The American Library Association (ALA) is now accepting applications for the 2010 class of Emerging Leaders. The deadline to apply is July 31, 2009.

The program is designed to enable approximately 100 library workers to get on the fast track to ALA and professional leadership.  Participants are given the opportunity to work on a variety of projects, network with peers and get an inside look into the ALA structure and activities.

For the first time since its establishment, the Emerging Leaders program will accept non-MLS library workers.  Library support staff personnel are encouraged to apply to the program and will have an opportunity to be considered for sponsorship through the ALA Library Support Staff Interests Round Table.

An ALA division, round table, ethnic affiliate, state chapter or school library media affiliate will sponsor approximately one-third of the selected applicants.  Each sponsor will contribute $1,000 toward expenses ($500 for each conference).  Sponsorship is not required for participation in the program.

Applicants can indicate on the application which groups they want to consider them for sponsorship.  A list of sponsoring units is included as part of the online application. You can also check with your state association and/or state chapter to find out if they are participating and how to apply for their sponsorship.

No more than one person from any instituition will be selected for participation in the program.  In order to be eligible, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be under 35 years of age or be a library worker of any age with fewer than 5 years experience working in a library.
• Be able to attend both ALA conferences and work virtually in between each.
• Be prepared to commit to serve on either an ALA, division, chapter or round table committee, task force or work group, or in your state or local professional library organization upon completion of program.
• Be an ALA member or join upon selection if not already a member.

Program information will be available and updated. For questions or more information regarding the program, contact Beatrice Calvin.

Have your resume reviewed and updated during the 2009 ALA Annual Conference!

On Saturday, July 11, and Sunday, July 12, the NMRT Resume Review Service will offer the opportunity for you to have your resume reviewed by fellow professionals who are knowledgeable about resumes and human resources.

The NMRT Resume Review Service will be located in the Grand Ballroom of McCormick Place-South. (See also ALA Job Placement Center.) The booth will be open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday, July 11 and 12. Volunteer greeters will answer any questions you may have concerning the resume review service. Consult the ALA 2009 Annual Conference Volunteer Booth Schedule for more information.

If you have any questions about the resume service before or after the Annual Conference, please e-mail nmrtrrs@yahoo.com.

The NMRT Resume Review Service is a wonderful way to make sure that your resume is in top condition. There are two ways that you can take advantage of this opportunity. First, NMRT members may work with virtual reviewers via e-mail. Second, at each ALA Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference, both NMRT members and nonmembers may get help with their resumes in the ALA Job Placement Center, where you meet one-on-one with a reviewer.

For more information, visit NMRT Resume Review Service and Resume Review Service at ALA Annual and Midwinter.

Also plan to attend the program Job Hunting in a Recession: Tips from Experts in the Field, Saturday, July 11, 1:30-3:00 p.m., Hyatt Regency (151 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601; 312-565-1234), Grand D North.

Join the White House, the Corporation for National & Community Service and libraries, non-profits and community groups across the country in United We Serve. This is an update of ALA and the Summer of Service.

United We Serve is a national effort launched by President Obama to engage more Americans in serving their communities this summer. United We Serve kicks off on June 22 and runs through September 11, which will be marked for the first time as a national day of service and remembrance. The initiative focuses on four key areas: education, health, energy, and the environment; and community renewal. It is being lead by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that improves lives and strengthens communities through volunteering and service.

The White House contacted ALA to encourage libraries to get involved.  Libraries are a critical piece of the initiative, as one of the four broad issues it will address is supporting education and literacy for all Americans. Volunteer opportunities can be posted right now on www.serve.gov, and I encourage you to do that soon.

For more information, please see the fact sheet (PDF) from the Corporation for National & Community Service.

See also United We Serve on the American Library Association website.

ALA Annual Conference Preview, Chicago

Planning your schedule for ALA’s Annual Conference in Chicago? Be sure to check out the Annual Conference Wiki for tips, highlights, and suggestions.

After receiving comments on Draft Resolution on Marriage for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered People, this is the latest version. Please provide input on this draft resolution, which will be presented to ALA Council during the 2009 ALA Annual Conference. Send comments to Locke J Morrisey, ACRL Councilor 2007-2010/ President NCNMLG, and Larry Romans, ALA Executive Board Member.

Resolution on Civil Marriage Equality Regardless of Sexual Orientation

WHEREAS, civil marriage is a basic human right and an individual choice;

WHEREAS, American Library Association (ALA) Policy 1.5, Goal Area III, states that the goals of the Association include increasing ALA’s influence in promoting equity of access and fair use, and supporting grassroots efforts to influence local, state and federal policies and standards that affect library and information services;

WHEREAS, ALA Policy 54.3 (Equal Employment Opportunity) states that ALA is “committed to equal opportunity for all library employees or applicants for employment,” regardless of sexual orientation and in Policy 54.16 (Gay Rights) ALA “reaffirms its support for equal employment opportunity for gay librarians and library workers”;

WHEREAS, ALA Policy 60.3 (Combating Prejudice, Stereotyping, and Discrimination) states that ALA “actively commits its programs and resources to those efforts that combat prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination against individuals and groups in the library profession and in library user populations” on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression;

WHEREAS, same-sex couples can legally wed in several countries, and six U.S. states and the District of Columbia have legalized varying levels of marriage; and

WHEREAS, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered (GLBT) couples who are library workers or library users who live in states where only heterosexual couples may wed legally do not receive the same rights, including library privileges, family and medical leave, tax equity, inheritance rights, hospital visitation, insurance and retirement benefits, family health care coverage, housing benefits, tuition remission benefits, adoption or birth leave; and

WHEREAS, legally wed GLBT couples who are library workers or library users lose rights and privileges afforded to wedded heterosexual couples when they cross borders into states and countries without marriage equality; and

WHEREAS, the Council of the American Library Association has an opportunity to voice their support to extend full civil marriage protections to all members of the library profession and library user population; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the American Library Association (ALA) affirms that civil marriage and other civil rights protections are essential to making all families safer and more secure; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that ALA opposes the enshrinement of civil marriage discrimination in the federal or in state constitutions; and be it further

RESOLVED, that ALA supports the right of every person to marry, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender couples, wherever they reside.

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For additional information, see ALA policies and more on Sex, Gender Identity, or Sexual Orientation issues. Also visit the home page of the ALA Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Round Table (GLBTRT).

From the District Dispatch:

Join us for an ALA Washington Office Webinar where Kristin Murphy (ALA Washington Office) and Stephanie Vance (Advocacy Guru), both survivors of Capitol Hill, explain many of the mysterious workings of Congress.  Don’t know your appropriation from your authorization?  Aren’t sure what a subcommittee markup is (or why you should care)?  Wondering if a Continuing Resolution really is as boring as it sounds?  This session will bring you up to speed on key Congressional activities, how they might impact libraries in the near future and, most important, what you can do about it.  Come prepared to learn more about “Dear Colleagues,” “Cloture” and “Floor Proceedings” than you ever thought you would.

Webinar will be Tuesday, June 23rd, 4pm - 5pm. Register now as space is limited.

At each American Library Association Annual Conference a reception and fundraiser is held to benefit the Leroy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund. This year’s event, sponsored by ALA President-Elect Camila Alire and the Intellectual Freedom Round Table, provides an opportunity to join other librarians who support intellectual freedom and fair employment.

The reception will be held Monday, July 13, 2009, 5:00-7:00 p.m., Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan, North Imperial Suite, 27th Floor. There is a suggested contribution of $25 (payable at the door or online). All proceeds go directly to the Merritt Fund to help librarians in need.

This event does not require registration for the conference. You can RSVP on Facebook, or contact Jonathan Kelley at (800) 545-2433 x4226.

Unable to attend? You may still donate to the Merritt online, by calling Jonathan at (800) 545-2433 x4226, or by sending a check to the Leroy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund, 50 E. Huron, Chicago, IL 60611.

Click here to watch a video about the work of the Merritt Fund!

The LeRoy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund was established in 1970 as a special trust in memory of Dr. LeRoy C. Merritt. It is devoted to the support, maintenance, medical care, and welfare of librarians who, in the Trustees’ opinion, are:

• Denied employment rights or discriminated against on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, race, color, creed, religion, age, disability, or place of national origin; or
• Denied employment rights because of defense of intellectual freedom; that is, threatened with loss of employment or discharged because of their stand for the cause of intellectual freedom, including promotion of freedom of the press, freedom of speech, the freedom of librarians to select items for their collections from all the world’s written and recorded information, and defense of privacy rights.

See Draft Resolution on Civil Marriage Equality Regardless of Sexual Orientation, this draft resolution’s latest version.

Please provide input on this draft resolution, which will be presented to ALA Council during the 2009 ALA Annual Conference. Send comments to Locke J Morrisey, ACRL Councilor 2007-2010/ President NCNMLG, and Larry Romans, ALA Executive Board Member.

RESOLUTION ON MARRIAGE FOR GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDERED PEOPLE

WHEREAS, ALA Policy Manual 1.5, Goal Area III, goals of the Association include to

• Increase ALA’s influence in promoting equity of access and fair use.
• Support grassroots efforts to influence local, state and federal
  policies and standards that affect library and information services; and

WHEREAS, ALA Policy Manual 7.1.1. Non-Discrimination in Conference Contracts states There shall be no discrimination, including that based on race, origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, creed or disability, in the use of any facilities used by the American Library Association. This policy shall become a part of ALA contracts for the use of space. The ALA will enter into conference-site contracts only with organizations and legal bodies in cities, counties, or states that do not by law discriminate against lesbian, gay, and bisexual people; and

WHEREAS, same-sex couples can legally wed in several countries and at least five U.S. states and the District of Columbia; and

WHEREAS, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered (GLBT) couples living in states where GLBT marriages are not currently recognized do not receive the same rights, including but not limited to: library privileges, hotel services, housing benefits, tuition remission benefits, health benefits, family leave coverage, adoption or birth leave, as wedded heterosexual couples; and

WHEREAS, legally wed GLBT couples, when visiting/working in states where GLBT marriages are not currently recognized, also may not be afforded the same rights as wedded heterosexual couples; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the American Library Association advocates legislation that would legalize marriage between Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered (GLBT) people in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.

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For additional information, see ALA policies and more on Sex, Gender Identity, or Sexual Orientation issues. Also visit the home page of the ALA Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Round Table (GLBTRT).

On June 11, 2009, the Today Show ran a segment–Libraries lend a hand in tough times–on the important role libraries play during the recession, using data and resources provided by the ALA and public libraries.

The ALA Public Information Office worked with the Today Show on this segment and has followed up to encourage NBC affiliates to take up the story locally. But you can help extend the reach of this positive story in several ways:

1. Include the Today Show link on your library Web site
2. Reach out to your local media this week with your local story (particularly NBC affiliates), complemented by national data from the ALA. Two key data points from the Today Show were: 73% of public libraries report they provide the only free access to the Internet in their communities. This rises to 83 percent for rural libraries: Public libraries report double-digit growth
   in Internet services in one year and Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study. Also, 68 percent of Americans have a library card: New national poll shows library card registration reaches historic high.

3. Take advantage of free ALA resources to help tell your story to media, elected officials and funders:
   Job-Seeking in U.S. Public Libraries (PDF).

Using data from the Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study, the issues brief discusses the range of library resources available to job seekers and the challenges to maintaining these services. See also additional briefing reports. Get a free copy of the PDF by emailing Larra Clark.

See also Advocating in a Tough Economy Toolkit.

Get tips, tools and messages that work.

Get the word out!

For questions or support around media outreach, please contact Macey Morales or Jennifer Petersen in the ALA Public Information Office.

For questions or support around advocacy tools, please contact Marci Merola or Jaclyn Finneke.

For questions or support around statistics and research, please contact Denise Davis or Larra Clark.

The ALA Office for Literacy and Outreach Services has created a number of useful tool kits, which are accessible from its OLOS Toolkit Directory. These tool kits address a wide range of topics, from how to assist non-English speakers and older adults, to how to support and advocate for rural and small libraries and tribal libraries, to gaming in libraries. Check these out:

• The American Dream Starts @ your library
• Guide for Building Support for Your Tribal Library
• Handbook for Mobile Services Staff
• How to Serve the World: Serving Non-English Speakers in U.S. Public Libraries
• Keys to Engaging Older Adults @ Your Library
• The Librarian’s Guide to Gaming: An Online Toolkit for Building Gaming @your library logo
• The Small but Powerful Guide to Winning Big Support for Your Rural Library
• TRAILS: Tribal Library Procedures Manual

The Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS) serves the ALA by identifying and promoting library services that support equitable access to the knowledge and information stored in our libraries. OLOS focuses attention on services that are inclusive of traditionally underserved populations, including new and non-readers, people geographically isolated, people with disabilities, rural and urban poor people, and people generally discriminated against based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, language and social class. The Office ensures that training, information resources, and technical assistance are available to help libraries and librarians develop effective strategies to develop programs and services for library users.

For more information, visit OLOS now!