ALA-APA External Relationships Task Force Recommendations, Implementation Strategies, and Next Steps

May 10, 2002

TO: ALA-APA Transition Team

FROM: APA External Relations Team:

• Margaret (Margie) Axtmann (Law Librarian),
• Michael Golrick (Connecticut Library Association Councilor)
• Diane Fay (President, AFSCME Council #93 for the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts & Vermont, Library Support Staff Interest Round Table),
• Raymond (Ray) Markey (New York Public Library Union President, President Task Force on the Status of Librarians)
• Vivian Pisano (Councilor at Large, Diversity Council Chair),
• Ann Sparanese (Social Responsibilities Round Table Action Council) and
• Gloria Leonard (Councilor at Large), Chair.

RE: Recommendations, Implementation Strategies and Next Steps

APPROACH

For the past six weeks, the External Relations Task Force has identified, thought about and briefly examined a variety of ALA and ALA-APA external relationship issues. Issues considered included: formal and informal relationships, operating procedures and staff routines, ALA’s organization and committee structure, use of the ALA-APA name, representative appointments to and from ALA-APA, and role of ALA’s Washington Office. In addition, this External Relations Task Force report suggests several new and improved ways ALA-APA may want to consider working in collaboration with other organizations.

Below is a summary of the five key issues, recommendations and implementation strategies:

SUMMARY

ISSUE #1:

External relationships between ALA-APA and an ALA unit, section, chapter, round table, division, including Library Administration and Management Association’s (LAMA) Union Relations for Managers discussion group and the Affiliate Assembly of American Association of School Librarians (AASL), and affiliated organizations, including library and library schools, foreign organizations and non-profit groups other than library and library schools.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Informal Relationships—

   1. Establish and maintain informal, information-sharing-only relationships with outside organizations.

      • Implentation Strategies:

        1. Maintain dual relationships with outside associations; Continue to invite and encourage informal collaborations with independent 501(c)(3) organizations on an information-sharing basis if that is the preferred relationship of the independent group. At the same time, pro-actively participate in strategies with other 501(c)(6) organizations as permitted in areas that include, lobbying and advocating for enhanced library worker benefits.

        2. Members of ALA may be appointed to provide service, information, or to network with organizations outside of ALA-APA for the purpose of accomplishing mutual goals. Such representatives will have no formal role in the governing structure of the other organization and the appointment of such representatives does not, in and of itself, constitute a “formal relationship.”

2. Formal Relationships—

   1. Create a mechanism that formalizes current official and unofficial collaborative external relationships between ALA-APA and non-profit groups in all areas that promote the professional interests of librarians and other library workers.

      • Implementation Strategies:

        1. The ALA-APA’s primary objectives for entering into formal relationships with other organizations, business enterprises, labor groups, etc., should be:

           • To help the ALA-APA achieve its mission

           • To fulfill a specific need related to current ALA-APA goals and objectives or to contribute in a significant way to the cooperating organization while using ALA-APA’s name and its resources effectively

           • To benefit as much as possible from a reciprocal relationship in the form of finances, expertise, experience, public relations, or other advantages.

        2. Formal relationships should be entered into with ALA-APA and other organizations, business enterprises, labor groups, etc, whose strengths and reputation has been established.

        3. When implementing ALA-APA, special emphasis should be placed on the initial implementation report of the 2nd Congress on Professional Education that recommends formulating collaborations with library associations.

   2. Develop ALA-APA affiliation guidelines, criteria and an application process
      The External Relations Task Force acknowledges that issues regarding policies, practices and criteria for affiliation are overlapping concerns for the ALA-APA Governance Task Force. In addition to the Governance Task Force approaches, External Relations suggests the following:

      • Implementation Strategy:
        
        Suggested criteria for ALA-APA affiliation may include statements about:

        • Anticipated mutual needs and shared purpose of the outside organizations and ALA-APA

        • Proven track record of accomplishments in areas that include certification and pay equity of members

        • Availability of resources, including consultant services, in-kind support and other forms of collaborative assistance

        • Reporting and communication devises that are designed and ready to use

        • A commitment to provide up to date contact information

        • Ability of the outside organization to enable ALA-APA to accomplish its mission beyond what ALA-APA could do on its own

   3. Establish and maintain operating procedures and practices for external relationships between ALA-APA and affiliated organizations

      • Implementation Strategies:

        1. For those staff that will provide direct support to ALA-APA affiliates, routine operating procedures should be established for the ALA-APA affiliation application and renewal processes. For example, a mechanism should be put in place that makes it easier for staff to maintain up to date information about an affiliate organization. Staff have expressed ideas about improvements to the ALA affiliation process that may be transferred and applied to the ALA-APA record keeping practices.

        2. The External Relations Task Force identified a 1998 document that outlines the units of ALA and their membership in outside organizations. Although out of date, this document can be one of the next steps in creating a clearinghouse and on-going record of relationships between ALA affiliates and ALA-APA and its affiliates. As part of updating operating practices and procedures, the External Relations Task Force recommends that another survey be conducted of units to identify external relations. Once compiled, this data should be kept up to date.

        3. Establish a mechanism for the periodic review and evaluation of relationship agreements between ALA-APA and other organizations.

   4. Retain control of the use of the ALA-APA name

      • Implementation Strategies:

        1. The External Relations Task Force reaffirms that formal relationships which permit the other organization to use the ALA-APA name, other than to identify the provider of information or services, must be based on a written agreement pursuant to which ALA-APA retains control of the use of its name.

        2. Further, the External Relations Task Force suggests that any policy agreement developed between ALA-APA and other organizations, business enterprises, labor unions, and other groups, carry a disclaimer statement that states that use of the ALA-APA name does not necessarily imply that ALA-APA endorses the outside organizations policies, products, or services. In addition, the disclaimer should indicate that none of ALA-APA’s published reports, findings or other documents shall be circulated under the imprint of the other organization without the permission of ALA-APA.

   5. Appoint representatives between ALA-APA and other organizations

      • Implementation Strategies:

        1. Official representatives to outside organizations serve at the request of the ALA-APA Council. Official representatives participate in meetings or in the establishment of Councils, joint committees, task forces and other working teams for the purpose of collaborating on activities of mutual interest. An official representative from ALA-APA to an outside organization is an ALA member, appointed by ALA-APA Council.

        2. Should an outside organization request an official representative from the ALA-APA, or should an outside organization submit a request to send an official representative to ALA-APA, the request should go to the ALA-APA Council for approval. If approved , the official representative from the outside organization need not be a personal member of ALA. Instead, the official representative should be of a member of one of the ALA-APA affiliated organizations.

   6. Conduct a needs assessment to determine the kinds of ALA-APA products, services and benefits of interest to ALA partners.

      • Implementation Strategy: “Providing library workers with the tools and resources to enable them to advocate successfully for more equitable compensation” is one of the goals of President-elect Mitch Freedman. One method to address this need is to find out what skill building tools are most needed. After library worker needs have been identified, then explore the costs of offering these new value-added programs, products and services. Tool kits and a workshop series on techniques for effective legislative advocacy and grassroots lobbying for better salaries and recognition are examples of services that could be made available to ALA-APA partners.
        (This concern is related to issues raised by the ALA-APA Membership Task Force.)

ISSUE# 2.

Relationships between ALA-APA and ALA Committees, including joint committees, standing committees, Council committees, special committees and task forces.

RECOMMENDATION:

• Review all ALA external relationships, including charges, mission statements and activities to determine if the group should remain affiliated with ALA or its units, transition from ALA to the newly established ALA-APA organization, be replaced by a new group or re-configured ALA-APA group with a different name.

ISSUE#3.

ALA-APA involvement in coalitions and working collaboratively with labor organizations

RECOMMENDATION:

• Develop new ways of working in collaboration with 501(c)(5) labor organizations

  • Implementation Strategies:

    1. Explore the feasibility of continued involvement in problem-solving coalitions with labor organizations, including the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) in areas that include, better salaries, skill standards for library workers, and certification programs so that ALA-APA’s mission, vision and values in these areas will be advanced. For example, both ALA and labor organizations have staff support for performing research functions. Coalition participants could share responsibilities for conducting research-based evidence on key pay equity issues.

    2. Explore the feasibility of formulating partnership agreements between ALA-APA and national labor organizations so that overarching statements of common values and guiding principles beyond issues and concerns at the local level are clarified.

ISSUE #4.

ALA Washington Office: Coalitions with Washington-based representatives from other groups with similar concerns

RECOMMENDATION:

• Explore new and enhanced opportunities within established U.S. Internal Revenue guidelines for 501(c)(3) education/charitable organizations for the ALA Washington Office to be directly involved in coalition lobbying with national human resources associations, such as the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) in areas including, labor laws, retirement laws and other human resources-related issues.

  • Implementation Strategies:

    1. Continue building coalitions with other Washington-based associations including labor unions, women’s groups, independent Federal agencies such as Institute of Museum and Library Services and civil rights organizations for the purpose of influencing legislation that supports ALA issues such as, increased professional development, pay equity laws and Presidential Initiatives such as FY 2003’s “Campaign for America’s Librarians.”

    2. Utilize to the extent possible, the professional expertise, and resources of ALA’s Washington Office to develop tools about effective ways to work collaboratively with outside organizations on projects of mutual interest using strategies that include: joint letter writing campaigns, joint visits by a small delegations to discuss issues with the legislator, team teaching legislative advocacy classes with other organizations.

    3. ALA has not been involved in coalition lobbying with other organizations in the past. For this reason, coalition activities, including working with the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), should be monitored for overall effectiveness and measured outcomes. (These issues overlap with the Legislative and Advocacy Task Team)

Next Steps

ISSUE #5

Communication campaign targeted toward affiliated organizations, both formal and informal relationships

• Recommendations:

  1. Develop an information campaign that tells ALA members about ALA-APA, including inviting representatives from official and unofficial organizations to attend these briefing sessions.

  2. Launch a multi-faceted information campaign about ALA-APA, including fact sheets, special focus groups, electronic discussion lists, group business meetings and other methods to spread the word.

  3. Use upcoming Association meetings to make live "demonstrations" about the impacts of ALA-APA on members and affiliated organizations.

  4. Explore enhanced opportunities for others to get involved in shaping ALA-APA through working groups such as, units, section, divisions and round tables to help raise the visibility about this new entity.

  5. Strategically use already existing business meetings and get-together sessions such as, the mid-winter and annual conference luncheon meetings with the Executive Director as additional forums to exchange ideas and map out plans for ALA and ALA-APA partners and affiliates ALA-APA to work together on specific issues of mutual interest.