The American Library Association: Now and in the Future

Transcription

1 TEMA Читалиште 25 (новембар 2014) 19 УДК 02: (73)=111 Стручни рад The American Library Association: Now and in the Future Michael Dowling American Library Association International Relations Office, Chicago, USA Abstract The American Library Association is still a vibrant organization after nearly 140 years, but it faces challenges similar to those of other library associations to transform itself to continue to achieve its mission. Information is provided on ALA s current membership makeup, and its diversity of revenue sources. Four key action areas of ALA are highlighted that will be of major focus in the future: Equitable Access to Information and Library Services, Advocacy for Libraries and the Profession, Education and Lifelong Learning, and Transforming Libraries. Keywords: American Library Association, membership, recruiting, communication, future, transformation, advocacy, lifelong learning, professional development Introduction When American Library Association ALA was established back in 1876, it was a time of great changes for society and libraries. The telephone and the modern typewriter were just invented. Electric lights were in their infancy, and the invention of the phonograph was just a year away. The rapid introduction of new technologies and their integration into society and libraries sounds vaguely familiar 138 years later. Still, almost a century and a half later, the mission of ALA remains the same: To provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all. How to succeed in the mission has changed over time with every new opportunity and new challenge. Compared with other national library associations, ALA s size and scale may be hard to imagine, but ALA battles the same basic issues as other associations. ALA s current key action areas are: Advocacy for Libraries and the Profession Diversity Education and Lifelong Learning Equitable Access to Information and Library Services Intellectual Freedom Literacy Organizational Excellence Transforming Libraries. 1 These eight areas are those on which ALA has focused its attention the last few years. I won t discuss ALA s activities in all these key action areas, but will highlight activities in four areas identified by ALA for strengthening in 2015: Equitable Access to Information and Library Services, Advocacy for Libraries and the Profession, Education and Lifelong Learning, and Transforming Libraries. First, I will provide a brief background on factors leading ALA to this decision. ALA Membership Currently, ALA has members. Ninety-five percent of ALA members are personal members. 1 ALA, About ALA, American Library Association, aboutala/

2 20 Читалиште 25 (новембар 2014) TEMA Institutions make up 5 percent of membership. Of the number of librarians in the United States, around 30 percent are members of ALA. 2 Since members don t have to be from the United States, ALA has nearly 2,000 members from 100 countries. ALA personal membership dues for U. S. members are $133 per year; for international members, $80. Internal surveys of membership show the majority join for the top three reasons that the association offers: Professional Development and Continuing Education Professional Connections Support the Profession As such a large organization, ALA has created smaller parts within itself where members can find a home. Members are able to join 11 divisions, based on library type or type of library service, and 21 round tables or special interest groups. To become a member of a division or round table, members must pay an additional membership fee set by the division or round table. Membership has declined in ALA since 2005 due to a number of factors. The largest factor was the long, deep recession, which forced individuals or libraries to cut back on their memberships. Another large factor is the aging of the largest section of professionals in the United States. Those from the post World War II baby boom are retiring. Faced with these challenges, ALA has taken a couple of steps to stabilize membership and the revenue it brings into the association. Successful steps include recruiting and retaining the next generation of librarians. In 2000, only 30 percent of library school students became ALA members. The organization created joint memberships with many state library associations, which are separate organizations from ALA, with their own membership dues and activities. Although separate associations, the state associations are considered ALA Chapters, each having a representative on ALA s policy-making Council. Now around 50 percent of library school students join ALA, and students now make up close to 10 percent of membership. ALA has now created specific resources and opportunities for these 2 ALA, Chapter Relations Office, American Library Association, student engaged in the association, which are found on the new Student Member Support Portal. 3 ALA has a new emerging leaders program, and a student-to-staff initiative, in which students get free housing and registration to work at ALA s Annual Conference. To help combat the loss of members leaving the workforce but to keep them as members, ALA created a new Retired Members round table. Other new round tables ALA has created include Games and Gaming and Sustainability. Associations need to be flexible to allow adjustment in their sections so they continue to be a viable organization for their members needs and desires. Effective communication is vital, and ALA also has adjusted how it communicates with members. Now there is a weekly e-newsletter sent to members. This provides more constant and fresh communication in addition to its print magazine. ALA normally waited around 10 years to try to go to membership for approval of a dues increase. This always left membership revenue lagging. Last year membership approved annual gradual increases tied to the consumer price index from the previous year. ALA Revenue and Staffing ALA is able to do what it does because it creates enough resources (revenue) to employ a staff of 250. Most work in Chicago, but ALA has an office in Washington, D.C., that lobbies for libraries with the federal government. Membership dues make up only 17 percent of ALA s annual revenue of 50 million dollars. The largest portion of revenue, 37 percent, comes from publishing activities: books on all aspects of librarianship, subscriptions to book review publications, advertising, and promotional material (e.g., the famous ALA celebrity Read posters). The next largest revenue producer, at 26 percent, is conferences and other professional development learning opportunities. An independent NGO, ALA does not receive any direct money from the government, but is able to apply and obtain government grants. These grants bring in around 12 percent of ALA s yearly revenue. The remaining revenue is made from other sources. 3 ALA, Student Member Support Portal, American Library Association,

3 TEMA Читалиште 25 (новембар 2014) 21 Whereas most associations primarily rely on membership dues and conference-related registration fees for income, ALA creates revenue from diverse resources. Although ALA creates a lot of revenue, it also creates a lot of expenses. Whether a national library association has a 50 million dollar budget, or a $5,000 budget, it needs to effectively manage income and expenses. Equitable Access to Information and Library Services E-books ALA has invested a lot of energy the last few years engaging the U.S. publishing community to allow access and lending of e-books in public libraries. Major publishers initially refused to offer their titles through public libraries, dramatically raised prices to get access if allowed, and introduced new restrictions on lending. In 2012 ALA created a Digital Content Working Group of expert members to advise the association on issues related to e-books. It has been long road. Although there is still more to work on, major publishers now have seen the light that it is okay to provide their e-books collections to public libraries. This is a similar issue to what Europe is now facing. Although the Serbian publishing community is small, it is important that it understands that libraries are valuable customers, and accessing and lending their e-books is not going to destroy their business. Broadband Internet Access and Net Neutrality Information may be available but if Internet connections are too slow in libraries it creates unequal access throughout the country. ALA worked with the U.S. Congress to include a provision in the 1996 Telecommunications Act so that customers pay a small extra fee in their monthly charges to provide discounts to schools and libraries for their Internet connectivity. The program is up for review, and ALA is providing input on why it is still needed, including what can make the program better. Part of ALA s effort includes research to get good data on the situation across the country. With help from a government grant, ALA s Digital Inclusion Survey provides a great map of variations in digital services across the country. High-speed connectivity through fiber optics and other means, however, can be undermined if telecommunication and cable companies have their way. They are pressing government to be allowed to create a tiered system for the Internet. Those that can pay more would be allowed the faster speeds, while those who can t pay premium costs, like libraries, would get stuck again in the slow lane. ALA has aligned itself with numerous other organizations and groups, especially others involved in higher education, to strongly advocate for Net Neutrality. The coalition released a set of net neutrality principles decision to protect the openness of the Internet. Advocacy for Libraries and the Profession Public Awareness In this digital age, many still think libraries are not long for this earth. Therefore, ALA has constantly made an effort to provide visibility for libraries and the profession through various advocacy initiatives. In 2001 ALA began the Campaign for America s Libraries to promote the value of libraries and librarians around the brand your library. IFLA and ALA have partnered to create the Campaign for World s Libraries, 4 which over 35 countries and regions have used to create their own public awareness initiatives your library in their own languages. Library associations in Bulgaria, Romania, and Latvia have successfully built on campaigns created by others, or created their own unique campaigns, such as Go your library and Fundamental your library. It s Not Just National Library Week ALA has found that trying to highlight libraries once a year, during a national library day or national library week, for example, is not enough. ALA has created, or participates with partners year-round to highlight what libraries are doing, or what they are about. During designated months or weeks throughout the year, ALA and libraries celebrate Library Card Sign-up Month, Banned Books Week, Teen Read Week, Preservation Week, Privacy Week, Money Smart Week, Teen Tech Week, and others. 4 IFLA, Campaign for the World s Libraries, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions,

4 22 Читалиште 25 (новембар 2014) TEMA The Power of Social Media ALA has increasingly embraced social media as communication pathways to get our message out to the public, as these are where more and more of the public hangs out, and finds its news and information. The advantage for all library associations, not just ALA, is that the costs to get out the message through social media are low. Now all ALA press releases, reports on studies related to libraries, and library interest stories are dispersed through Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Pinterest. These messages instantly go out to thousands of followers. Education and Lifelong Learning For ALA, Education and Lifelong Learning is split between those activities for the library profession itself, and secondly for the public. ALA emphasizes the need for all librarians and library staff to be continually learning. Today it is imperative to keep up with all the changes that impact jobs. ALA accredits library and information science programs at the Master s degree level in the United States and Canada, which ALA policy considers the professional degree needed by a librarian. It is beyond the Master s degree that ALA gears its professional development opportunities. ALA continues to have its large annual conference and other face-toface events, but more and more professional development opportunities are now accomplished online. Every year ALA units create hundreds of webinars, online courses, and streaming videos that allow librarians, wherever they may be in the world, to access these learning opportunities. Most require a small fee, discounted for members, but some are free to the registrants if a sponsor is found for the events. During the recession, with so many people losing their jobs, libraries were rediscovered as a place for individuals to update or learn new skills. Many of the unemployed left jobs that did not require a lot of computer skills, but now even job applications have to be filled out online. Through its research, ALA can show that nearly all public libraries offer tech training, workforce programs, and online job resources. The result is that last summer President Obama signed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, a law that will open access to federal funding support to public libraries for effective job training and job search programs. This is the first time that libraries are now eligible to apply for these types of grants. Transforming Libraries Turning Libraries Outward This brings us to the newest key action area for ALA that looks beyond just the now and into the future. ALA s Libraries Transforming Communities initiative seeks to strengthen librarians roles as core community leaders and change-agents. Communities have challenges. Libraries can help. ALA is developing and distributing new tools, resources, and support for librarians to engage with their communities in innovative ways. This is not just for public libraries, but libraries of all types. Libraries need to become more connected to their communities and achieve a domino effect of positive results, including stronger relationships with local civic agencies, non-profits, funders and corporations, and greater community investment in civility, collaboration, education, and health and well-being. Looking to the Future Libraries of all types and the communities they serve are undergoing transformational changes. To successfully address these changes, library planners and community leaders need information resources and tools that will help them understand and address the trends reshaping libraries and their communities. To be able to continue to be a leader in shaping the library community, ALA has recently created the Center for the Future of Libraries. 5 The Center is designed to: Help libraries explore changes in our environment and productively plan for the future; Look at library leadership and management, the library workforce, physical space, services, user expectations, and more; and Monitor and contextualize trends that will be of importance to libraries and librarians. 5 ALA, Center for the Future of Libraries, American Library Association, (accessed October 8, 2014).

5 TEMA Читалиште 25 (новембар 2014) 23 Sources: 1. ALA. About ALA. American Library Association ALA. Center for the Future of Libraries. American Library Association ALA. Chapter Relations Office. American Library Association. (accessed October 8, 2014). 4. ALA. Student Member Support Portal. American Library Association IFLA. Campaign for the World s Libraries. International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. Америчкo библиотекарско удружење: сада и убудућe Резиме У раду је представљена тренутно највећа библиотекарска асоцијација на свету Америчко библиотекарско удружење (ALA), које има око чланова. Деведесет пет процената чланова Удружења су појединци, док преосталих пет процената чланства чине институције. У рад удружења укључено је око тридесет посто од укупног броја библиотекара у Сједињеним Америчким Државама, а будући да чланство није територијално ограничено, у Удружењу има готово чланова из стотину различитих земаља света. Износ појединачне чланарина за библиотекаре из САД је 133 долара годишње, а за чланове из других земаља 80 долара. Интерна испитивања чланства показују да превасходни мотив за укључивање у рад ALA-е представљају три погодности које ово удружење пружа: стручно усавршавање и континуирано образовање, професионалне везе и подршка професији. С друге стране, главни извор прихода Удружења не представља чланарина, него богата издавачка делатност асоцијације од које ALA остварује чак 37% од свог годишњег буџета. После готово 140 година постојања, Америчко библиотекарско удружење је још увек витална и динамична организација, али се и оно суочава са сличним изазовом са каквим се суочавају и друга библиотекарска удружења с неопходношћу да се трансформише како би наставило да остварује своју мисију. Истакнуте су четири кључне области, које ће убудуће бити у фокусу активности Удружења: равноправан приступ информацијама и библиотечким услугама, залагање за библиотеке и библиотекарску професију, образовање и доживотно учење и трансформација библиотека. Кључне речи: Америчко библиотекарско удружење, чланство, кадровска политика, комуникација, будућност, трансформација, заступање интереса, доживотно учење, стручно усавршавање Примљено: 2. октобра Исправке рукописа: 10. октобра Прихваћено за објављивање 14. октобра 2014.