should San Francisco not agree to cancellation, ALA will hold the 2021 Annual Conference there, but will not seek to contract for future conferences. Should San Francisco agree to cancellation, Conference Services proposes to seek a bid from them – along with other potential west coast sites – for a future Midwinter Meeting.


Voted to authorize ALA Conference Services to seek termination of a space hold in San Francisco for the 2021 ALA Annual Conference, but does not authorize payment of cancellation penalties. EBD #12.27

Information Technology and Telecommunications Services (ITTS) Update - EBD #12.22, EBD #12.23, EBD #12.24, EBD #12.25, and EBD #12.28 (Exhibit 32 through 36)Sherri Vanyek, Director, Information Technology and Telecommunication Services (ITTS), and Ron Block, Chair of the Website Advisory Committee, reported on current and future technology projects, the new responsive website design and search assessment, and the ITTS External Review.

Update on Current and Future ITTS Projects ITTS selected a new ecommerce system to replace the current system for membership

join, renewals, and donations. It will launch after this Midwinter Meeting. Phase two will be complete by the end of 2016 and will include chapter selection, corporate memberships, auto-renewal, and pledges for donations.

ITTS selected Higher Logic’s professional collaboration and community platform to replace the current ALA Connect, which is built in Drupal. The new system will keep the name ALA Connect and is scheduled for implementation in March/April 2016. ITTS will move all documents in the current system to the new system.

ALA eLearning, a new enhanced eLearning portal website, will replace the existing ALA Online Learning portal in 2016. The new site will be a comprehensive, easily navigated, one-stop resource where the global library community can find a full range of online continuing education and professional development opportunities offered by ALA and its divisions.

ITTS selected Veeam Cloud Connect for its disaster recovery infrastructure and will implement it in February 2016.

ITTS plans to move staff to the cloud-based Office 365 service to make remote access to Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook available through any web browser.

ITTS is currently investigating whether to upgrade to the latest version of Moodle (eCourse software used by several divisions) or to replace it with an alternative eCourse software.

ALA Website: New Responsive Design and Search AssessmentITTS plans to deploy the new responsive website template in February 2016. It incorporates suggestions made by the Board at its 2016 Fall Meeting, and will meet the growing demand for on-the-go access to ALA resources. Mobile users account for 10% of ALA website traffic, and that number is growing rapidly.

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At its 2016 Fall Meeting, the Board urged ITTS to significantly improve the ALA website search results before rolling out the website’s new responsive design. ITTS met with search engine consultants OpenSource Connections in December 2015 to work on recommendations for improving the search results and fine tuning the relevance ranking on the ALA website. As a temporary solution, ALA installed Google Custom Search, a free service, and search results have improved significantly.

On Friday, January, 8, OpenSource Connections released its draft report, “American Library Association Search Assessment” (EBD #12.28). The report outlines the website’s search challenges, and offers three possible solutions: Google Custom Search (which is now being used), an alternative paid third party service, or a standalone open source implementation. OpenSource Connections recommends that ALA move toward a standalone open source search implementation that will best allow ALA to umbrella its many diverse content areas effectively. While this option gives ALA the most control, it is also the most expensive and requires annual maintenance costs of approximately $80,000.

Keith Michael Fiels explained that ALA is planning on investing $75,000 in the current fiscal year towards implementing the search assessment recommendations. An exact amount is not yet available for FY 2017 and FY 2018.

As part of the search improvement process, ITTS is creating guidelines for content creators and is working with ALA staff to create quality, consistent metadata for webpages, documents, and other files. This project is ongoing, as there are 85,000 pages indexed by the search engine.

ALA Internal Information Technology (IT) ReviewIn October and November 2015, Sherri Vanyek and Keri Cascio, Executive Director, Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS), conducted an internal IT review. The review consisted of individual and group discussions of the ALA Strategic Technology Directions Update: 2016-2017 (EBD #12.22). During the discussions, staff stressed that a focus on member support and engagement tools would allow for advancement of the organization.

On January 28 and 29, 2016, ALA will undertake an external review of its information technology. The external reviewers will be Brian Schottlaender, the Audrey Geisel University Librarian at the University of California, San Diego, and Margo Pecoulas, Director of Information Technology at the American Academy of Periodontology. They were selected based on subject knowledge and expertise, understanding of the association environment, and understanding of ALA and its organizational structure.

The Board moved into closed session to review the ALA and joint standing committee appointments.

Wall Street Journal Letter to the EditorSari Feldman reported on a January 10, 2016, Wall Street Journal commentary entitled, “In Age of Google, Librarians Get Shelved.” Written by retiring librarian Steve Barker, the

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article is highly critical of librarianship and contains multiple inaccuracies regarding the state of the profession. ALA will release a response to the article in the coming days.

Accessibility Task ForceSari Feldman led a discussion on the newly created Accessibility Task Force, which will focus on accessibility of ALA conferences and meetings for people with disabilities. The Board provided suggestions for task force membership, including representation from the Conference Committee, Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), and the Retired Members Round Table. Mary Ghikas will serve as the staff liaison.

Council Session DiscussionAs a response to Council sessions that ended unusually early at this Midwinter Meeting, Sari Feldman led a discussion on ways to ensure that Council time is spent in a meaningful and productive way. Board members made the following comments:

Discussion groups could be formed to discuss pre-selected topics if additional time is available at the end of Council sessions.

The pre-selected topics could be determined by polling councilors prior to Annual Conferences and Midwinter Meetings. The topics may require the distribution of documents that provide background information.

Caucus discussions that typically occur after Council sessions could be rolled into the Council agenda. Additional ad-hoc caucuses could be set up for those councilors who are not interested in the established topics.

If enough time is available after a Council session, Council Forum could move from its regularly scheduled time and convene directly after the Council session.

It appears that much of the deep discussion on issues during the past few conferences and meetings has occurred during Council Forum, rather than during Council sessions.While Council Forums are valuable, it is important that substantive discussion also occurs in Council session, as those sessions are recorded, public forums, while Council Forums are private and unrecorded.

Part of the reason for reduced discussion during Council sessions may be the large number of new councilors this year. In addition, many councilors may feel more comfortable speaking during Council Forum, as it is a far more informal setting.

Council Orientation should provide more guidance to new councilors on how to effectively participate during Council sessions.

Executive Board Liaison Reports Board members shared highlights from their liaison visits during this Midwinter Meeting. Sara Kelly Johns commented on:

Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT) Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS) American Association of School Librarians (AASL)

Julius C. Jefferson, Jr. commented on: Joint Conference of Librarians of Color (JCLC)

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Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) Library Support Staff Interest Round Table (LSSIRT) ALA Awards Committee Center for the Future of Libraries Advisory Group Constitution and Bylaws Committee

Mike Marlin commented on: American Indian Library Association (AILA) American Libraries Advisory Committee Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) Committee on Organization REFORMA Committee on Membership Meetings

Loida Garcia-Febo commented on: ALA Policy Monitoring Committee Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) United for Libraries (UFL) Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) International Relations Committee International Relations Round Table (IRRT)

James Neal met with all divisions, round tables, and ethnic caucuses as part of his ALA presidential campaign.

Courtney Young commented on: Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) Round Table Coordinating Assembly Exhibits Round Table (ERT) Committee on Accreditation

Peter Hepburn commented on both his and Rob Bank’s visits: Committee on Professional Ethics Intellectual Freedom Committee Retired Members Round Table (RMRT) Scholarships and Study Grants Committee Federal and Armed Forces Libraries Round Table (FAFLRT) Library and Information Technology Association (LITA)

Mario Gonzalez commented on: Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Budget Analysis and Review Committee (BARC) Round Table Coordinating Assembly

Julie Todaro commented on: Publishing Committee

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Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT) Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) Task Force on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Sari Feldman commented on: Digital Content Working Group


The Board adjourned at 4:30 PM.

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