2001 ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING

April 5 and 6, 2001
WestCoast Grand Hotel at the Park, Spokane, Washington

CALL TO ORDER:

Cindy Cunningham, President, called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. after determination that there was a quorum present.

GREETINGS FROM HOST LIBRARY:

Cindy Cunningham introduced Merri Hartse who welcomed the Association to Spokane and thanked the members of her conference committee.

INTRODUCTION OF OFFICERS:

Cindy Cunningham introduced the WLA Officers:

Cindy Cunningham introduced the persons reporting to the Board:

Cindy Cunningham introduced the Committee Chairs:

Cindy introduced the Interest Group Chairs:

Cindy introduced the new WLA Officers:

Cindy introduced the Association staff:

INTRODUCTION OF WLA SCHOLARSHIP WINNER AND CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE GRANT WINNERS:

David Hurley, WLA Scholarship Winner, and Conference Attendance Grant Winners: Lisa Adams, Randi Adams, Cathy Ensley, Lynda Iman-Loch, Emily Keller, Susan Lang, Susan Ludington.

INTRODUCTION OF PARLIAMENTARIAN: Charlotte Coker.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF ALA/ALTA NATIONAL ADVOCACY HONOR ROLL INDUCTEES:

Living: Bill & Melinda Gates, Sharon Hammer, Lethene Parks, Amory Peck, John Veblin.

Posthumous: Eleanor Ahlers, Margaret Chisholm, Gladys Lees, Irving Lieberman.

CALL FOR RESOLUTIONS: Karen Highum

No new resolutions were submitted.

GREETINGS:

Susannah Price, PNLA President, encouraged membership in PNLA and encouraged everyone to come to the 2001 PNLA Conference in Corvallis, Oregon.

Jan Weber, WLMA President, discussed what WLMA is working on and thanked the State Library for their help.

Mike Eisenberg, UW/I School Director, announced that they have created a Beverly Cleary Endowed Chair in Children's Services and fund raising has begun. Five members of the faculty are involved in the conference this year. They are planning to begin the distance learning MLIS in the fall of 2002.

AGENDA REVISIONS: Cindy Cunningham

There were no revisions to the agenda.

ADOPTION OF CONFERENCE RULES

Moved: Susan B. Madden
Seconded: Beverly Stubble
Passed unanimously.

MINUTES OF THE 2000 ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING: Cindy Cunningham

MOTION: To approve the minutes of the 2000 Annual Business Meeting.
Moved: Susan B. Madden
Seconded: Merri Hartse
Passed unanimously.

TREASURER'S REPORT: Kim Hixson

Kim Hixson announced that the treasurer's report was attached to the Association's Annual Report.

PRESIDENT'S REPORT: Cindy Cunningham

Cindy Cunningham announced that the President's report was attached to the Association's Annual Report.

LEGISLATIVE PLANNING REPORT: Bill Ptacek

Bill Ptacek, Legislative Planning Committee Chair, introduced members of the Committee. He reported that the Legislature worked on issues involved with property taxes, inflationary limits, elected trustees, harmful to minors, filtering, and censorship. The Statewide Database Licensing bill was introduced.

WASHINGTON STATE LIBRARY REPORT: Jan Walsh for Nancy Zussy

Jan Walsh announced that the Legislature is asking the State Library to move out of the building and into another by June. She asked that people contact their legislators and support a compromise that would provide a place to store their collections and money to support retrieval of materials.

NEW BUSINESS:

Resolutions:

  1. Resolution for the Washington State Legislators Regarding the Future of the Washington State Library
    Whereas the Washington State Library serves the libraries of the state of Washington and all its citizens as a government documents depository and provides federal and state mandated access to important documents not entirely available over the Internet,
    And,
    Whereas the Washington State Library houses a unique and significant collection of historical materials about the territory and early statehood of Washington - materials that require archival conditions of temperature and light in order to be preserved,
    And,
    Whereas citizens of Washington State have come to depend upon the State Library, via their own local libraries, to provide important documents not available locally,
    So be it resolved,
    That the membership of the Washington Library Association (WLA), an association of nearly 1,000 library employees and supporters from all types of libraries from all areas of Washington, urge its legislators to appropriately house the unique documents of the Washington State Library, so that they may be easily accessed and appropriately stored to ensure their longevity.
    Further, the members of WLA seek to remind their legislators that not all relevant library documents are available electronically, and that they have special storage requirements that should be fulfilled in order not to jeopardize the investment the citizens of this state have already made in acquiring and preserving these important records.
    Ratified by the membership of WLA on April 6, 2001 at the WLA annual business meeting.

  2. Intellectual Freedom Statement
    The Washington Library Association supports the principle of free, open, and unrestricted access to information and ideas regardless of the medium in which they exist.
    A democracy can only succeed if citizens have access to the information necessary to form opinions and make decisions on issues affecting their lives. Libraries play a key role in providing access to this information.
    The Association regards this access as a right of all citizens. Therefore the Association believes that libraries have a responsibility to provide access to a wide range of perspectives and viewpoints.
    The Association believes that parents and legal guardians have the responsibility to guide their own children in the exercise of their rights of access.
    The Association recognizes privacy and confidentiality as essential components of intellectual freedom.
    The Association supports local community involvement in developing policies that uphold the United States and Washington State constitutional guarantees of free speech and intellectual freedom.
    The Washington Library Association endorses the American Library Association's Code of Ethics, Freedom to Read Statement, and Library Bill of Rights and its interpretations.
    Therefore, the Washington Library Association opposes censorship and restrictions on access to the full range of constitutionally protected materials.

  3. Definition of Privatization Accept the OTF definition: Privatization is the shifting of policy making and the management of library services or the responsibility for the performance of core library services in their entirety, from the public to the private sector with an important modification as follows: Privatization is the shifting of policy making and the management of library services from the public to the private sector. Generate Association-wide discussion on this definition with a view to ALA eventually taking a stand against the 'shifting of policy making and management of library services from the public to the private sector. It is our belief that a more narrow definition of "privatization" will enable the Association to take a stand in support of keeping publicly supported libraries safe from full privatization. We believe in this stand and approach is consistent with the will of the membership.
    Move that the Washington Library Association endorse the definitions of Privatization as recommended by Reed and Bishoff.

APPOINTMENT OF TASK FORCE TO REVIEW & APPROVE 2001 ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES

Cindy Cunningham appointed Laura Boyes, John Sheller, and Monica Weyhe.

MOTION: Move to accept the Task Force appointees.
Moved: Jonathan Betz Zall
Seconded: Susan B. Madden
Passed.

VOTE OF MEMBERSHIP TO ACCEPT CO-COORDINATORS FOR CONFERENCE 2003 AT YAKIMA

Kristy Coomes and Lynne Zeiher were voted in as co-coordinators.

THE MEETING SUSPENDED AT 1:45 P.M.

THE MEETING RECONVENED AT 1:38 P.M. ON FRIDAY APRIL 6, 2001

INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM STATEMENT: Laura Boyes

Laura Boyes read the Intellectual Freedom Statement. She also introduced and thanked the members of the IF task force.

The members present were: Cameron Johnson, Candy Morgan, Tom Reynolds, Tony Wilson, and Cher Ravagni. Mentioned but not present: Jan Walsh, Mike Wessels, and Janelle Williams

Resolutions:

MOTION: Move to accept the Resolution for the Washington State Legislators Regarding the Future of the Washington State Library as written.
Moved: Susan B. Madden
Seconded: Anne Heller
Passed unanimously.
MOTION: Move to accept the OTF definition: Privatization is the shifting of policy making and the management of library services form the public to the private sector.
Moved: Maggie Nathan
Seconded: Jan Walsh
Discussion of the issue ensued: what does it mean, why are we discussing it, and is there a hidden agenda.
Motion failed.
MOTION: Move the adoption of the Washington Library Association Intellectual Freedom Statement.
Moved: Susan B. Madden
Seconded: Ralph Huntzinger
Discussion:
Question: Kenneth Bragg asked if the statement prohibits a library from requiring parental approval for Internet accessibility. Response: no it does not.

Changes to the wording of the document:
MOTION: Move to strike out the word "citizens" and insert the word individuals (in second and third paragraphs).
Moved: Angela Santamaria
Seconded: Deborah Jacobs
Passed.

MOTION: Move to change the wording of the fourth paragraph to: The Association believes that parents and legal guardians have the right and responsibility to guide their own children in the exercise of their rights of access.
Moved: Catherine Lord
Seconded: Candy Morgan
Passed.

MOTION: Move to change the wording of the fifth paragraph: The Association encourages local community involvement…
Moved: Neel Parikh
Seconded: Sharon Hammer
Motion withdrawn.

MOTION: Move to change the wording of the fifth paragraph: The Association encourages and supports local community involvement…
Moved: Don Willis
Seconded: Deborah Jacobs
Passed.

MOTION: Move to change the seventh paragraph to: The Washington Library Association endorses the American Library Association's Code of Ethics, Freedom to Read Statement, and Library Bill of Rights and ALA's Interpretations.
Moved: Jeana Olson
Seconded: none

MOTION: Move to change seventh paragraph: upper case "I" for interpretations.
Moved: Deborah Jacobs
Seconded: Catherine Lord
Passed.

MOTION: Move to add to the seventh paragraph: "Freedom to View" after Freedom to Read Statement.
Moved: Ralph Huntzinger
Seconded: Susan B. Madden
Passed.

MOTION: Move to amend the eighth paragraph to: Therefore, the Washington Library Association opposes censorship and restrictions on access to the full range of constitutionally protected materials and speech.
Moved: Elise DeGuiseppi
Seconded: Neel Parikh
Passed.

MOTION: Move to strike the sixth paragraph: The Association supports local community involvement in developing policies that uphold the United States and Washington State constitution guarantees of free speech and intellectual freedom.
Moved: Sarah Hunt
Seconded: Tom Reynolds
Motion rejected.

Call for a vote to approve the motion as amended.
Passed.

Washington Library Association Intellectual Freedom Statement
The Washington Library Association supports the principle of free, open, and unrestricted access to information and ideas regardless of the medium in which they exist.
A democracy can only succeed if individuals have access to the information necessary to form opinions and make decisions on issues affecting their lives. Libraries play a key role in providing access to this information.
The Association regards this access as a right of all individuals. Therefore the Association believes that libraries have a responsibility to provide access to a wide range of perspectives and viewpoints.
The Association believes that parents and legal guardians have the right and responsibility to guide their own children in the exercise of their rights of access.
The Association recognizes privacy and confidentiality as essential components of intellectual freedom.
The Association encourages and supports local community involvement in developing policies that uphold the United States and Washington State constitutional guarantees of free speech and intellectual freedom.
The Washington Library Association endorses the American Library Association's Code of Ethics, Freedom to Read Statement, Freedom to View Statement, and Library Bill of Rights and its Interpretations.
Therefore, the Washington Library Association opposes censorship and restrictions on access to the full range of constitutionally protected materials and speech.

CONFERENCE 2001 REPORT: Merri Hartse

Merri Hartse reported on attendance: 440 people registered, 113 at the pre-conference, 57 vendors.


Jan Walsh and Carol Gill Schuyler thanked Cindy Cunningham for her work as President.

Cindy Cunningham handed the gavel to Carol Gill Schuyler.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Date:  ________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Karen Highum, Secretary
_____________________________________________________________________
Cindy Cunningham, President
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