This Is What the Ballot Will Look Like

Below for review by the membership are the Bylaws of Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures, a proposed new division of the American Library Association. If adopted, the proposed Bylaws would entirely replace the current Bylaws of the [division name], pending final approval by the ALA Council.

Explanation for Proposal

Your vote on this measure represents a choice between two different visions for the future for all three divisions involved in the Core project (ALCTS, LITA and LLAMA).

If a majority of the voting members in each of the three divisions votes in favor:

  • Core will continue to support the groups in which members currently find their professional homes while also creating new opportunities to work across traditional division lines.
  • Core will strengthen and expand our existing member engagement efforts and provide additional career-support services.
  • Core will reduce organizational overlap and complexity allowing staff to be more focused on member services.
  • Core will be a model for ALA’s future reorganization.

The Core proposal is the culmination of work that began in 2017. As members, we want to make an affirmative choice about our future, and to build a new and sustainable division. Financial considerations have always been part of the Core planning process, but ALA’s recent financial disclosures (see https://core.ala.org/we-hear-you/) make our challenges even more urgent. We are fortunate to already have Core as a viable path forward. 

If a majority of the voting members in any one division votes against:

Each division moves forward, with the following future challenges:

  • Membership services remain stagnant, leading to continued decline in division membership.
  • Continued duplication of effort among staff of the three divisions leaves little room for new activities and programs.
  • Collaborative events between our divisions will end.
  • Future reorganization within ALA may not preserve cross-library-type and cross-role networking across ALA. 
  • Each division will need to mitigate the impact of ALA’s financial challenges independently.

A vote against Core does not guarantee the status quo. ALA’s recently disclosed financial situation means that each division will either decline to the point of dissolution, or may be merged or absorbed in some other way as part of ensuing reorganization.

We truly feel that the proposed Bylaws, if approved, are our best option for continued success. On behalf of the Boards of Directors of all three divisions, we urge you to vote Yes on adoption of the proposed Core Bylaws.

Jennifer Bowen, President, Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS)

Emily Morton-Owens, President, Library Information Technology Association (LITA)

Anne Cooper Moore, President, Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA)

Voting

On the question of adopting the proposed Bylaws of Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures to replace the current Bylaws of the [division name]:

1)    YES

2)    NO

[The ballot will then list the proposed Core Bylaws and your division’s current bylaws. You can view the ALCTS, LITA, or LLAMA ahead of time and compare them to those proposed for Core.]