|
Idaho Librarian
Volume 51 Number 6
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE One of the important functions of your association is sharing our expertise on library matters with elected and appointed officials: what the world usually refers to as Lobbying. We are incorporated as a non-profit organization under US Code Title 26 501 c 6: "Business leagues, chambers of commerce, real-estate boards, boards of trade, or professional football leagues (whether or not administering a pension fund for football players), not organized for profit and no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual." Under this statute, we could be promoting playoffs between the Academic Avengers and the Public Library Panthers, but instead we prefer to advance the cause of libraries in the public service. Because the majority of funds for our libraries comes from the public purse, and is mediated by the practice of politics on the local, state, and national levels, it behooves us to learn how to "play the game" along with the other organizations and interest groups who also share our source of funding. Last year we entered into a relationship with a professional lobbyist, and immediately met with remarkable success in our legislative efforts. However, John Watts would be the first to tell you that there is no substitute for personal relationships with your representatives, and grass roots efforts extended over a long period of time. I urge you to get to know those who represent you in the legislature, and acquaint them with the issues you deal with daily. Organize a local "legislative send-off" and equip them with your views on issues that will come up in the current session. If you can, invite them to the Association's Legislative Breakfast in the Statehouse at 7:30- 9:30 am on January 12, 2000, and join us yourself to help inform the legislature to make the best decisions possible. We are developing Association positions on the issues we expect to face in the upcoming legislative session. Although we are carrying no bills we expect the session to be lively—Get Involved! Ron Force
ACADEMIC AND SPECIAL LIBRARIES DIVISION REPORT On the ride back from Boise to Pocatello from my first executive board meeting during the first week of November, I learned that the Academic/Special Libraries Division has a total of 70 members. This makes us the smallest ILA division; however, that should not deter us from our participation and contribution to the organization. I am sure that each member has a lot to offer to the organization; we just need to find the time and make an effort to get involved. If you have not visited the ILA web site recently, do so. The Academic/Special Division member list is posted. We have no excuse for not communicating! Hello, I am Rosmarie (Romy) Fouad, your newly elected Academic/Special Libraries Division Chair. If you were at the annual division meeting, you know that my predecessor, Jennifer Ashby, made revisions to our bylaws, which were voted on and were passed at that meeting. In addition to some changes to the language, probably the major change is in the term for the division chair, which is now two years rather than one year. Since my term did not fall under the new bylaws, members who were present at the division meeting voted to let the executive committee decide upon the length of my term in order to accommodate an alternating schedule for new division chairs. I am happy to report that I have the privilege to lead and represent our division over the next two years. For those who do not know me, I am the Coordinator of Instructional and Off-Campus Services at the Idaho State University Eli M. Oboler Library. I have been in this position since November 1995, but have served at Idaho State University much longer, teaching English and Foreign Language before joining the Library faculty. My professional goal has been, and still is, to raise awareness among faculty, students and administrators that a conceptual approach to library instruction is essential for patrons to achieve life-long research and information processing skills. I think in that regard academic and school libraries, for example, have a common goal and could collaborate on projects much more than they do. My goal as chair of the academic/special libraries division is to promote awareness of our membership within the division and beyond. I encourage you to communicate and share with me your ideas and insights on issues affecting academic and special libraries in Idaho, but also possible ideas for collaboration with other divisions. Thus I would like to pose the following questions: what are some of the major issues or problems that will affect our libraries in Idaho over the next two years or beyond? How do our libraries, academic and special, fit under the umbrella of the ILA, in other words what do we have to offer each other and other divisions? I challenge you to respond to these questions. Depending on the response I get, I might consider setting up a discussion forum for our division. Please also note that I am your representative to the executive board and the conference planning committee. I would welcome any ideas you might have for presenters at our next conference, but I need those before the January planning meeting. Please do not hesitate to contact me with issues, questions, or insights! I am looking forward to serving you over the next two years. Rosmarie (Romy) H. Fouad
PNLA REPRESENTATIVE'S REPORT This is my first Pacific Northwest Library Association report to the members of the Idaho Library Community. I attended a very productive PNLA board meeting in late October. This report is a summary of major decisions and actions from that meeting. PNLA is working towards establishing an adult book award. Money has to be raised to fund the award and a committee established to write the procedures. It is envisioned that titles to be considered each year will be gathered from reader suggestions and then there will be a two-stage jury process to select the winners in fiction and non-fiction categories. The committee to collect academic library statistics has been resurrected, as has the Bibliography Committee. The PNLA board voted to disband interest groups and to replace them with round tables. Round tables will function in a similar way to interest groups but will be much more fluid and informal as no chair, budget or reports will be required. The Board held an extensive discussion about hiring an executive assistant but did not reach a decision. Related to this and related to membership recruitment, the position of 2nd vice-president will be retained for one more term. The Public Library Association will meet in Seattle in February 2004. The PNLA webmaster is resigning. The position will be advertised soon. Congratulations to Elizabeth Martin of the Boise Basin Library in Idaho City for winning free registration to the joint PNLA/BCLA conference in Kelowna, BC in May 2000. The theme for this conference is "Celebrating Excellence." The 2001 conference will be in Corvallis, OR and the theme is "Libraries in the Pacific Rim." Janet Strong
DRAFT ILA EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING MINUTES April 13, 1999, Lewiston Present: Larry Almeida, Jennifer Ashby, Charles Bolles, Kevin Booe, Ruth Cochran, Marlene Earnest, Ron Force, Barbara Greever, Max Leek, Lynn Melton, Jennifer O'Laughlin, Sandra Shropshire, John Watts, Dawn Wittman, Camille Wood President Dawn Wittman called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Additions to the Proposed Agenda: 1. Reciprocal member rates for annual conferences (Montana). 2. Duties of Exhibits Chair. 3. LibIdaho discussion about the Idaho Librarian. Minutes of the January 18, 1999 Meeting: Correction: Ashby will be sending a follow-up membership mailing to non-members in academic and special libraries. Moved (Shropshire/Ashby) that the minutes be approved as corrected, passed unanimously. Board reports: President: Montana Library Association proposal: At the January 18 meeting, the Board agreed that ILA and MLA would keep each other informed of program and conference information. ILA proposed that ILA and MLA offer reciprocal conference rates for members, with a differential of $25 between members and non-members for the full conference, and $15 between members and non-members for one-day attendance. Wittman sent MLA a letter detailing these proposals, but MLA has not yet responded. (Their Executive Director resigned recently, so word may be forthcoming when that office is filled.) No word from Stan Steiner (Boise State University) about his grant application to the Albertsons Foundation to establish an annual Idaho children's book award. Ravens Maps and Images would like to give some free maps to ILA institutional members. Moved (Almeida/O'Laughlin) that ILA send Ravens Maps and Images a list of the ILA institutional members, passed unanimously. First Vice President: Force reported that annual conference planning is going well, although we still need a couple of speakers. Plans should be finalized by the end of April. There will be two preconferences—one on advocacy, and one on the move to OCLC. Equipment for annual conference presentations: In the absence of a formal policy, Force has decided that this year ILA will supply projectors, but speakers must bring their own laptops for presentations. We'll see how this goes, and discuss what the policy should be at a future Board meeting. Force does not yet have a list of what each speaker will require. Second Vice President: Almeida announced that the Spring Conferences are underway. The budgets that were submitted were ok, but none of the final figures are available yet. One region (North) did not ask for seed money. ILA banners/signs need to be done and sent to the regions earlier next time, if everyone is to use them. In terms of planning, it is not clear that everyone's expectations are the same, or that communication is flowing freely. There is no clear set of guidelines for conference chairs, and Almeida plans to put together a new set so that everyone knows what is expected of them. The Second Vice President should review the documentation at the end of each regional conference, and the guidelines and other documentation must go to the new regional conference chairs as soon as they are appointed! Tension between regions and overall questions about organization can be avoided by handing out the information in advance of any group planning sessions. Past President: Price was unable to attend, but sent two written reports. 1. The Nominating Committee has candidates to run for four of seven offices. 2. Price attended the 30th anniversary celebration of the Office of Intellectual Freedom and the Freedom to Read Foundation at the ALA annual conference in Philadelphia, January 29-February 1, 1999. Treasurer: Shropshire distributed the budget figures for 1999 YTD. Most of the membership renewals are in, but a few continue to trickle in. The figures are lower than last year, but there will be a surge in October at annual conference time. (There hasn't been a similar surge in membership coinciding with the regional conferences.) As of now, the Trustees/Friends and Educational Media divisions' numbers are down. When we next print membership forms, we should print a lot more in the original run, so that they can go into the spring and annual conference mailings, and elsewhere. Some of the Intellectual Freedom Auction proceeds went to support Price's trip to ALA Midwinter. Moved (Booe/Bolles) that the Treasurer's report be accepted as presented, passed unanimously. State Librarian: Bolles reported that LiLI is funded through December 2000. It is separated into two budgets—one through the Library Services Improvement Fund administrated by the Idaho State Library (ISL), and one through the Department of Education (DOE). The ISL portion is secure, but it is less certain what will happen in the future in DOE, since ISL has no control over what DOE asks for in its budget. Some want the public school funding segmented from the rest of the funds, and by next year ISL will know more about the proportions of public school usage of LiLI as compared to other usage. DOE has been supportive, but LiLI is a tiny amount of their budget, and we don't want it to "fall through the cracks." The State Library spent much of January working on the Gates Internet Accessibility Program. The Gates Foundation will be contacting libraries. The Z39.50 interface (to allow patrons to search all Z39.50-compliant library catalogs in Idaho simultaneously) turned out to be a more complex undertaking than originally expected. The project went out for bids this week. (The ISL fiscal year ends June 30.) Division Chairs: Educational Media Division: Earnest submitted a written report. She added that they are still looking for an administrator and legislators to add to the Idaho School Library Media Program Coalition. Public Library Division: Leek reported that the Division's proposed bylaws had been widely circulated, and one comment had been received. The changes need to be approved by the Division members, and this may best be accomplished at the annual meeting in October. The proposed bylaws include the creation of the Public Library of the Year Award. As of now, there is no funding for it, no publicity, and no nominations. The first award is planned for the year 2000. Trustees/Friends Division: O'Laughlin submitted a written report. She recommended that the Division be eliminated, and the members join whichever remaining Division best fits their needs. To do this, the ILA Constitution and Bylaws would need to be changed by the membership at the October 1999 ILA annual conference. If passed, the changeover would happen in 2001, and later there might need to be changes made in the Public Library Division. Academic/Special Libraries Division: Ashby submitted a written report. Other reports: Membership Committee: Cochran presented a written proposal keyed to the ILA Strategic Plan 1998-2001, Goal 1, Objectives 1-2. Much discussion ensued. Moved (Bolles/Earnest) that Wood attend an all-day preconference on "Membership Recruitment, Retention and Recognition: A How-To for State and Regional Library Associations" to be held Friday, June 25, 1999 in New Orleans, pre-ALA; that ILA pay the $50 registration fee. Passed unanimously. Shropshire will generate some figures on current dues so that the Board can discuss the fiscal implication of a dues cap when they meet in October. Now, around 20 personal members pay $75 in dues ($50,000 salary), and 3 pay over $100. In 1998, ILA's income from memberships was $15,500 out of $68,000—less than ¼. "Goal 1, objective 1, activity 1.10: Create a first-year, one-time only membership with dues of $15. Implement in 2000." Moved (Booe/Force) that the Board approve in concept and work out the details later, passed unanimously. Now that Cochran has feedback from the Board, she will revise the plan, and will have concrete proposals for the October meeting. Legislative Committee and Lobbyist: Melton introduced John Watts, ILA's legislative lobbyist. Watts submitted a written report. He remarked that this first year as lobbyist for ILA was a learning experience. ILA needs to do a better job of enlisting its membership to speak to legislators—this type of communication is very effective when it happens. Watts encouraged the Board to think about the "big picture": where have we gone in the last decade, and what is in store? 1. In 2002 we'll see reapportionment and a reconfiguration of all legislative districts. Seats will shift to urban and suburban areas, and rural areas will lose seats. 2. Even if legislators do repeal term limits, it won't happen until 2002. There will be a whole new set of legislators with little experience, little historical perspective, and little understanding of the "big picture." By 2004, there will be 95% change/turnover. Melton emphasized that ILA needs to be aware of what term limits will do to us. We have credibility now, but what if no one remembers in the future, because they are all new? Melton reported that the 1999 Legislative Breakfast went well. Some local librarians and trustees had contacted their legislators, and some legislators had contacted their local librarians before the breakfast. In the future, if ILA is the primary sponsor for legislation, members need to know about it so that they can work with the legislators beforehand. Members of the library community attending the breakfast shouldn't go there "cold"—know at least the ideas by September 1. Watts reminded the Board that there is an opportunity now to get involved in Governor Kempthorne's reading initiative. Board members were receptive to the idea, but reminded Watts that ILA represents a broad range of libraries, not just public libraries. PNLA Representative: Booe submitted a written report of the PNLA Board's activities at its March 5-7 meeting. Price will be running for PNLA President. ALA Councilor: Wood reported on news from the Midwinter conference. Communications/Advocacy: Booe and Wittman surveyed ILA Speakers' Network members to see what direction they thought the network should take. Many members were no longer in the state or in library work, and those who were had not been active recently. The draft communications plan (August 11, 1998) for ILA will be back on the table at the October meeting. The consensus among Board members was that there needs to be something positive and ongoing. ILA Strategic Plan: Goal 1: Moved (Wood/Booe) that the text be accepted as submitted, passed unanimously. Goal 2: objective 1, activity 2: Communication plan to be revised and introduced to the membership at the annual conference in October 2000. Goal 3, objective 1, activity 1: The Conference Committee will provide an annual conference program on the confidentiality of records by 2000. Goal 4, objective 1: Annually, 75% of the membership of the Idaho Library Association will participate in an ILA-organized continuing education event. Objective 2, activities 1-2: delete. Moved (Bolles, Ashby) approval of goals 2-4 as revised by discussion above, goal 5 as submitted. Passed unanimously. Ad Hoc Communications/Web Guidelines Committee: Almeida presented a revised draft of the ILA Website Guidelines. The main item of discussion was the section on advertising. Paragraph 2 was revised to read "For information about inclusion on the Sponsor's Page, or if you have questions about advertising in general, contact the ILA Annual Conference Exhibits Chair." Base rates for advertising on the web page were set at $25 per year if an exhibitor at the annual conference, $50 per year if not an exhibitor at the annual conference. Rates for more than basic advertising are to be negotiated by the exhibitor with the ILA Webmaster and the ILA Annual Conference Exhibits Chair. Moved (O'Laughlin, Booe) that the sponsorship rates be set at the level discussed above, passed unanimously. Restructuring Committee: Wood distributed two proposals. The first suggests the reduction of the total presidential term from 4 years to 3 years, the elimination of the position of second vice-president, and the creation of a new position of conference chair and chair-elect. It has already appeared in the Idaho Librarian. The second suggests that the Trustees/Friends Division be dissolved. It will be included in the upcoming conference mailing. Both proposals will be voted on at the membership meeting at the annual conference in October. ILA logo: Moved (Leek/Almeida) that the current logo (Idaho map and book) be retained, passed unanimously. Board Meeting dates: October 6, 4-6 p.m., October 9, 8:30 a.m.-noon. October agenda items: The question of turning the Idaho Librarian into an electronic publication. Meeting adjourned at 3:00 p.m.
ILA EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING MINUTES October 6, 1999
Present Charles Bolles, Susannah Price, Larry Almeida, Max Leek, Jennifer O'Laughlin, Sandi Shropshire, Dawn Wittman, Mary Edmonds, Karen Labuik, Erin McCusker, Christine Reynolds, Janet Strong, Ron Force, Ruth Cochran, Kevin Booe, Camille Wood, Robert Wright, Marlene Earnest, Jennifer Ashby, Rosmarie Fouad, Dan Lester. Call to Order The Executive Board Meeting was called to order at 4:15pm. Announcements/Welcome Dawn Wittman, President, asked people to introduce themselves and to include their position on the Board and what library each person represents. Barbara Greever, ILA secretary, will not be in attendance due to family emergency. Christine Reynolds we begin her responsibilities to facilitate the recording of the minutes. Revisions to Proposed Agenda Changes to the Proposed Agenda include: Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Idaho Librarian editor, will give her report at the Saturday October 9, 1999, Executive Board meeting. Minutes of the April 13, 1999, meeting will not be approved until the October 9, 1999, meeting to allow the Board members an opportunity to review them. Board Reports President Wittman read a request from Public Library Association asking for ILA's formal support of their request to hold PLA 2004 Conference in the Northwest. Moved (Bolles/Almeida) that ILA email a formal letter of support for a PLA 2004 Conference in the Northwest, passed unanimously. Dan Steiner is developing a grant proposal (possibly an Albertson's grant) to help fund a book award for children. This book award will focus on literature for kindergarten through third grade and will be channeled through Idaho Library Association. The target age range was selected to avoid conflict with the Young Reader's Choice Award sponsored by Pacific Northwest Library Association. As a show of support for regional library associations, Montana Library Association has created a hyperlink from their homepage to Idaho Library Association's homepage. Wittman suggested that Dan Lester, ILA Webmaster, create a link to other regional library associations in addition to the hyperlink to Pacific Library Association. First Vice-President Ron Force announced that the conference programs are late arriving. Christine DeZelar-Tiedman encountered car problems in route from Moscow and the programs are with her. An early estimate of the conference revenues shows a $6000 profit. Second Vice-President Larry Almeida reported that each Spring Regional Conference was successful. Each region has a chairperson who will succeed for developing next year's conferences. It was noted that the regional conference chairpersons needed ILA Board approval (Kevin Booe). In further discussion, it was concluded that no second to the motion was required. Passing on guidelines to each regional chairperson would be helpful in structuring next year's (2000) conferences. Almeida indicated that ILA has a 501C6-- would we might also need a 501C3 to enable the Association to accept donations that are tax deductible? Other recommendations discussed in the ALA Orientation meeting included: associations are more solvent with a savings of one year expenses; and associations should require two signatures on checking accounts for increased accountability. Treasurer Sandi Shropshire highlighted several items of interest: Lobbyist expenses is a new line item for this past budget year; reports for a four year membership review and a current bank account review; a subset of the budget features the current financial conference report; and an eight year history of conference financial activities. Wittman reminded Board members to give Shropshire their budget requests by October 9, 1999, Executive Board meeting. Past President Susannah Price, as chair of the nominating committee, reported there is still confusion on the membership's voting practices. Many members invalidate their ballots as they vote for more than one division. Does the ballot need to be changed, and if so, how can the ballot be changed to devise a better ballot with clearer instructions? Other suggestions from the Board included improving on the timeliness of receiving the conference packet and ballot. Allowing electronic or fax return of the ballots may also facilitate more returns as this year's ballot resulted in only ten percent of the membership electing new members to the Board. Price noted no reference in the Association Bylaws to destroy the ballots. State Librarian No report. Division Chairs Wittman charged the division chairs to look at their bylaws and the staggered election process, then report the results at the Saturday Executive Board meeting. Academic/Special Jennifer Ashby indicated the Division would be reviewing their bylaws. Ed. Media Marlene Earnest highlighted the assistance of Marj Hooper and Gard Hanks as consultants to create a strategic plan for the implementation of certificated librarians in public schools. Public Library Max Leek reported that the Public Library Standards are viewable via the Internet and that he expected no Division action on them. Even though the Division bylaws are viewable on the Internet, Leek has not received much response to the suggested changes. 2000 will be the first year a public library will receive the Library of the Year Award. Trustee/Friends Jennifer O'Laughlin indicated the Division meeting would be focused on the proposed dissolution of the division. The majority of memberships are paid for through public library funds. If the Division is dissolved, issues such as how the group will make the transition into the Public Library Division will need to be reviewed. Leek indicated that Marshall Public Library would continue to support library trustees with paid membership either as division members of the Trustee Division or the Public Library Division. PNLA Representative Kevin Booe reported on the successful PNLA conference with 220 in attendance. Fiscally, PNLA is doing well. Karin Labuik, PNLA president was introduced to the Board at this time. ALA Representative Camille Wood presented a written Annual Conference Highlights report. Also discussed were the censorship problems experienced recently by the Nampa Public Library. As a result of the conflict, the Nampa City Council withheld $50,000 of library funding. Committee Reports Scholarship Trustee, librarian, scholarship, and legislative awards of the year will be presented at the Thursday, October 7, 1999, banquet. Booe indicated that a written committee report would be available after the conference. Website / Advertisements Dan Lester requested input on changing servers for the website. The current sever, Micron, is charging $5.00 per month and supports limited visual appeal. If the Board decides to use another server based in Michigan for the ILA website, the cost would be $10.00 - our current budgeted amount for web hosting. The advantage of using a different server is that it supports Webpage 2000 - a more interactive format. If Micron would continue to be used, the charge for a comparable service would be $75.00 per month. It was a consensus of that board that no vote was needed, as the affected budget amount does not change. Lester was advised to the make the change as requested. Material sent to Lester for the ILA website should be in ASCII, Word, Corel - any format which can then be transferred electronically. Column or tabular information is best facilitated in spreadsheet formats such as Excel - do not use tabs. Lester is planning on mounting photographs of the current conference onto the website to improve its visual appeal. Officer, Division, and Committee reports should be sent to the secretary (Reynolds), who will then send the information to Lester for the ILA website and to DeZelar-Tiedman for the Idaho Librarian. Refer to ILA Website Guidelines. Communications / Advocacy Wittman and Booe recommend that the Speakers Network Committee and Idaho Library Advocates Network be dissolved. No vote is required to dissolve an ad hoc committee. The Public Relations and Advocacy Committee will continue the role of advocacy to better reflect the objectives of the Association's mission of advocacy. The reorganized Public Relations and Advocacy Committee can help speak out concerning such issues as the Nampa Public Library censorship challenge. The Committee can help promote positive aspects of libraries. Membership Ruth Cochran responded to several suggestions to change the membership form. Changing forms is confusing and she recommends that the form should not change. Some discussion about changing the membership year from October to October may be less confusing for the membership as the date would coincide with the annual conference. Another suggestion was to place the membership form on the ILA website. Division chairs need to let Cochran know if they want additional forms for their own division mailings or if the membership forms need to be sent out in the regional conference mailings (regional conference mailings are sent to all school and public librarians regardless of ILA membership). Forms are printed in December. Restructuring / Organization Report during Saturday, October 9, 1999, Board meeting. Legislative/Lobbyist Report during Saturday, October 9, 1999, Board meeting. Meeting Dates The next Executive Board meeting will be held October 9, 1999, 8:30am in the Riverside Board Room, Doubletree Inn Boise. Additional Business None Adjournment Meeting adjourned at 6:08pm
ILA ANNUAL CONFERENCE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING, FIRST SESSION
Call to Order
Business Restructuring Committee, represented by Kevin Booe Proposals for change are available at the registration table and will be voted on at the Second General Session on October 8, 1999. These proposals include: a) reducing the term of office for president of the Association; b) dissolving the Trustee/Friends Division; and c) modifying the ALA representative term of office from four years to three years to conform with ALA Bylaws. Legislative Committee, represented by Lynn Melton: John Watts, our first lobbyist, represented the Idaho Library Association this past year. Although there appears to be no library legislation to be presented to the state legislature this year, there are rumors of potential legislation with library impact. These may include issues dealing with pornography and minors using the Internet in public/school libraries; removal of city library trustees; and a youth representative on library boards of trustees. Introductions and acknowledgments Division Chairs Academic: 1999 Chair Jennifer Ashby; 2000 Chair Rosmarie Fouad
Local Arrangements Chairperson Janet Strong Pacific Northwest Library Association President Karen Labuik, PNLA President, spoke about the challenges PNLA has tackled the past year. These challenges include a reorganization of the Association and regrouping for crisis management. The Association is now in a stage of revitalization with a new mission statement, as well as proposed changes and programs. The Association recently faced such issues as lack of focus and duplicating efforts of state/provincial associations. The PNLA Board focused its efforts on revitalization of the Association, redefinition of its mission, and regaining its regional nature. Idaho is very well represented on the PNLA Board with Bob Hook as treasurer, Susannah Price as second vice president, and Janet Strong as ILA's representative to PNLA. Karen invited the membership to attend the next PNLA Conference May 25 - 27 in Kelowna, British Columbia. Keynote Speaker Patricia Kempthorne (First Lady of Idaho) Patricia Kempthorne spoke about the importance of what we do as librarians and applauded our efforts in focusing on the importance of reading. Promoting the importance of reading is a goal she shares with our profession. She reminisced that her love of reading was triggered by being read aloud to by her grandmother. The stories she recalled were Cat and the Hat and Pokey Puppy. As she grew up, she was caught up in the adventures of Nancy Drew. As an adult she loves to read Louis L'amour western novels. In a reference to the vast collection of materials in the Library of Congress, she believes books define who we are as Americans. The written word is our record of history. Technology has given us the power to alter history. Therefore, there needs to be a balance between technology and print. Community mobilization can only come from the `connectiveness' of families. Libraries are an important part in what brings us together as a community. Libraries help us find our commonality in a safe environment. Stressing the importance of children, family and reading together, Mrs. Kempthorne believes that reading to children can make a difference in strengthening youth against adversity and violence. In her program of "Success by Six" - stressing the importance of the first six years of a child's life - Bank of America has a four-year commitment of providing ten million dollars per year to fulfill her goal of reading at grade level by grade three. She concluded with the concept that "knowledge is the light of our future." Dawn Wittman presented Mrs. Kempthorne with two candy bars as a thank-you to the Governor for his support of the statewide magazine database project funded by the Idaho state legislature. These candy bars represented the cost per person in Idaho ($.39 each) to fund the LiLI-D database project. Adjournment The First General Session adjourned at 9:55am.
ILA ANNUAL CONFERENCE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING, SECOND SESSION October 8, 1999 Call to Order
Motions There were no motions from the general membership made. Resolution Proposals from the Restructuring Committee Presented by Kevin Booe and Camille Wood, members of the Restructuring Committee. Proposal #1: Reduce total of presidential term from 4 years to 3 years, eliminating the position of second vice-president. In conjunction with this, create a new position for conference chair and chair-elect. Discussion from the general membership: Max Leek asked if the Conference Chairperson position would be a voting position. Camille Wood responded that the position would be a non-voting position. The Conference Chairperson would be expected to attend executive board meetings and the Association would pay for that travel. Adrien Taylor questioned who would be planning the spring regional conferences. Camille Wood indicated that the first vice-president position would do the planning. MSA that the presidential term is reduced from 4 years to 3 years, eliminating the position of second vice-president; and that new positions for conference chair and chair-elect be created. Proposal #2: Dissolve the Trustee/Friends division. Discussion from the general membership: Jim Fullerton indicated members of the Trustees and Friends Division comprised at least one-fourth of the membership of the Idaho Library Association. It was felt by the trustee/friends group present at the conference that this division wanted to continue to be recognized as a division and participate as a part of the Executive Board. Paul Holland encouraged the general membership to vote no on the proposal. Robert Wright asked the reason for the proposal to dissolve the division. Kevin Booe responded with the following reasons: low conference attendance at the annual conferences; increased difficulty in finding an individual to chair the division; and the State Library's strong commitment for providing continuing education for trustees. Adrien Taylor confirmed that even though it is often difficult to involve trustees and friends in the annual conferences, he does not want to exclude them from having a voice in the activity of the Association. Jennifer O'Laughlin stated the Trustee/Friends Division provides about $1900.00 in revenue to the Association. The trustees and the friends are representatives of the citizens of Idaho and probably should not be cut out of representation. Ann Abrahms reiterated the strong support of trustees and friends helped make the LiLI-D project happen because of their contacts with state legislators. Another trustee spoke of the concept of "boss" or trustee influence if trustees were incorporated in with the Public Library Division - librarians may not speak out as freely. Marge Hooper pointed out there was a larger group of trustees in attendance at this year's conference than in the past, thus a show of better support. With a call for the question and a move for the previous question, the proposal failed. It is noted that Camille Wood, as representative for the Reorganization Committee, stated the Committee had no intention to portray trustees/friends as not being needed in the Association. The committee's main concern was a lack of involvement and leadership in the Division. Dawn Wittman voiced similar concerns and applauded the impact and call to action which occurred in the Trustee/Friends Division as a result of the pending threat of dissolving the Division. Lori Keenan noted the participation of trustee and friends groups have given strength for legislative action. Adrien Taylor acknowledged the Reorganization Committee in their efforts on behalf of this proposal. Proposal #3: Resolution to amend ALA councilor term of office Whereas the Idaho Library Association is a chapter of the American Library Association, and, Whereas, chapter membership entitles the Idaho Library Association to one representative to the American Library Association council as spelled out in the American Library Association bylaws, Article IV, Section 2 (b), and, Whereas, the general membership of the American Library Association ratified a term length reduction of councilors from four years to three years in Spring 1998, Therefore, be it resolved, that the Idaho Library Association bylaws, Article IV, Section 4 (g) be changed to read that the term of office for the ALA councilor will be three years. Discussion: Adrien Taylor commented that action on this proposal seems immediate. Robert Wright asked Camille Wood, the current ALA representative, how she felt about this issue. Camille responded that she felt it was imperative to be in agreement with ALA policy as the alternative would be for Idaho to secede from representation. She felt we had no choice other than to make the bylaw change. Resolution passed unanimously. Resolutions from the Floor, each passed with a round of applause. Resolution presented by Dawn Wittman: Whereas, the Idaho Library Association holds annual conferences for the education and benefit of its members, And whereas, the 1999 conference has been educational, informative, and provocative, Therefore, be it resolved that the Idaho Library Association shows its appreciation to Ron Force and the conference committee for a successful annual conference. Presented by Ron Force: Whereas, the Idaho Library Association holds its conferences annually in various locations, And whereas, the local arrangements committee is vital to a successful and smoothly-run conference, And whereas, the 1999 Boise Conference has been characterized by comfortable facilities and services, Therefore, be it resolved that the Idaho Library Association thanks and commends Janet Strong and the local arrangements committee for a successful 1999 conference. Also presented by Ron Force: Whereas, leadership is a vital component in the success of an organization, And whereas, Dawn Wittman has served the Idaho Library Association in an exemplary manner as President, 1998-99, Therefore, be it resolved that the Idaho Library Association thanks and commends Dawn Wittman for her services to the Association. Gavel of presidency passed from Dawn Wittman to Ron Force The Association has run on a deficient budget for the past two years and through the efforts of the executive board and the general membership, the Association is once again in the "black." Association President Force invited the membership to meet at the confluence of the Snake and the Clearwater in Lewiston for Conference 2000. Reports Legislative Committee Chairperson Lynn Melton Idaho Library Association will not be sponsoring any bills this year. However, there are unsubstantiated rumors of issues that may be of keen interest of the Association. District Library Formation Ann Joslin reported: From recent issues concerning public libraries, trustees, and unserved population areas in Jefferson County, may come legislation that would give county commissions, rather than voters, the power to decide the establishment of a library district and its taxation - or lack of - for services. Charlie Bolles indicated that the state library board has brought suit against Jefferson County Commissioners. Additionally in Idaho County, county commissioners would not allow an election to be held after proper procedure had been followed. When confronted with the fact they were breaking Idaho law, the commissioners then allowed the election. This issue is important to us as an Association, as there is a significant number of Idahoans this affects. Sixteen to seventeen percent of Idaho is still not served by library service. There was a consensus of Association members to oppose legislation, which would take away the power of the voters to decide establishment of library districts. Youth members of City Library Boards In a move by the mayor of Boise, representation of youth on library boards would be established. It is not clear whether this would be a sixth member or a replacement of a fifth adult member of the board. It was also not clear whether the youth trustee would have voting rights. There is a suggestion that an advisory youth representative as an underage representative cannot be legally responsible as a board member. Recall of City Library Board Members In view of the situation in Nampa where the city council wanted to dissolve the entire Nampa Public Library Board of Trustees, there is a movement to establish legislation that would allow easier removal of library boards of trustees from office. From the Associations viewpoint, boards are appointed to keep the members out of the political arena. Issue of School Funding and Filtering of the Internet in Libraries This concerns issues of minors' access to inappropriate Internet sites. The Association views this as an issue of decisions made at the local level, rather than at the federal or state level. Removal of Protection of Librarians from the Harmful to Minors Act The Association would oppose any change in status protecting librarians from prosecution under the guidelines of the Harmful to Minors Act. There was a call to both the Legislative Committee and the Public Relations and Advocacy Committee to work closely together over the next year in regards to any pending legislation. Adjournment With no further business, the Second General Session adjourned.
ILA EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Present Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Karen Labuik, Marlene Earnest, Ron Force, Mary Edmonds, Charles Bolles, Lynn Melton, Pennie L. Cyr, Jennifer O'Laughlin, Larry Almeida, Jennifer Ashby, Dawn Wittman, Sandi Shropshire, Larry Gould, Robert Wright, Janet Strong, Christine Reynolds. Call to Order President Ron Force called the meeting to order at 8:40am. Revisions to Proposed Agenda Reports by officers, division chairpersons and committees will not follow as outlined as several individuals need to leave the meeting earlier due to transportation needs. Announcements Information Power 2 Larry Gould referenced Library Standards for Schools in discussing the implementation of Information Power in Idaho. Idaho State Library is not a sponsoring organization, but Idaho Library Association could be. Information Power will be promoted to all school librarians. Larry asked for Idaho Library Association's official cooperation. Dawn Wittman seconded. The motion carried with Charles Bolles abstaining. Idaho School Library Media Program Coalition The mission of the Coalition of Idaho Library Association (Ed. Media Division), Idaho Education Association and the Idaho Parent Teacher Association is to place certified library media specialists in all elementary public schools. Having worked on this project for the past ten years, and with the cooperation of the Idaho State Library, a method has been developed to accomplish this goal. Over the past six months significant progress has been made, yet the Coalition has no source of revenue. The Coalition is, therefore, asking the Idaho Library Association Board to become a part of the "push" by financially supporting the Coalition's efforts. Gould reiterated the benefit to public and academic libraries in that the children will learn to be life-long learners by using their school libraries. The request for funds would support the Coalition in being able to meet twice a year. Although the exact cost is not known, Gould estimated the cost would roughly be equal to the cost of an Idaho Library Association Executive Board meeting. In further discussion by the ILA Executive Board, there was a request to see a formal budget request. There was hesitancy by Board members to make a commitment because of the ILA's own recent budget deficit problems. It was asked if all members of the Coalition were members of ILA. Gould replied that they were not. Gould pointed out that the Coalition has received funds from PermaBound, Follett, Idaho Education Association and ILA in the past. Force asked Gould for a proposal to be submitted to the treasurer and then the issue could be discussed at a future ILA Board meeting. Wittman suggested that the process should start in the Ed. Media Division with a formal request by that Division to the Executive Board. Gould cited Ann Joslin, of the state library, as inferring that ILA should expand its horizons. Wittman assured Gould that ILA puts extra money into extra projects as needed. Gould, Barbara Barrett and Mary Edmonds have worked on this often with their own funds and desire more ILA support. Almeida reiterated to Gould the ILA Board would need to see a budget request for the project before making any decision on the matter. Minutes of the Previous Meeting It was moved (Wittman/Boles) that the minutes of the April 13, 1999, Executive Board meeting be approved. The motion passed unanimously. Reports Exhibits Chair Person Penny Cyr reported that there were thirty-one exhibitors. Although two exhibitors showed up without pre-paying, room was created for them. Two exhibitors did not attend and they have not asked for a refund. Those exhibitors who used "pipe and drape" were charged $350.00, while those who did not use "pipe and drape" were charged $300.00. Cyr suggested that the exhibitors be charged a flat rate _ either $350.00 or $300.00. There were six or seven last minute requests for display space. Cyr requested that the Conference Exhibit Chairperson attend each of the Executive Board Planning meetings as she felt it essential to the responsibilities of the position. Cyr also reported that several exhibitors asked if she could provide a list of attendees with mailing addresses for future contacts. Exhibitors complained that few people attended the afternoon break on Thursday. What can we do as an Association to keep people in the Conference area so that they will visit the Exhibitors? Exhibitors suggested that our Association combine with other associations to draw more attendees. With larger numbers of participants, "bigger" names would help draw more people and therefore "make it worth their time." President Ron Force reported that Donna Hanson, of the Idaho Book of the Year Award Committee, discovered a former tradition of presenting a copy of the Idaho Book of the Year Award book to the Governor's library has not been done for many years. She suggested that this tradition be reinstated. Lynn Melton indicated she could contact the Governor's secretary, Erin, to make arrangements for a formal presentation. First Vice-President Almeida gave no report. Second Vice-President Earnest received the list of names for spring conference chairpersons from Larry Almeida. Treasurer Shropshire reported the number of conference attendees is at 185. There were three or four new membership sign-ups at the time of registration. Almeida asked for a complete report by next board meeting to help him plan next year's conference. Past President Wittman gave no report. State Librarian Charles Bolles talked about a program for library aides, paraprofessionals and librarian certification through the state board of education and the state library. Division Chairs Ed. Media Mary Edmonds read a resolution concerning funding the Ed. Media Chairperson and Ed. Media Chairperson-Elect for annual conference attendance. Discussion. Wittman stated there was an erroneous assumption that expenses are paid for by all public and academic libraries for all employees who attend conferences. Melton stated that there are association members without library affiliation who have no financial support other than personal support. Wright confirmed, but suggested we should look at defraying conference costs to encourage more people to run for office. Financial stress may be a mitigating factor in encouraging more people to run for office. Edmonds asked why expenses were paid for executive board meeting attendance, but not for conference attendance. Bolles responded to Edmonds' question by explaining that if an executive board member attended as a regular member, that person would be paying their own expenses. Force observed that salaries have not risen proportionately to offset the escalation of conference costs. Strong speculated that conference costs are more expensive because of the site selected and the cost of meals, gratuity, room rent, etc. It was proposed (Strong/Bolles) that we postpone further discussion until the January board meeting in order to access the full impact on the budget of adding cost of conference attendance of some/or all of the board members. Unanimously carried. Public Library Division Robert Wright spoke to the issue of why there was low conference attendance: 1) many people had the attitude of `been there, done that'; and 2) what is the difference in purpose and function of ILA versus Idaho State Library - advocacy/training. Other issues Wright believes need to be examined are why librarians do not join ILA and what can the public relations or membership committees do about it. Force suggested that with more emphasis on and attendance at Spring Regional Conferences, ILA might need to look at biannual conference. Karen Labuik, PNLA president, explained that in Alberta, BC, training is done at the local level while personal improvement/development are done at the province level. Melton alluded to MLS snobbery as a reason more rank and file library employees do not belong to ILA. There may be a perception that because ILA is a professional organization only `professional' librarians need to belong. Wright further speculated that conference planners needed to be sensitive to various community values. There are cultural differences in each part of the state and he felt that diversity issues might have been a deterrent for attendance. Trustee/Friends Division Jennifer O'Laughlin reported the Division's meeting was exciting. There were many good ideas that came out of it. They vetoed the move to disband the Division and chose to focus on building up the Division on the regional level. Bolles offered that future nomination committees should encourage a trustee to run for first vice-president to help focus on the importance of this division as a vital part of not only ILA but to the library community. Academic Division Jennifer Ashby reported that the division approved the new division bylaws. There was a question as to the number of years the current chairperson, Rosmarie Fouad, and the chair elect will serve. The Board clarified that Fouad will serve for two years and the chair elect for one year. PNLA Representative Janet Strong reintroduced PNLA President Karen Labuik to the Board. Labuik reported that Karen Hatcher received the PNLA Honorary Life Membership this past year. ALA Representative No report Idaho Librarian Christine DeZelar-Tiedman was questioned as to why the Association should continue with a print format of the Idaho Librarian. The electronic format is available now and providing both formats seems to be unnecessary duplication. DeZelar-Tiedman suggested that there are those who prefer the print format. She suggested providing a check-off box on the membership form to allow members the choice of NOT receiving the print format. $10.00 of each member's dues is credited to the Idaho Librarian. Of the more than $5000 generated on behalf of the Idaho Librarian, $2500 actually supports the cost of production. DeZelar-Tiedman reminded the Board that the electronic publication is not attractive and is not designed to look like a print edition. There will be further discussion of print versus electronic editions at the November Board meeting. The Idaho Librarian received additional funding from one advertiser this past year. DeZelar-Tiedman suggested we investigate consortial advertising with other Associations to help provide better advertising rates. Committee Reports Legislative Lynn Melton requested that the Conference Planning Committee allow a larger block of time at next year's second general session to discuss legislative issues. This session is the most heavily attended session as it follows a meal. Lobbyist John Watts suggested that ILA write a policy to give guidelines of how to address potential legislative issues. Lynn and John will develop some ideas to be presented to the Board at the November meeting. Lynn announced that she will start a part-time position soon and does not yet know the impact this will have on her work with ILA Legislative Committee. Adrien Taylor will fill in for her when necessary. Melton reiterated the importance of continuing with a lobbyist to help ensure the Association's awareness of legislative issues that may impact librarians and libraries. Watson worked at twenty percent below his regular fee this past year - $6000 plus four percent overhead and $1500 to $2000 per bill carried to the legislature. Because lobbyists are essential, Melton suggested that institutional membership fees should be raised, as it is the libraries that benefit more directly from legislative issues. Melton also reminded that Board that the Legislative Committee budget pays for the printing and mailing of the Purple Press. Annual Conference Strong discussed the time slot arrangements for presenters. She had a few presenters who changed their time of availability at the last minute, thus creating frustration to attendees who viewed the changes as conflicts for attending their sessions of choice. The biggest concern for this conference was equipment needs and phone lines for presenters and exhibitors. The lack of phone lines necessitated asking exhibitors to disconnect Internet connections in order for presenters to use the phone lines. Strong would like to have a better idea of what a conference hotel has before setting up the presenters in the future. This is a problem because conference sites are set up so far in advance, the digital/electronic needs (and advances in technology) are not fully known until prior to the actual date of the conference. Strong will be analyzing site proposals for future conferences. One of the basic concerns for selecting a site is whether there are facilities large enough to handle a conference of our size. Strong asked for the Board's suggestion for sites and conference hotels. Proposed conference sites include: 2000 Lewiston Red Lion
Membership No report. Melton again addressed the Board concerning providing a list of Association membership to the exhibitors. The majority of the Board felt that the membership should be queried with a question on the conference registration form giving permission to release their names to the exhibitors - or anyone else. Strategic Plan Force asked the Board to think about revisions for the next year. Additional Business None Adjournment
ACADEMIC AND SPECIAL LIBRARIES DIVISION ANNUAL REPORT (REVISED) The Academic & Special Libraries Division focused on two projects this year. We increased membership and began the process of revising the division bylaws. One of the goals in the ILA Strategic Plan is to increase membership by 15% over the 1997 level by 2001. Dawn Wittman made this a major focus of her presidency, so it seemed the appropriate time to address the issue. The Membership Committee mailed out a revised flyer delineating the benefits of membership. The Academic & Special Libraries Division followed this with a mailing, including a letter and an additional copy of the flyer to all academic and special non-members in the state. The 1997 membership in the division was 68. This year's membership is 70, an increase of 2.9%. I do not know whether any of the new members joined in response to the division's mailing. In the future, if such a mailing were sent, it would help to mark the application forms in some way so that we could track the effectiveness of the mailing. While we are moving in the right direction, we will not reach our goal of 15% in the allotted time unless we find a more effective means of recruitment. Each division of ILA was asked to revise its bylaws this year. After quite an effort to locate the odd numbered pages (we had the even numbered pages, just not the odd numbered), we found the most recent bylaws, last revised in 1984. The current chair, along with the former chair and chair-elect reviewed and revised the bylaws. The new bylaws were passed by unanimous vote at the annual division meeting. Jennifer Ashby
ALA COUNCILOR'S ANNUAL REPORT Issues at the 1999 Midwinter and Annual ALA Conferences Outsourcing Task Force Report. The task force's charge was a difficult one from the start. Although this hardworking group met often and held many open forums for comments from the membership, the motions they brought before council were poorly worded and not very substantive. Some described the report presented to council as "too general, too speculative, and too anecdotal," while others thought it was "a remarkable consensus document." After three hours of discussion, two motions were passed after some rewording. Two other motions were referred to other committees for comment. And the last two policy statements were defeated. Many councilors, including myself, really wanted to pass a meaningful resolution that outlined the profession's responsibility where outsourcing and privatization was concerned. Unfortunately, no such resolution was presented to us. "Libraries: An American Value." This document was adopted as policy. The Idaho Library Association executive board endorsed this statement in October 1998, and I was one of many councilors who "seconded" this resolution. For the full text of this statement, point your web browser to www.ala.org/symons/statement.html . This statement will be featured prominently in an intellectual freedom tool kit being prepared by the ALA intellectual freedom committee. Boy Scout Resolution Passes. A well-written resolution regarding the Boy Scout organization's policies was approved. As revised, it "urges the Boy Scouts of America to reconsider their policy of discrimination in the areas of sexual orientation and religious belief and demonstrate a commitment to human rights, inclusiveness and mutual respect." Transforming ALA Conference. ALA's conference committee solicited reactions and comments on its report, which proposes to: 1) Develop a streamlined, focused schedule of programs, by using thematic "tracks," by scheduling programs within a track at the same (or nearby) hotel, by standardizing program length, and by scheduling adequate breaks between meetings. 2) Make committee meetings more efficient, by providing incentives to units to reduce the number of meetings, by blocking space at a hotel, or group of hotels for all similar meetings, and by considering ALA staff support relationships when assigning meeting space. 3) Encourage all conference attendees to visit the exhibits, by including "visit the exhibits" time in both program tracks and meeting blocks, by exploring incentives for visiting exhibits, and by working with exhibitors to market attendance to members interested in a specific program track. Council endorsed the concepts of the report, encouraged implementation at the 2001 conference in San Francisco, and commended the committee for its diligent work to date. The committee's report can be found at www.ala.org/council/conference/index.html . Poor People's Subject Headings. Sanford Berman, the cataloger famous for creating more accessible and patron-friendly subject headings, asked council to "urge" the Library of Congress to accept his recommendations for a list of headings relating to poor people. According to Berman, he had gone through the appropriate channels to have these headings changed, with no results. ALCTS (the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services) suggested that this be referred to their group for investigation. Sanford Berman's Resignation. A heated discussion ensued when several motions were introduced in response to Mr. Berman's resignation from the staff of the Hennepin County Library. These three motions alleged that the library infringed on Berman's free speech rights and his rights as a professional librarian. The motions called for 1) Censure of the Hennepin County Library administration by ALA; 2) that ALA create a standing committee to "deal with egregious violations of professional rights and responsibilities of librarians;" and, 3) that the Library Bill of Rights be amended to add the statement "Libraries should permit and encourage a full and free expression of views by staff on library and professional issues." The first two motions were defeated, and the third was referred to the ethics committee. Council generally seemed to feel that ALA did not have any business dealing with individual personnel issues. Membership Meeting Quorum. In another attempt to make membership meetings relevant, a resolution to require ALA to find a better time to schedule membership meetings, and to ask the membership to vote on an adjustment to the quorum was submitted. Again, many councilors seemed fearful that during a membership meeting in which a quorum was reached, important council actions would be "overturned" by a small minority (two-thirds of the membership). While I believe this fear is unfounded, this motion was defeated. Colin Powell's Big Fee. Although his name was not mentioned directly, a resolution in response to the $70,000 fee paid to Powell for his remarks at annual conference was brought forward. It called for a limit of $20,000 in compensation to ALA speakers. Those supporting this measure felt these huge fees were an affront to ALA members, many of whom make less than half of Powell's fee. Many examples were given of fine and famous past speakers whose fees were either very reasonable, or waived altogether. Those speaking in opposition felt paying big bucks to speakers helped combat our "image" problem, and attracted more attendees. I voted for the resolution, but it was soundly defeated. Temporary Councilors. A resolution asking for a mechanism to allow a councilor to designate an alternate when an emergency prevents that councilor from attending meetings was brought up on the council discussion list prior to conference. Chapter and division councilors usually have a reporting obligation and are sometimes instructed to carry out specific initiatives by their constituency. For these reasons, when the elected member cannot attend, the chapter or division is not represented and does not receive a report. The motion was defeated. Budget. Council voted to approve a FY2000 budgetary ceiling for the association of $41,870,000. I voted against this budget for several reasons. Projected revenues for divisions and roundtable and new memberships seemed inflated. The budgets for several offices of central importance to the association, such as the Office of Intellectual Freedom, remained flat. Lastly, $400,000 from the Fund for America's Libraries was being used to finish balancing the budget. Questions directed to the treasurer about these problem areas were not enlightening or reassuring. Camille Wood
ED MEDIA DIVISION ANNUAL REPORT We want to thank our members who participated in the School Librarian's Information Manual. This resourceful guide was funded by Northwest Labs and distributed last fall to every school librarian in the state of Idaho. Sherry Thomas of Parma Middle-High School was awarded the Winnebago Progressive School Library Media Award. The award will be presented to her at the annual meeting in Boise. The Idaho School Library Media Program Coalition met May 19-20 at the IEA building in Boise with consultants Gard Hanks and Marj Hooper, to create a strategic plan for the implementation of certificated librarians in the elementary, middle, and high schools in the state of Idaho. A timeline with responsibilities designated to members was designed and is in progress. ILA Ed Media members represented all regions of the state, plus representation from the Idaho State Library, and the State Department of Education, made possible by funding from ILA, IEA, and other concerned sources. The chair, Barbara Barrett, has done a fantastic job of facilitating the activities of the strategic plan. A Roundtable will be reserved during conference to continue efforts, present information including mission, goals, activities, and discuss hindrances that may have developed. Everyone interested is invited to attend. A special thanks to those individuals who met several times during the year to make the strategic plan and timeline possible! Several members participated in the revision of the ILA Education Media bylaws to be discussed and implemented if approved as written during the Ed Media Division meeting at conference. Marlene Earnest
PAST PRESIDENT'S REPORT As Past President of the Idaho Library Association, I have served as the nominations and elections committee chair, and finished Vivian Wells' position as ILA representative on the Idaho Library Networking Advisory Council (ILNAC). Nominations and Election: Candidates were sought and elected for the following offices: Second Vice-President: Marlene Ernest
There has been some confusion regarding this last office as there has been discussion whether or not the Friends and Trustees Division is still active and wants to continue. Before any change could be made there would have to be a resolution for a bylaws change presented to the membership and voted on. The only two offices that had two candidates were the following: Educational Media Division Chair: Mary Edmonds and Mary Hobson
There was one write-in candidate for PNLA rep: Barbara Barrett There were 45 ballots received. Twelve ballots were disqualified as every office was marked. Instructions clearly stated to vote for only ONE division. Voting was very close so unsuccessful candidates should not be discouraged. The Association is pleased to have so many qualified candidates. I wish to thank all of you who have agreed to run for and/or take office. ILNAC: I stepped in at the last meeting of this group. It is being restructured and reformed as a new group. Those members who are very knowledgeable and have a strong interest in technological networking in the state are advised to call Idaho State Library on the status of this group and potential membership in it. Conclusion: I have sincerely enjoyed serving the members of ILA the last four years. It was a hard act to follow the excellent leadership of the officers just before me. They and some of the members put in place an ambitious strategic plan. The Association has some dedicated officers who work very hard. Yet there is room for others to step in and add their expertise. The teamwork and involvement makes the work very enjoyable, and I thank all of you who have assisted me over the last four years. In another role, I am now working with the British Columbia Library Association to plan the joint PNLA conference in May in Kelowna, B.C. The area is renowned for its beauty. BCLA is a large professional organization similar to ALA. There is so much talent there that I think this will be a very worthwhile conference for everyone. Please mark your calendars now for May 24-28, and plan to attend. Susannah Price
NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Sherry Thomas receives ILA Progressive School Library Media Award Sherry Thomas, librarian with the Parma School District in Parma, Idaho, is the 1999 recipient of the Progressive School Library Media Award sponsored by Winnebago Software Company and the Idaho Library Association. Thomas received the award October 7, 1999, at the association's annual conference in Boise. In addition to being an influential media director, Thomas is also a member of the District Technology Team and is helping develop technology programs for library media centers and schools throughout the district. Thomas worked with a high school senior to develop a school web page located at www.sd137.k12.id.us/library . She plans to continue learning about website development in addition to teaching staff and students how to design web pages using graphics and animation. The Progressive School Library Media Award is open to all ILA members and is administered by the Association, which also selects the recipient. In addition to $400 to be used toward any product and brand of library technology the recipient chooses, Winnebago Software Company also provides a plaque for display in the library. Winnebago Software Company's objective in sponsoring this award is to encourage and recognize innovation and dedication in creating lifelong learners. For more information about the award or Winnebago Software Company, call 1-800-533-5430 ext. 369. Young Reader's Choice Award Nominations Sought It is once again time to nominate books for the Young Reader's Choice Award sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Library Association. The Young Reader's Choice Award (YRCA) is the oldest—and only international—children's choice award in the United States. The ballot is comprised of titles nominated by children and adults from the Pacific Northwest. Any book is eligible for nomination provided that its original publication date is three years prior to the year for which it is being nominated. For example, a book nominated for the next ballot, year 2001, is eligible only if published in 1998 in the U.S. or Canada. We always look forward to Canadian and Pacific Northwest authors being nominated, although that is not a requirement for a book to appear on the list. If you have read some outstanding literature for 4th-8th grade readers or for 9th -12th grade readers published in the U.S. or Canada in 1998, please e-mail, fax, phone or snail mail your nominations to Betty Holbrook (contact information below) between now and FEBRUARY 1, 2000. Check with the kids, teachers, parents and other librarians in your area to add more titles to your list. Everyone's vote counts; add all votes for each title you submit. The books on the YRCA ballot have a very large readership. Last year, more than 56,000 children and teenagers read books from the YRCA ballot and voted for their favorites. Your input on the ballot is very important. Remember, all nominations must be received no later than February 1, 2000. Betty J. Holbrook, Chair
One Winter in the Wilderness is Idaho Book of the Year The Idaho Library Association is pleased to announce that Pat Cary Peek's One Winter in the Wilderness is the winner of the ILA Book Award for books published in 1998. Each year, the Association recognizes an author or photographer whose book makes an outstanding contribution to Idaho literature. The award medallion is made from Idaho silver, designed and cast by Pocatello artist Jan Smith. Pat Peek received her award at the Idaho Library Association conference in Boise on October 7. One Winter in the Wilderness is an absorbing account of Peek's life at the University of Idaho's Taylor Ranch Field Station during the winter of 1992- 93. She creates a vivid and personal snapshot of one of Idaho's most isolated and beautiful areas. Her book includes historical "flashbacks" as well as day-to-day features of winter deep in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. Pat Cary Peek is a retired teacher and freelance writer. She lives in
Viola, Idaho with her husband Jim. One Winter in the Wilderness
is published by the University of Idaho Press in Moscow, Idaho.
Committee Spotlight ILA BOOK AWARD COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT Members: ILA Book Award Committee members for 1999 were Terry Abraham, Ruth Funabiki (Chair), Donna Hanson, and Christine Reynolds. ILA President Dawn Wittman is soliciting new members for the 1999 award year cycle, as Christine Reynolds was elected ILA Secretary this year. 1998 ILA Book Award: In April 1999, the Committee solicited nominations from Idaho newspapers, publishers, librarians, and the reading public. Committee members reviewed approximately twenty books. Terry Abraham was unable to participate in the final selection process because he was out of town when the final decision was made. He offered to recuse himself in any case because of a conflict of interest. The final choice for the 1998 ILA Book Award was Pat Cary Peek's One Winter in the Wilderness, published by the University of Idaho Press. Ms. Peek received the award on October 7, 1999 at the ILA Awards Banquet in Boise. Two hundred gold seals were sent to the University of Idaho Press to be displayed on book jackets. As of the date of this report, press releases announcing the award have been sent to the Idaho Statesman, Lewiston Morning Tribune, and Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Selection Criteria & Bylaws: The full Committee was able to meet mid-year, when Christine Reynolds traveled to Moscow in May. Committee members would like to consider several changes to the present Award structure and criteria. Jan Smith will stop manufacturing the silver medals sometime soon when she retires. Does the Association wish to continue with a single, expensive medal? In some years, it would be nice to give multiple awards, since the present criteria effectively exclude fiction, children's books, etc. Committee members also discussed broadening the Committee membership, to include more members from southern Idaho. Potential conflicts of interest were discussed and the Committee settled on guidelines for member participation. The Committee asked President Wittman if the present membership could
continue to serve on the Committee until these questions are addressed.
Donna Hanson volunteered to revise the Committee bylaws in time for the
2000 ILA meeting. Ruth Funabiki contacted Jan Smith, who will make medals
at least for the 1998 and 1999 awards.
INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT 1998-1999 Members: Rand Simmons, Idaho State Library, Chair
Issues: Where: East Bonner County Library District, Sandpoint
Where: Emmett Public Library
Where: Nampa Public Library
ILA IF Activities: We were most involved in the Nampa incident, offering support where we could. Rand Simmons wrote a guest editorial in the Nampa Press-Tribune, June 4, 1999, "Library board serves whole community." Rand Simmons, guest panelist at Log Cabin Literary Center Bookfest, September 18, 1999. Rand Simmons, guest reader, Daddy's Roommate, ACLU Banned Books Read-Aloud, September 30, 1999. Website: http://www.idaholibraries.org/if/index.htm
BOOK REVIEWS Water, Earth, and Sky: The Colorado River Basin. Photographs by Michael Collier and forward by David L. Wegner, essays by Michael Collier…et al. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1999. ISBN 0-87480-598-8. $29.95. The 140 stunning aerial photographs of the Colorado River Basin in this
book are immediately captivating. Michael Collier flew his Cessna ahead
of a thunderstorm through the Colorado River Basin shooting as he went
to capture flashfloods near the storm and dry riverbed still innocent of
the approaching deluge. These photos take the reader from the beginning
of the Colorado River (including the many other tributaries in the basin
and the land adjacent to them) to the tidal flats at its mouth at the Sea
of Cortez, creating a background for the essays. Each of the essayists
discusses the River from a different point of view including geology, hydrology,
biology, ecology, photography, and literary art. Titles of the forward
and essays indicate the various facets of the river and are of the same
high quality as the photographs. David L. Wegner's forward is "A watershed
shaped by time." The essays are "Mags hot, master on: flying for the vision,"
by Michael Collier; "Rock-shaped river in river-shaped rock," by John D.
Schmidt; "Wet river, dry river," by E. D. Andrews; "Of suckers, chubs,
and 100-pound minnows," by Richard Valdez; "A telling tree," by Lawrence
E. Stevens; and "The silk that hurls us down its spine," by Ellen Meloy.
There is a short biographical note about each of the contributors, to help
the reader understand the point of view from which each writes. A short
selected reading list leads the reader to other sources of information
about the Colorado River. I would recommend this book to anyone interested
in the Colorado River and the country through which it runs. I found the
book fascinating and easy to understand.
Dickinson, Patti. Hollywood the hard way: a cowboy's journey. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1999. ISBN 0-8032-6619-7. paperback, $13.95. Patti Dickinson has written a fun book about a cowboy, Jerry Van Meter, who rode a horse from Guthrie, Oklahoma to Hollywood, California. It began in the fall of 1945 when Jimmy Wakely, a singing Hollywood cowboy, said city life was drawing all the cowboys into a new way of life and "not a one of them could sit in the saddle for fifteen hundred miles" like the old cowboys did. Rolla Goodnight, (a cousin of Charley Goodnight), said his grandson Jerry "can ride from here to hell and gone, break a horse, ride a bull, and rope a cow with the best of `em." To settle the argument, they bet on whether young Jerry could ride from Guthrie to Hollywood in 50 days. Jerry took some convincing but finally agreed to try it. During the winter they laid plans for him to ride Fancy, an Osage Indian pony, from Guthrie to Hollywood, about the distance of the Goodnight-Loving Trail along which Goodnight and his buddy Frank "Pistol Pete" Eaton had driven cattle in the old days. Thus in the spring of 1946, Jerry and Fancy (shortened to Fan) set out on a journey that would take them through the Palo Duro and the Llano Estacado plains in Texas, across the Rocky Mountains in New Mexico and the deserts of Arizona and the Mojave, past towns and cities toward Los Angeles. The story is told in the third person, so the reader gets a broad perspective as the action unfolds. Dickinson's extensive research and interviews with Van Meter support a masterful telling of the tale. The reader can visualize the country and the people Van Meter encounters and sense the atmosphere of each place and situation from sandstorms and burning deserts to the children who want pet his horse. This reviewer is reminded of John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley as Van Meter tells the stories of the places he sees, the people he meets, and the discoveries he makes about himself and others along the way. He remembers gratefully the rancher in Clovis, New Mexico, who allowed Fan to stay in his barn during a bad storm even though Fan had distemper. He records the tension in the Quemado (New Mexico) Country Store, when strangers and locals interacted without making so much as eye contact. He tells of riding and walking when Fan is too sick or too sore to be ridden. He recounts detours like the stroll through the Mojave Desert instead of following the highway because the officious local agricultural inspector won't let the weary Fan into California. It is a journey of horse and rider, man and world, with the weight of his grandfather's bet and the honor of the modern cowboy riding on young Jerry's shoulders. It is not hard to see why Hollywood the Hard Way has been nominated for awards such as the Oklahoma Book Award, the Spur Award and the Sequoyah Book Award. This book will be of interest to anyone who enjoys cowboy or adventure stories. It is suitable for adults or young adults. Bob Hook
Oehler, Mike. The Hippy Survival Guide to Y2K. Keokee Co. Publishing, Inc, 1999. The Hippy Survival Guide to Y2K has a good premise—to help us prepare for the disruption of our civilization caused by computer glitches on and around January 1, 2000. This book is divided into three parts. The first is the author's journal of his discovery of the Y2K problem and his efforts to alert others to the coming problem. Starting on April 2, 1998 with 638 days left before Y2K, this part ends on New Year's Eve, 1998. It is a good history of the problem and explains that no one knows the codes used in the older computers and no one is being trained to update the computers. It is interesting to follow his pleas with his city council and friends to prepare, and their reactions. He has included many articles, congressional reports, and other resources, some quoted at length. His journal is interspersed with happenings from life in America. For example, with 464 Days Left: Viagra makes medical history as the most successful prescription drug introduction ever. Several revelations from the Starr report are included as well. This gives a good feel for life in America in the late 1990's and questions what is deemed newsworthy: the end of the world or the President's sex life. The author does tend to maintain the superiority of his philosophies. This first section contains many entries unrelated to Y2K, about how hippies have had it right all along and have been unduly harassed in their attempts at self-reliance. The second part contains hints and advice for preparing for the end of life as we know it, including the disruption of the shipment of food and goods, lack of electricity and so on. The author acknowledges that we, the reader, probably will not prepare, so he offers advice on dealing with this collapse. It deals with the basic physical needs: shelter, food, water, heat. Each section is divided into city, suburban and rural residents with ways for each to survive. The third part deals with spiritual needs. In the introduction, the author states that "most of the world's problems can be solved by a change in lifestyle and a shift in spirituality. Technology is not going to fix technology. Only simplicity can fix the woes brought on by technology…" Oehler emphasizes how homesteading and a return to simplicity would cure most of America's social ailments from poor education to nuclear waste to poverty. This is a good ideal, but I believe unrealistic given the materialistic mentality of our society. Of course the author's point is that we may not have a choice but to learn to live without modern conveniences, like electricity, come January. He also includes several appendices including Web sites and addresses for mail-order catalogs selling everything for survival: seeds, food, tools, and generators to name a few. While this is an entertaining read and does have good advice, I had
hoped it would have more tips on preparing for the probable chaos ahead.
Instead, it contains more of the author's philosophies and ideals. Personally,
I am skeptical that the world will actually end at midnight January 1,
but am taking some precautions nonetheless. For one, I will have this book
and some candles handy.
Shoshone Tales. Collected by Anne M. Smith. University of Utah Press, 1993. A Yale University anthropology student gathered this collection of tales in 1939. In researching her dissertation on Great Basin mythology, Anne M. Smith discovered gaps in Western Shoshone traditions and set out to fill them. She traveled with two companions, one who helped record the stories and the other who was more interested in archaeology all over Eastern Nevada and Western Utah, camping out, cooking over an open fire and bathing in gas station rest rooms. This shocked the Indians as they use tents and cook stoves when going to the mountains to collect wood or pine nuts. Smith did not write the tales in Shoshone but did occasionally transcribe a phrase or term. An interpreter simultaneously translated the stories into English as they were being told. She writes of one session where family members gathered to help tell the story until sixteen people were in the room, most of them talking at once, including the interpreter. In this confusion, she did her work. Most of the Western Shoshone tales occurred in "the time when animals were people" and centered around seven themes including creation and origin tales, trickster tales, and cannibal tales. The trickster tales are the most common, and usually feature Coyote as the main character. Most feature a single incident told for entertainment value as well as instruction on proper behavior. Cultural differences make some of the tales seem obscene to whites; one narrator observed that, "they don't sound dirty in Indian, but they sound pretty dirty in English." Tales such as "Coyote eats his own penis" and "Coyote marries his daughters" demonstrate this: these are not stories whites will likely tell their children. Ms. Smith was worried that she would not be able to clean some tales up enough to be published. Ms. Smith tried to record the entire repertoire of each narrator so she received many tellings of the same tales. There is great variety in how different people tell them. There is not much localization in the tales although some narrators include a great deal of detail while others' renditions are sparse in detail. Fifteen narrators are featured in this collection. The tales are organized by the narrators and average about a page in length, although some are just a paragraph long. These are entertaining tales and give an insight into the Western Shoshone oral tradition. There are not many books that accomplish this. Betsy Gleason
|
|
|