We serve all...

I still have a Midwinter post to create but I wanted to share the thoughts that I posted to the ALA Council list-serv (which you can have read-only access to by going here: ALA Council List-serv)

/start msg/
As Councilors, we represent various divisions, round tables, associations, etc. One thing I've noticed is within the group of Councilor at Large, we are tasked with representing the outliers, those that do not necessarily have a formalized group. As such, individual opinions blend with the multitude.Yet, all of these diverse opinions serve a noble end. We are all members of the American Library Association.

I am proud to serve as a Councilor at Large. It gives me the opportunity to point out other perspectives that may be missed and allows me to walk a mile in each member's shoes, all 60,000 of them.

Indeed, the comments the anonymous member stated were disrespectful. Nonetheless, it is important to not dismiss those views.
At the heart, the perceptions that these members have should be spurring us to consider why these members do not feel welcome within ALA while considering what we can do to assist the members that are uncomfortable with the changes relating to electronic participation. We do not want to alienate future members or the members that have a wealth of knowledge and experience.

I do not feel as if we are making mistakes with regards to electronic participation. It was unfortunate that Councilors felt so rushed.
As much as I hate the phrase, it seems we are experiencing a paradigm shift within ALA. I do not want to "throw the baby out with the bathwater" either and I applaud the efforts of the Task Force that presented recommendations that are now being considered by the Executive Board.

It is my fear that we sometimes take our membership for granted. Yes, we are doing many things right. However, we still need to remain vigilant and serve those that think we are not.
/end message/