LIS 701 Spring 2008 Discussion Blog

The Black Caucus of the American Library Association was founded in 1971 by a group of Back American librarians who were unhappy with the commitment of the ALA to bring about change to meet the needs of black American membership. Originally calling themselves the Black Librarians Caucus, their mission is to “serve as an advocate for the development, promotion and improvement of library services and resources to the nation’s African American community” and to “provide leadership for the recruitment and professional development of African American librarians.” It’s purpose is to “call attention of the American Library Association to the need to respond positively on behalf of the Black members of the profession” and to determine the information needs of the Black community. It was a product of the latter part of the civil rights movement, and was a direct reaction to libraries in southern states that were not on board with integration. In fact, a strategic plan on their website encompassing goals from 2004 to 2007 indicates a desire to return to the roots of the civil rights activism that prompted its initial inception.

A membership form in PDF format is available to download from their website with information regarding dues. Membership fees range from a lifetime membership affiliation of $500, corporate membership at $200 to a student membership costing a mere $10. Retired librarians may retain a membership for free. The BCALA membership newsletter is mailed to its members six times per year. The website lists membership at 1000 members. An invitation to be a guest editor is offered with publications schedules posted.

The sixth annual BCALA conference was held in August of 2007 in Fort Worth, Texas.
These conferences focus on a central theme entitled “Culture Keepers: Preserving the Past, Sustaining the Future.” Maintaining a commitment to exploring the cultural history of Black-Americans is a major focal point for the organization. The conference in Texas included a retrospective history of Black American cowboys and contributions by Black people to the history of the American west.

The website of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association is comprehensive and has an abundance of information, including a list of awards received, a history, a list of resources, a calendar of events, and employment opportunities. Affiliates in other states are listed, which indicate associations in Mississippi, Connecticut, California, Cleveland, Ohio and New York.

You are invited to visit the website http://www.bcala.org. to learn more about the Caucus, its goals and aspirations, and to join the thousand member organization in keeping abreast of issues affecting Black American librarians around the country.

The Association of Library Service to Children (ALSC) is one of the eleven divisions of the American Library Association. It has more than 4,000 individual and institutional members that are librarians, educators, publishers, parents and children’s advocates. It was originally founded in June of 1941 as the Division for Children and Young People.

The core purpose of ALSC is “creating a better future for children through libraries.” The website, http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/alsc.cfm,
lists its primary goal as, “To lead the way in forging excellent library service for ALL children.” The membership fees are $45 for a regular membership and $18 for a student membership.

The benefits for belonging to the ALSC are a subscription to The Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children, three times a year. A member would also receive ALS Connect, a quarterly newsletter as well as a discount on publications, products, registration for ALS events and educational and development opportunities. Members may also join the ALSC Wiki, http:///wikis.ala.org/alsc, as well as electronic listservs. There is also eligibility for grants, scholarships, and professional awards as well as a professional advisory service to those interested in pursuing a career in children’s librarianship.

ALSC is part of the annual ALA Conference, which will be held in June. It will also have it’s own meeting from September 18-20 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The topic will be “Trailblaze Your Path to Library Success: Professional Development with a Youth Services Focus!” Topics will cover technology and children’s services as well as inspiring lifelong learning in children. Members receive a $75 discount.

The Association also gives out many distinguished awards in children’s literature, including two honors that are well known, The John Newberry Medal and The Randolph Caldecott Medal. Check out those who have won these honors at:

http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/caldecottmedal/caldecotthonors/caldecottmedal.cfm
http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal.cfm

Next on the agenda is Children’s Book Day, which will take place April 30. It is also called el día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), co-sponsored by Publishing for Latino Voices Task Force of the Association of American Publishers and ALSC for the ñrst time to create a recommended reading list of children’s books in both English and Spanish. This will be for children from infancy to age 14 (“Children’s Book Day Celebrations to Begin. 2008, March. American Libaries, 39 (3), 17. Retrieved March 12, 2008 from Social Science Module Database. (Document ID: 1436578221).

ALSC is located at 50 E. Huron, Chicago IL, 60611
alsc.org, 1-800-545-2433 x 2163

The association that I was assigned was The Music Library Association. Their website is very informative and very simple to use, http://www.musiclibraryassoc.org. The organization was founded back in 1931 (3/11/06-MLA posts a new website). The MLA is a professional organization within the U.S. devoted to Music Librarianship and promotes the growth, establishment and use of music libraries. This organization has been created to promote the collection of music and musical literature and its preservation. The MLA and its meetings and website offer a forum for general librarians, music librarians and composers and music scholars to discuss, learn and promote music in libraries and special collections.
Anyone is eligible to join and they encourage membership. They allow individuals, families, corporations and anyone/thing else interested in music and its place in the library system. The fees and dues for a membership with the MLA range from $90.00-$750.00 for US residents and $100.00-$760.00 for international members. There are many different memberships with different specifications, i.e. an individual, a corporation, an institution, a student and so on. The benefits of joining the MLA, which is an annual subscription, gets you a members handbook, one full volume of NOTES (a music librarianship focused magazine), and one quarterly version of the MLA Newsletter. If you obtain a membership that is not corporate, student or institutional are eligible to vote and receive all publications the organization offers. The voting is is for the members of the board and
Each year it hosts an annual meeting for all its members to come together to discuss new ideas, past ideas and other topics related to music librarianship. Their 2008 meeting just took place last month in Newport Beach, Rhode Island, next year 2009; it is being held in Chicago!! The MLA Annual conference awards certain members each year with different awards. There are nine possible awards, for example, the Carol June Bradley Award; whish is a fairly new award. This award is awarded with respect to an individual that support the history of music libraries or special collections. The Dena Epstein Award, for Archival and Library Research in American Music was created through a generous endowment made by the named and her husband back in 1995. The first person awarded the grant was in 1996. This grant also goes to the research in archives or libraries internationally on any aspect of American music. Another award that is given is The Walter Gerboth Award, named for a former MLA president; this award is given to a librarian within their first five years of experience to assist them in research-in-progress in relation to music or music librarianship.

I only used the website, http://www.musiclibraryassoc.org for my information.

Progressive Librarians Guild
“Providing a forum for the open exchange of radical views on library issues”

The PLG was formed in January of 1990 in New York City and are currently based out of New Jersey. The main belief of the organization is about public libraries being a place to provide free access to information and intellectual development for the good of a democratic society. Their main concern is that libraries today have lost sight of this goal and become a “neutral institutional mediator” and have begun to form alliances with questionable businesses, politics, and other aspects of the current information industry.
The PLG supports progressive ideas of librarianship, activist librarians and libraries, critical consideration of the technological changes affecting the library field, and maintaining a high level of professional ethics and democratic awareness.
They very strongly state in their About page on the PLG website:
“Members of PLG do not accept the sterile notion of the neutrality of librarianship, and we strongly oppose the commodification of information which turns the ‘information commons’ into privatized, commercialized zones. We will help to dissect the implications of these powerful trends, and fight their anti-democratic tendencies.”
The activities they engage in include a peer-reviewed journal called Progressive Librarian, sponsored programs at the ALA and Socialist Scholars conferences, and supports many programs and events where PLG chapters are located throughout the country. They also run an email discussion list and give a Miriam Braverman Memorial Award annually for outstanding papers concerning social responsibilities in the library field.
To become a member you send an application to the organization and it is open to library workers and users who agree to their Statement of Purpose. Membership dues are $20, $10 for students/low income issues. It is run by a Coordinating Committee and Editorial Board who are selected on a volunteer basis from those who have been with the Guild for at least two years and show a level of commitment and activism that is in line with the Guild’s objectives. There are currently six student Chapters in the PLG and the requirements to establish a Chapter are having a minimum of three member who have all filled out the necessary paperwork and agree to the Statement of Purpose.
Al information on the Progressive Librarians Guild can be found at: http://libr.org/plg/index.php