2012 Annual report i It starts with rethinking ALA. If we want to reinvent the role of libraries in our country, we have to re-engage ALA’s nearly 60,000 members. We have to harness the collective power of public, school, academic and special libraries and use it as a catalyst for how we connect, build and define communities. And how we lead them. Everything is on the table: education, social justice, leadership development, community advocacy, and yes, how we help people embrace the digital world. It’s a bold vision that requires courage and collaboration. Innovation and imagination. A way of thinking about information and technology yet to be discovered. ALA and America’s libraries have already begun to reimagine our future. Here’s what it looks like. REIMAGINING THE REIMAGINING FUTURE ALA ii 1 ALA’s special website, Transforming Libraries, is a robust collection of resources— Reimagining libraries research, tutorials, networking—to help libraries meet the immediate and ongoing demands in a digital environment that continues to expand at great speed. starts with rethinking ALA ALA continues to inspire and engage librarians to use their collective power. An ALA Midwinter Conference panel discussion, The Promise of Libraries Transforming America’s libraries have always been great centers of education and lifelong learning. During Communities, challenged librarians to step up to a new role as community leaders and help the past five years, America’s libraries have taught this country some valuable lessons bring their community together. about commitment, courage and community. ALA is rethinking the organization and reimagining its own future. During the past At a time when an economic recession left 12 million Americans unemployed, public libraries year, ALA has been taking a bold, substantive look at what it is and what it aspires to responded with heroic measures to help people adapt to the challenging economic be. Building on the strengths of members, staff, chapters and organizational units, ALA circumstances. Technology training, online resources for employment, computer and internet aims to create a more nimble, responsive, adaptive and innovative organization, one access, continuing education, retooling for new careers, even starting a business were that will be prepared to embrace the challenges of the digital world and use them to just a few of the ways libraries came to America’s rescue – all while many of their budgets energize our work. were slashed. Without question, this is just an overview of ALA’s work on behalf of America’s What makes this even more impressive is that at the same time, technology took off at warp libraries. Our Annual Conference draws thousands of librarians, library staff, trustees, speed creating a digital trajectory that is changing the definition of books, information – educators, publishers and businesses to learn about and discuss complex issues such even libraries. As though an economic crisis was not enough, school, academic, public and as the relationship between libraries, publishers, library users and ebooks; the decline special libraries had to jump into a digital revolution and lead it. in funding for school libraries; connecting faculty who are immersed in their research and teaching, and students from around the world as they are learning and developing While libraries have been on the front lines, the American Library Association (ALA) has their areas of study and interest; empowering communities through knowledge taken the crisis, the unpredictable environment and a digital revolution and used it to fuel a creation; diversity in the workplace; and how to create an informed citizenry to meet powerful transformation that will reimagine the organization and libraries. the demands of democracy in the 21st century. THE MEASURE OF THE VIBRANCY OF ANY COMMUNITY IS THE STRENGTH OF ITS LIBRARY. ALA is spearheading leadership development efforts to prepare the next generation Our 2012 Annual Report will highlight our leadership, our innovations, and our advocacy of library leaders for the dynamic digital world. The first four-day immersive leadership for libraries and the profession. However, none of this would be possible without the development program for future library leaders, Leading the Future, will be held in August, extraordinary support we receive each year from individuals, members, corporations, 2013. Here 40 librarians, chosen from a diverse, competitive pool of public, academic, foundations, government agencies and organizations. school and special libraries will explore the greatest challenges and possibilities of leading into a future marked by turbulence and ambiguity. We hope this report will reaffirm your support and re-inspire your generosity. ALA continues its aggressive advocacy on behalf of libraries. In addition to its work in Let’s get started. Washington, D.C., ALA launched a new portal, Library Matters. This portal provides online access to information on hundreds of studies that document the impact of public, academic, and school libraries on local economies, community development, literacy and education. For example, a recent Wisconsin library study found that the value of public internet computers, determined by 7,070,855 access events, valued at $4.32 each, was $30,546,094. REIMAGINING THE REIMAGINING FUTURE ALA Maureen Sullivan Keith Michael Fiels ALA President, 2012-2013 ALA Executive Director 2 3 CYBERSECURITY and SURVEILLANCE Based upon the library community’s deep commitment to protect people’s right to read and access information without the threat of government oversight and intrusion ALA LEADING pushes for reforms to the USA PATRIOT Act and other surveillance laws. In seeking to improve the balance between privacy rights and security needs, ALA supports proposals WAY requiring more specific judicial review to access personal data, due process for the individuals and opposes wholesale collection of personal data. For example, ALA could not support the ultimately failed Cybersecurity Act of 2012, S. 2105, because of inadequate protections about use and retention of personal communications. At the federal level, ALA is active on promotes ALA’s agenda seeking a broad spectrum of issues including legislation and policies to support quality funding for libraries, civil liberties, library services for the public. ALA is surveillance and privacy issues, copyright, known for its network of legislative access to government information, as advocates and does continuous work well as universal service and broadband to keep library supporters informed and access. Working with ALA membership engaged in grassroots lobbying and committees, the Washington Office regulatory proceedings. APPROPRIATIONS in the FY 2013 E-GOVERNMENT SERVICES and GOVERNMENT INFORMATION GOVERNMENT BUDGET Whistleblower Protections Federal Funding for the Library Services and ALA supported passage of The Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2011 (S. 743) and its Technology Act (LSTA): companion bill in the House, H.R. 3289, which would expand the scope of whistleblower protections in ALA asked for and received funding for the Library the federal government, including providing whistleblower rights to employees of the Transportation Services and Technology Act (LSTA) at $184.7 million. Security Administration. Federal Funding for School Libraries: Open Access ALA asked for and received funding for the Innovative ALA strongly supported the Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA) of 2012 (S. 2096/H.R. 4004). Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program at $28.6 million. ALA members played a pivotal role in a petition to the White House to ensure that manuscripts of peer-reviewed scientifi c articles reporting on research funded by the U.S. government can be freely Federal Funding for Other Library Programs: accessed and used by all American taxpayers—including researchers, teachers, students, and businesses. ALA asked for and received full funding for the Library of Congress, Government Printing Offi ce and CRS Resolution Introduced in the House the National Archives and Records Administration. A resolution, Congressional Research Service Electronic Accessibility Resolution of 2012 (House Resolution 727), was introduced to create a publicly available database of Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports and would thereby “enhance our democracy to provide citizens with access to unbiased and REIMAGINING THE REIMAGINING FUTURE accurate CRS documents on legislation and other critical issues before Congress.” ALA strongly supported this resolution and continues to work towards its passage. ALA 4 5 LEADING THE WAY Court FiLings sCHooL LiBrary prograMs Hathitrust digital Library On July 6, 2012, members of the Library Copyright elementary and secondary education act (esea) reauthorization: Alliance (the American Library Association, ALA urged that when Congress reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Association of Research Libraries and Association that it would include school libraries by incorporating the following provisions: of College and Research Libraries), together with • Maintain dedicated federal funding for school libraries; the Electronic Frontier Foundation, fi led a friend of the court brief in Authors Guild v. HathiTrust, urging aFFordaBLe Care aCt* • Include provisions under Title I state and local plans and the a federal court to fi nd that the fair use doctrine Race to the Top Fund to establish a state goal of having a school permitted the creation