ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


3 1 0 /C & R L N ew s •  March 2001

C o l l e g e  & R e s e a r c h  L i b r a r i e s  News

Meet the candidates 
for ALA President

Vote in the election this spring

by M aurice J. (Mitch) Freedm an, Ken Haycock, and W illiam  Sannw ald

T he ACRL Board of Direc­tors p o sed  the following 
questions to the candidates 
for ALA President, and C&RL 
News is p leased  to publish 
their responses. Each candi­
date w as given 1,200 w ords 
in w hich he could choose to 
offer a brief o p ening state­
m ent and to respond to the 
questions; the responses are 
identified under each o f the 
five questions.

Maurice J. Freedman Ken Haycock W illiam  Sannw ald

O pe n ing state m en t
Freed m an : Academic libraries are facing 
pressures in the 21st century that d id n ’t exist 
for most of the 20th. The Internet and elec­
tronic publishing, coupled w ith the UCITA- 
like appetites of the inform ation industry, 
threaten the nation's academ ic libraries in 
several interrelated ways.

There are the administrators and funding 
bodies that love the idea o f virtual, as o p ­
posed to physical, libraries. We must make 
the case for the continuing n eed  for bricks 
and books, while acknowledging the extraor­
dinary and com plem entary value of the elec­
tronic information

The Internet is not a panacea. It is rife 
w ith self- and other-published “inform ation” 
that is inaccurate, outdated, or otherwise of 
little or questionable worth. We must make 
the case to those w hose belief in the Internet 
is quasi-religious that the academic librarian 
is the m ediator w ho will organize and evalu­
ate that inchoate mess and render it coher­
ent to the academ y’s com m unity o f users 
through such vehicles as bibliographic instruc­
tion, froi›tline day-in-day-out reference ser­
vice, and a host of other means.

The information industry, commercial data 
ow ners, an d  n o w  o u r fo r m e r  friend, the 
American Association of Publishers (AAP)— 
according to Pat Schroeder, AAP’s president, 
librarians are “the enem y”—w ant to eradi-

A b o ut th e authors|

Maurice J. Freedman is director o f the Westchester Library System, e-mail: freedman@w!s. lib. ny. us; Ken Haycock is director 
o f the University o f British Columbia School o f Library, Archival, and Information Studies, e-mail: ken.haycock@ubc.ca; 
William Sannwald is assistant to the city manager at San Diego Public Library, e-mail: wws@sdcity.sannet.gov

mailto:freedman@wis.lib.ny.us
mailto:ken.haycock@ubc.ca
mailto:wws@sdcity.sannet.gov


C& RL N ew s ■ M arch 2001 / 311

cate the whole notion of fair use as well as 
other aspects of copyright law through UCITA 
legislation, shrink-wrap licensing, and exces­
sively restrictive contracts for database us­
age. These attempts to unreasonably restrict 
access to electronic information are a threat 
to the future of libraries. Interlibrary loan, 
fair use photocopying, etc. could all become 
prohibited activities.

All of these challenges must be faced 
proactively and be vigorously opposed. As 
your ALA President, I will work closely with 
ACRL and others to fight for the continued 
fair use of databases and software and fight 
against excessive limitations on use in licens­
ing agreements. No to UCITA!

Q u e stio n s f o r  A L A  ca n d id a te s
1. W hat are the fundamental values tha

you would emphasize as ALA President and 
w hat would be y o u r top priorities?

Freed m an : I will use the power of the 
ALA presidency to fight for these values and 
priorities:

• free access to libraries and information 
for all, no matter what their economic condi­
tion, physical challenges, ethnicity, national 
origin, sexual preference, or age;

• fair use of databases and software (No 
to UCITA! No to excessive limitations on use 
in licensing agreements);

• unfettered and unfiltered access to in­
formation in all formats;

• increased funding for libraries and gov­
ernment publication programs;

• better pay for all library  workers— this 
will be a special priority. Pay equity is a cru­
cial issue that I will address. Too many people 
are leaving or not entering academic library 
work because of inadequate salaries. I will 
use the power of the ALA presidency to pro­
mote the worth of librarians and provide tools 
for local libraries in their effort to obtain eq­
uitable salaries;

• programs and funding to ensure the re­
cruitment, education, and retention of a di­
verse library work force;

• continued recognition that libraries are 
physical, as well as virtual places; and

• keep the “l” in library education by re­
quiring ALA accredited schools to teach li­
brary administration, services, and principles.

H aycock: As President of ALA, I would 
work diligently to:

t 

W e m u s t m a k e  th e  ca se  f o r  

th e  c o n t in u in g  n ee d  f o r  b ric k s  

a n d  b o o k s, w h ile  a c k n o w le d g in g  

th e  e x t ra o rd in a r y  a n d  

c o m p le m e n ta ry  v a lu e  o f th e  

e le c tro n ic  in fo rm a tio n .

— M a u rice  F re e d m a n

• (re)position libraries and librarians as 
critical educational, economic, and social 
forces— my experience as a senior education 
official and as a participant in ALA legislative 
days convinces me that library advocates need 
not only training and support but also need 
solid evidence to present to decision-makers 
that we do indeed make a difference to learn­
ing, to research, and to the quality of life in 
our academic communities;

• guarantee equitable access to informa­
tion— as a public library trustee, an elected 
municipal councilor, and a former school 
board president the need to guarantee ac­
cess to information is fundamental to my 
beliefs about democracy; but this right is only 
as good as one’s ability to discern and make 
effective use of accurate, relevant, and cur­
rent information, best developed through col­
laborative partnerships between librarians and 
faculty for programs of information literacy;-

• recruit, educate, and support a diverse 
workforce reflective of the communities we 
serve—as an academic administrator, it is clear 
to me that we need to enhance and comple­
ment our scholarship initiatives through ac­
tive recruitment strategies with young people 
making their first career decisions;

• educate professionals based on our core 
values and core competencies— as chair of 
the steering committee for the Congress on 
Professional Education, the concerns of the 
profession are well-known to me, as is the 
need to protect librarianship as a discrete 
academic discipline critical to effective pub­
lic service and supported by access to con­
tinuous lifelong learning opportunities for all 
members.

These priorities reflect the needs and pri­
orities discussed with me by members.

Sannwald: The main task of being ALA 
President and my main priority is to be the



3 1 2 /C & RL News ■ March 2001

spokesperson for libraries and librarians. The 
message I have is tied into my belief that 
libraries are a positive good, vital to civic and 
academic life, and that the information age 
has increased rather than diminished the im­
portance of libraries and librarians. This is 
important because the growth of technology 
has caused academic administrators and 
elected officials to question the traditional li­
brary.

We need to retain our values of free ac­
cess to information and emphasize that li­
braries are a public good; that the best librar­
ies are those that understand the needs of 
their users and collect and/or make avail­
able the resources users need. We need to 
embrace new values of partnerships and co­
operation if we are going to thrive, and li­
braries need to partner with private and public 
organizations to attain mutual benefits. We 
need cooperative efforts on a regional, state, 
national, and international level to share fi­
nite resources and services. Our governing 
bodies demand that we look for innovative 
ways to accomplish our mission, and part­
nerships and cooperative efforts create a fa­
vorable public image and often lead to syn­
ergy and efficiencies.

2. As President of ALA you will be calle
upon to speak for librarians on a variety 
of issues. How do you propose to seek in­
put from the various ALA. divisions and to 
weigh that input to represent effectively 
and accurately the views o f librarians to 
the general public, the press, and local, 
state, or national governmental entities?

Freedman: I will create an advisory coun­
cil that will include a representative from each 
division to counsel me on policy matters. I 
will work closely with ACRL and others to 
provide presidential support and leadership 
on those issues especially important to them. 
The ALA President has the opportunity to 
speak for the association and to help each of 
the divisions with their respective missions. I 
will be visible and outspoken on behalf of 
libraries with the general public, all of the 
media, and government entities at all levels. 
The ALA President has to be out front but 
with the support of the membership and the 
divisions.

Haycock: The committee structure of ALA 
should be examined to ensure representa­

d

tion from all affected bodies in the organiza­
tion. Then, ideally, the appropriate ALA 
groups would be consulted prior to any rep­
resentation of views to their particular con­
stituency or decision-makers. However, in the 
“real” world, the president also needs broad 
experience across the association in order to 
respond quickly and intelligently to questions 
raised and opportunities presented when they 
occur: it is not always possible to consult be­
fore responding.

My experience in academic, public, 
school, and special libraries, and as director 
of an ALA-accredited program, has enabled 
me to become aware of the many issues fac­
ing different groups in ALA and become fa­
miliar with the nature of inquiries. My media 
training as an elected school board president 
and city councilor also has proven useful 
when addressing the issues that we face as 
librarians. Also, the special knowledge of 
ACRL leaders, like Patricia Breivik, Jim Neal, 
Hannelore Rader, Maureen Sullivan, and 
many others who have endorsed my candi­
dacy, should be incorporated into any repre­
sentation of ALA and librarianship in their 
area of expertise.

Sannwald: I have been a committee mem­
ber for six ALA divisions (including ACRL), 

 and my activities have been centered on those 
divisions and organizations that represent all 
types of libraries like LAMA and OCLC. The 
diversity of libraries represented by ALA and 
its divisions is a strong point that I appreci­
ate. As a division president, I felt that com­
munication in my “divisional presidential 
class” was good, but that the tie to ALA as an 
organization needed to be stronger. This is a 
delicate balance because the divisions need 
to be strong and semi-independent under the 
ALA banner, but still deliver a common voice 
for libraries. During the three-year commit­
ment as ALA President, I would visit each 
division executive board at least once a year 
to share ideas and get input. If I had to speak 
to a group interested in a particular library, I 
would call one of the people I respect in that 
type of library to get his or her thinking.

I have been an effective spokesperson for 
libraries at all levels of local, state, and na­
tional government, and, as a marketing pro­
fessor, I believe I know how to craft commu­
nication strategies. One of my city council 
members said I was more like a game show



C& RL N ew s ■ M arch 2001 / 313

host than librarian, and I think that is not a 
bad trait for a spokesperson to have.

3. In ou r environm ent o f rapid chang
w h at a re  y o u r view s o n  th e  fu tu re o f 
librarianship and future ro les libraries 
will play in society? W hat should ALA be 
doing differently th at would have an  im ­
p act o n  th e p ercep tio n  o f  th e role o f li­
brarians in  society? How would you  as 
ALA President lead th e association in co n ­
tinuing to attract highly capable individu­
als to th e profession?

F reed m an : Librarians will continue to 
have a very proactive role, especially as soci­
ety becomes increasingly reliant on techno­
logically driven forms of information access.

We will continue to have the same vital 
role in the selection, organization, evaluation, 
and delivery of high-quality information; in 
the design of access systems; and in the de­
sign of instructional and information literacy 
services— the latter is especially important.

Libraries and librarians will have a crucial 
role in bridging the digital divide; this will be 
as true for community college learning re­
source centers as it is for the major research 
institutions and the libraries in-between.

They will be critically important in devel­
oping new forms of partnerships and col­
laboration across types of libraries, types of 
campus units (e.g., IT, faculty, museums), and 
community/corporate organizations.

As higher education changes with distance 
and online instruction, librarians will play criti­
cal roles as partners in developing custom­
ized resources and services for this new envi­
ronment; we will be consulting directly with 
faculty and students, and beyond the traditional 
walls.

Librarians will continue to play a vital role 
in the preservation of cultural heritage (e.g., 
preservation, special collections, etc.). The new 
challenge will be the preservation of the elec­
tronically based information that has been 
shaping policy and culture.

H aycock: It is my belief that librarianship 
can become the 21st-century profession and 
that ALA must focus its resources to ensure 
that this happens. I am optimistic about the 
future of our profession. Even in the past 18 
months, we have noticed that our graduates 
are being recruited by corporations for posi­
tions as professional librarians at starting sala-

e

C o rp o ra te  A m e ric a  is r e c o g n iz in g  
o u r v a lu e  an d  re w a rd in g  us 

, 
a c c o rd in g ly ; o u r o w n  in s titu tio n s  

w ill be e n c o u ra g e d  to  d o  lik e w is e  

as a re su lt.
— K en  H ay co ck

ries 50 percent higher than comparable po­
sitions in public sector positions in academic 
and public libraries. Corporate America is rec­
ognizing our value and rewarding us accord­
ingly; our own institutions will be encour­
aged to do likewise as a result. We need to 
seize opportunities to work with the new 
administration in Washington, D.C., with its 
ambitious program for education, to ensure 
that the contributions of libraries and librar­
ians are recognized and valued.

Recruitment is of considerable concern to 
me as an academic administrator. Research 
indicates that young people tend to make 
their first career choice in high school and 
that “first career librarians” tend to partici­
pate more actively in associations and in 
management positions. I would thus couple 
our scholarship efforts with active recruitment 
at the high school level— an investment in 
the future. I would also ensure that college 
and university librarians had the necessary 
recruitment materials at hand to encourage 
interested students.

Sannwald: Libraries will play an even 
more significant role in society because 
people need the information available in li­
braries and the information services provided 
by librarians. Libraries and librarianship will 
be different because of technology and stake­
holder expectations, but we won’t go away.

My decision to become a librarian was 
shaped by the librarian in my hometown who 
talked with me about librarianship as a ca­
reer and introduced me to Arthur Curley, who 
was the librarian in the adjoining town. 
People select career paths because of per­
sonal experiences and influences, and I have 
tried to be an evangelist for library careers. 
Every year we invite undergraduates from 
University of California, San Diego, to visit 
the library, and this has resulted in three new 
staff members going on to library school. ALA 
members can do the same thing, especially



3 1 4 /C & R L News ■ March 2001

with the student workers employed in librar­
ies. I believe the @your library campaign will 
increase the visibility of libraries, and help 
in recruitment, as well as positively enhance 
the image of libraries and librarians.

4. What is your position on members par
ticipating virtually as committee members or 
in other roles in ALA and its divisions?

Freedman: Librarians must take advan­
tage of all of the media available to them. Con­
ference calls, e-mail, chatrooms—these vari­
ous means of communication are essential. It 
is grand that members can participate virtually 
as either observers or participants in the vari­
ous ALA electronic lists. Committee work is 
enhanced by e-mail and chatrooms. E-mail and 
chatrooms also are marvelous ways to give 
new librarians access to what is going on in 
the association and an opportunity to partici­
pate in areas of interest to them.

My only concern and reservation is that 
mechanisms be in place to ensure that the 
spirit of the open meeting policy of ALA is 
not violated.

Haycock: Every opportunity for intellec­
tual participation and considered discourse 
should be taken if we are serious about mem­
ber involvement and incorporation of diverse 
viewpoints. The logistics and implications can 
be handled effectively once identified. In­
deed, the council committee examining this 
issue is making fine progress.

Sannwald: I think it is a great idea that 
has had mixed success due to a number of 
factors. Success seems to be based on three 
factors: attitude, task, and technology. Physi­
cal and virtual committee members must have 
an attitude that the arrangement will work if it 
is to succeed, and both types of members must 
be treated equally. Some committees require 
a lot of “stuff’ and interaction to work. If com­
mittee members are constantly referring to 
objects or reports in a meeting, it is not a good 
committee choice for virtual membership. 
Technology in the long run will improve vir­
tual member participation through video 
conferencing and other techniques that allow 
fuller participation than e- and snail mail.

Last year I conducted ten LAMA Institutes 
around the United States, and I talked with 
many ALA members who don’t usually at­
tend conferences, but who have a lot to con­
tribute to the profession. I believe that ALA

has a responsibility to have full participation 
from its membership, and the number of vir­
tual members in ALA activities should be in­
creased.

5. Do you believe that ALA is effectively 
­ organized to meet its goals and the aspi­

rations of its members? If not, how do 
you think it should be organized?

Freedman: ALA probably could be orga­
nized better . . . what couldn’t? But the sub­
stantial diversity of interests militates against 
centrality, and probably efficiency, too. The 
divisions and roundtables have wonderful 
and important roles to play in promoting the 
areas of librarianship of concern to them. The 
president must speak for the association, but 
ALA’s units shouldn’t be unduly constrained 
from pursuing their respective interests.

I will spend my time as ALA President 
fighting for those issues and priorities I have 
identified. I will tend not to devote precious 
advocacy time and energy on “fixing” or bet­
ter organizing the ALA structure.

Haycock: ALA is organized effectively to 
meet the needs of its members for involve­
ment and participation. It is effectively orga­
nized to enable a broad representation of is­
sues and activities with staff and support. It 
is not efficient, however, and it is difficult to 
bring the best of the “silos” together and to 
focus resources for results. However, while 
every reorganization study recognizes a need 
for change, no study has garnered broad sup­
port for change. My conclusion is that you 
recognize the strengths of the current orga­
nization and deal with those realities of mov­
ing the agenda forward. Navel gazing is not 
productive in the short term and not how I 
would choose to spend my one year as presi­
dent.

Sannwald: First, I think that the ALA staff 
is tops from the executive director on down, 
and they are the people who really make the 
organization run. They are so good that they 
make it easy for the member volunteers to 
organize ALA almost any way and still have 
it be successful. Trying to get a quorum for a 
general members meeting has been difficult, 
and this may indicate a problem with how 
members relate to certain aspects of ALA, but 
most membership meetings are boring. The 
real strength of ALA is in the extraordinary 
participation by members in its committees



C& RL N e w s ■ M arch 2001 / 3 15

and divisions. Divisions like ACRL, PLA, and 
others are doing quite well, however smaller 
divisions have had difficulty in meeting the 
revenue targets required to undertake cer­
tain activities. This is an issue that will need 
to be addressed and resolved to the satisfac­
tion of all members.

Organizations are organic things and need 
to change to meet the needs of members, 
and divisions and committees are constantly 
evolving to reflect new member interests and 
issues in the profession. This will continue. 
As I indicated in an earlier question, I think 
it is important to tap the entire membership, 
allowing full participation by any member 
who wants it.

6. One o f the m ost cru cial roles fo r AL
is to  p ro m o te th e im p ortan ce o f  libraries 
and to  in crease th e aw areness th at th ere  
are m an y types o f  libraries serving differ­
en t audiences and needs. How would you 
as th e ALA Presid en t use th e “@ your li­
b rary  cam paign” and o th e r opportunities 
to p ro m o te libraries?

Freedm an: I would use all of ALA’s com­
munication facilities and intensively pursue all 
of the opportunities available to promote the 
nation’s libraries. The strength of America’s 
information resources is in the sum and diver­
sity of its libraries and their collections. Ap­
pearances on television and radio on behalf 
of the @your library campaign will be critical. 
Print coverage will be essential, too.

I have been the host of a TV information 
talk show for more than a decade. Through 
the success of the show and the attendant 
recognition in the community, I know first­
hand how important television coverage is 
in promoting libraries.

The message must be simple and repeated 
consistently and clearly. Libraries are a pub­
lic good. They benefit everyone, not just the 
people who use them.

I will advocate for libraries and persuade 
each audience of exactly what it is about li­
braries that will benefit the community, en­
rich their lives, help them with their jobs, 
and enhance their pursuit of happiness.

The library is a great institution. I believe 
in it. I will promote America’s libraries and 
America’s librarians.

For more information about my views; the 
full-text o f many of the dozens of papers I

A

J u s t  as F o rd  h as a n u m b e r o f 

d if fe r e n t  a u to s  t h a t  a re  s o ld  w ith  

v e r y  d is t in c t  p e rs o n a litie s  u n d e r 

th e  Ford  b ran d , lib ra r ie s  can  

p ro m o te  d if fe r e n t  ty p e s  o f 

lib ra rie s  an d  lib ra r y  se rv ic e s  

u s in g  th e  " lib r a r y  b ran d ."

—  W illia m  S a n n w a ld

have written; my years with the Library of 
Congress, the world’s largest research library; 

 as assistant head of the African-Asian Ex­
change Section and as part of the manage­
ment of the processing department and its 
1,500-person staff, complex operations, and 
offices all over the world, see my Web site at 
http: //www.mitch4pres.org.

H aycock: As a member of the ALA Ex­
ecutive Board that commissioned the stud­
ies leading to the @yourlibrary campaign
I am eager to use not only the “brand” but 
also the research results that led to the 
brand: the public values the wide range 
o f resources we offer, that we are “fre e ,” 
and that we provide expert personal as­
sistance— these resonated with all audi­
ences using different types of libraries. The 
@yourlibrary p ro ject also has a second  
com ponent focusing on that expert assis­
tance, the knowledge, skills, and abilities of 
the professional librarian, and this should not 
be overlooked. It is important to ensure that 
the brand is used widely, that associations, 
institutions, and editors are encouraged to 
use it creatively, and that the president stays 
on message if we are to enter the conscious­
ness of critical decision-makers. Please visit 
my Web site at http://www.kenhaycock.com 
for further information.

Sannwald: From a marketing point of 
view, the @your library symbol is a great 
concept. As the pictogram indicating librar­
ies has become universally recognized, this 
campaign will create a “brand mark” for li­
braries, and branding is the most valuable 
commodity to have. In marketing terms, ALA 
is creating brand recognition and it will be 
big if done correctly.

http://www.kenhaycock.com


316 /C & R L N ew s ■ March 2001

Just as Ford has a number of different 
autos that are sold with very distinct person­
alities under the Ford brand, libraries can pro­
mote different types of libraries and library 
services using the “library brand.” For ex­
ample, a public library could announce an 
author program or a university library could 
declare the opening of a computer lab @your 
library. By having all types of libraries use 
the same promotional campaign, the strength 
and visibility of all types of libraries is in­
creased by each individual campaign.

There is some controversy over the use 
of the campaign by library vendors, and this 
issue will need to be resolved. We must pro­
tect our new brand just as Coke and Ford 
protect their brands.

I would use the @your library campaign as 
part of my promotional strategy to let the pub­
lic know the wonderful things that are hap­
pening at all types of libraries, and what a 
great job librarians are doing. The brand mark 
should be part of every promotional piece that 
ALA uses over the five-year campaign. ■

A CRL members running fo r A LA  Council

T he following ACRL members are either nominated or petition candidates for ALA councilor in the spring 2001 elections. ACRL members are encouraged to vote for 
these candidates to increase ACRL’s voice in ALA’s affairs.

Gladys Smiley Bell, assistant director for 
Public Services Harvey Library, Hampton 
University.

Stan ton  F. Biddle, Baruch College, 
CUNY.

Wanda V. Dole, university librarian, 
Washburn University of Topeka.

Tami Echavarria, coordinator of instruc­
tional services, Washburn University of To­
peka.

Patricia Fisher, associate director for 
collection services, University of Denver.

M a u rice  J .  F r e e d m a n , d irecto r, 
Westchester Library System.

Linda Marie Golian, university librar­
ian, Florida Gulf Coast University.

Andrea Morris Gruhl, supervisory li­
brarian, U.S. Government Printing Office, 
Library Programs Service.

Ken Haycock, director, University of 
British Columbia School of Library, Archi­
val, and Information Studies.

Ju lie  G. H uiskam p, coordinator of 
Learning Resources, Wilder Library, North­
east Iowa Community College.

Thomas J . Kemp, library director, Heri­
tage Quest Library.

Jeff Kempe, electronic resources librar­
ian, Williamsburg Regional Library.

Robert Klassen, Arlington, Virginia.

Les Kong, head of public services, Cali­
fornia State University, San Bernadino.

Rosemary Allen Little, politics and law 
librarian, Princeton University.

B ernard A. Margolis, president, Bos­
ton Public Library.

Stephen L. Matthews, librarian/media 
coordinator, Foxcroft School.

Patricia G. Oyler, professor, Simmons 
College Graduate School of Library and In­
formation Science.

Veronda J . Pitchford, member services 
and special project librarian, Chicago Libraiy 
System.

William Sannwald, assistant to the city 
manager, San Diego Public Library.

Sharon A. Saulmon, trustee, Rose State 
College,

Frederick W. Stoss, associate librarian, 
University of Buffalo, SUNY.

Theresa A. Tobin, Humanities Library 
head, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Tom Wilding, director of libraries, Uni­
versity of Texas at Arlington.

Myoung Chung Wilson, reference li­
brarian, Rutgers University.

Marie Turner Wright, associate librar­
ian, Indiana University-Purdue University­
Indianapolis Library.



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