ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

ACRL and ALA Support Academic Librarians

Resolutions and motions supporting librarians in the California State University and Colleges, the University of California, and the University of Chicago were adopted by the Association of College and Research Libraries and the American Library Association at their meetings in Las Vegas in June. The texts of these documents follow.

California State University and Colleges

Resolution adopted by the Board of Directors of the Association of College and Research Libraries, June 28,1973, Las Vegas, Nevada.

WHEREAS, The American Library Association, at the request of the Association of College and Research Libraries, appointed a committee in 1969 chaired by Robert B. Downs, to investigate the situation of librarians in the California State University and Colleges (CSUC), and

WHEREAS, The Downs committee recommended that library personnel problems in the CSUC would be resolved on all major issues if all librarians in the system were granted faculty status, including, as soon as feasible, equality of salaries with other faculty, base salaries for the academic year with supplemental stipends for summer work, time and flexible schedules to facilitate study, research, and other professional activities, and the like, and

WHEREAS, The ACRL Standards for Faculty Status for College and University Librarians calls for full and meaningful faculty status, including promotion on the basis of academic proficiency and professional effectiveness, peer review, equal compensation with other faculty, academic year appointments, leaves, etc. on the same basis as other faculty, and

WHEREAS, The recently promulgated Librari- ans Personnel Plan of CSUC, while not providing for the above perquisites, adds the unusual requirement of a second master's degree or its equivalent for reclassification of librarians,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, (1) That the ACRL Board of Directors formally communicate to the Chancellor of the CSUC system the instances in which the new personnel document fails to conform with the ACRL Standards for Faculty Status for College and University Librarians and the Downs report,

(2) That based on these differences the ACRL urge the suspension of the new personnel plan at CSUC, and

(3) That the Academic Status Committee offer its assistance in revising the plan to bring it into conformity with ACRL standards.

University of California

Resolution adopted by the Membership of the American Library Association, June 27, 1973, Las Vegas, Nevada.

WHEREAS, Academic librarians have been discriminated against as a “women's” profession in that the pay of librarians is below other nonteaching academic staff in most universities and colleges and

WHEREAS, University of California librarians are the lowest paid academic employees at the university; and

WHEREAS, The Assembly Ways and Means Committee of the California legislature has unanimously passed AB 1412, introduced by the American Federation of Teachers, which would increase librarian pay by a minimum of 23 percent so as to eliminate such discriminatory practices;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the American Library Association membership in Las Vegas, Nevada, June 1973,

(1) Supports all efforts to improve the pay of librarians and eliminate sex discrimination practices in the pay of librarians; and

(2) Hereby commends the California Assembly Ways and Means Committee for this historic first step toward eliminating such discrimination; and

(3) Urges the California legislature to pass AB1412, and to communicate ALA’s support of AB1412 to Governor Ronald Reagan, Assembly Majority Leader Bob Moretti, Assembly Minority Leader Robert Beverly, Assemblyman John Miller, the Bill’s sponsor, and to legislative leaders at appropriate times in the legislative process.

University of Chicago

Resolution adopted by the Membership of the American Library Association, June 27,

1973, Las Vegas, Nevada.

WHEREAS, Freedom of expression is guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States, and is a right of particular interest to librarians; and

WHEREAS, Librarians should be free to express controversial opinion without fear of punishment by their employers; and

WHEREAS, Many librarians at the University of Chicago have advocated the formation of a labor union for over two years; and

WHEREAS, On June 15, 1973, the positions of six professional librarians were abolished by the University of Chicago library administration on fifteen minutes notice; and

WHEREAS, Four of these positions were held by persons most active in advocating the organization of a union; and

WHEREAS, These four librarians have an aggregate seniority of thirty-two years; and

WHEREAS, Faculty and students have indicated their opposition to the action of the library administration by formation of committees, picketing in protest, and by massive refusal to use the library on June 25, 1973; and

WHEREAS, Approximately ninety percent of the library staff refrained from appearing for work on Monday, June 25, 1973, in direct protest against these actions; and

WHEREAS, The defense of intellectual freedom is a responsibility of the profession, and

WHEREAS, The actions of the administration of the University of Chicago library in this matter raise serious questions of possible violations of the intellectual freedom of the librarians involved;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the membership of the American Library Association directs that a full and complete investigation of the University of Chicago library's personnel policies and procedures be undertaken immediately by the ALA Committee on Mediation, Arbitration and Inquiry, and directs this Committee to report by the Midwinter Meeting.

AND FURTHER, That the American Library Association strongly urges the University of Chicago library administration to reinstate the six discharged staff members to their positions without prejudice pending SCAMI action.

University of Chicago

Motion passed by the Board of Directors of the Association of College and Research Libraries, June 28, 1973, Las Vegas, Nevada.

That the President of ACRL communicate with the Chairman of SCMAI [ALA Staff Committee on Mediation, Arbitration and Inquiry] regarding the University of Chicago Library action and controversy and that, as a part of the SCMAI investigation mandated by the ALA membership in meeting on June 27, 1973, consideration should be given to possible violation of the ACRL Standards for Faculty Status for College and University Librarians. In addition, the good offices of the ACRL Committee on Academic Status should be offered in the resolution of this problem.