Comments on: ALA Election Results: an Authority Crisis?

By: S. Smith

S. Smith — Wed, 12 May 2010 16:46:05 +0000

I am a member of ALA only because I am required to be a member of ALA if I want to be a member of ACRL. As ALA mostly serves the public library world, and ACRL serves the academic world, I would much prefer to be able to simply join ACRL and not mess with ALA.

By: M. Jackson

M. Jackson — Fri, 07 May 2010 08:29:46 +0000

Sorry, pcsweeney, I am a lover, not a fighter.

By: pcsweeney

pcsweeney — Thu, 06 May 2010 19:30:41 +0000

As a first timer and newly elected councilor-at-large, I agree with a lot of what is being said here. In fact, most of this is exactly why I ran. I was simply tired of complaining. I can’t do it on my own though!! Come and help me.. Please!!

And, for those of you who are giving up with ALA because you have complaints but refuse to work to change it, I ask you- What else in your profession would you give up on? Which programs? Services? Advocacy? Don’t be a quiter, be a fighter!

By: Dances With Books

Dances With Books — Wed, 05 May 2010 08:26:10 +0000

How about this? I, who did not vote, did not create the mess you and your voting ilk created. Thus, I can’t be blamed, but you can. (George Carlin says it so much better though. Go look it up). Anyhow, like others here, I dropped ALA as soon as I got out of library school and saw that, in spite of all their self-promotion, it is not that big a deal not having it in your resume. So the governance can go on having their self important meetings, circle jerk-offs, and irrelevant resolutions. I have to work for a living. Come back when you have something.

By: Dances With Books

Dances With Books — Wed, 05 May 2010 08:23:05 +0000

They had an election? And as for not voting and complaining, I like George Carlin’s answer better (go look it up, but don’t blame me for the mess you made by voting for the incompetent ones). Anyhow, like many here, I dropped my ALA membership after library school pretty much. For all the ALA promo, having it on your resume is not that big a deal (if you have your state association you are likely ok, though state associations do vary in value too). As far as I am concerned, ALA governance can keep having their fancy meetings and elitist proclamations. I get to actually work for a living.

By: fldenton

fldenton — Wed, 05 May 2010 08:16:12 +0000

Run for ALA office; you’ve got a following who also wants to shake things up. Do it from the inside…become part of the problem, then fix it.

By: Eloise

Eloise — Wed, 05 May 2010 06:37:30 +0000

How about this: If you don’t like the ALA representation, do something about it. Get involved yourself. If you didn’t even bother to vote, what right do you have to complain about the biases or level of competence of the leadership?

By: PopK

PopK — Tue, 04 May 2010 15:37:24 +0000

“What this shows to me is that the other non voters are just members in order to have it on their resume.”
Well I can tell you that’s exactly why I have a membership. I am a student and my university is in the process of applying for accreditation. If my degree ends up not being ALA-accredited, at least I can have ALA on my resume by being a member. Past that, I’m fairly apathetic about it all (though the weekly emails are sort of interesting).

By: DLJ

DLJ — Tue, 04 May 2010 10:52:38 +0000

How about this for a reason: there is nothing to choose from in the pool of candidates. They are all pursuing the same core agenda, and the core agenda has nothing to do with my concerns. Either no one wants to be identified as being against the dominant political views of the most visible and vocal members of the ALA, or those who want to run against them cannot get on the ballot. Maybe the 80% silence is 80% against the political status quo, but with no alternative candidates to vote for abstaining from voting is the only way they can express their disapproval.

By: Dances With Dogs

Dances With Dogs — Tue, 04 May 2010 08:58:42 +0000

I have managed to enjoy a 37-year and counting career as a librarian without the aid and comfort of the ALA circle-jerk. At the same time, I have been a member for 38 consecutive years, starting as a library school student. My dues have always been paid by my libraries, and the the paid professional part of the organization, the one that publishes helpful journals, has a good purpose. I agree with most of the above posters that ALA is a left-wing politically correct dumping ground for such library misfits who wanted to propose an ALA foreign policy. (What an Oxymoron). The members of our profession who indulge in these masturbatory rites are pathetic. Unfortunately, the media invests ALA with the right to speak on behalf of the membership. This is sad indeed, when a flock of losers feels they represent the profession, while once again the vote bears out that hardly anyone providing good local community service cares.