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[Bart J. Stinson, MLS]

Mr. Rosenzweig's intemperate diatribe against Mr. Durant's thoughtful article is Exhibit A of the over-the-top ad hominem attacks that await any independent thinker who strays off ALA's far-left plantation. The ALA Councilor's hyperventilation would be laughable if it weren't so typical of what passes for discourse within our organization.

The ALA leftists' self-indulgence is not cost-free. In addition to losing members like Mr. Durant, and in addition to the extraordinary legal expenses loaded onto the shoulders of our members, the ALA pays the even heavier price of forfeiting credibility and influence we might otherwise have exerted in the policy arena.

We're so busy earning our leftist bona fides that we can't spare the resources and intellectual firepower to make the case for school media specialists. If we were to commit about 20% of our I.F. passion and ink to making the case for school media specialists, their prestige, job security and budgets would be very different today, and student outcomes would reflect credit on our presently disreputable association.

[Randy Stephens]

I wrote earlier that Southern Librarians would be
more likely to be Lackies of the Bougeousie.  I
apolgize.   It was an errant opinion that I had
gained after having made hundreds of sales calls
for data base and political reference compilations
to college, HS, Prep, and private librarians.

To tell the truth, I've been watching C-Span a lot
the past several years and don't even know what
rhetoric is anymore!  Lackies of the Bougeousie is
a term I got out of MAD Magazine years ago.  I am
just now able to pronounce it right.   I don't even
think one can differentiate bougeoursie by either
conservative or liberal criterria anymore.  Besides
that , the the only librarian I ever talked politics
with tried to explain the term "BLUE DOG" Democrat
to me [it means truth through tabulation, I think].  

I am sorry I made the remarks, so now will yall
let me go "online" when I visit your libraries?

[%sig%]

[Rory Litwin, Univ. MN Duluth]

I can't help but notice that this discussion resembles blog and bulletin board discussions outside of academia.  It resembles those discussions in its tone and in its conservative political slant.  This is a format that, for cultural reasons that ought to be explored, is a home for crusading conservative opinion.  This should be considered by readers of the forum.  The mainstream of academic librarians probably don't share the views of most of the people who are posting here.  

I think Durant is a wanna-be Horowitz; at any rate the larger right wing would certainly like to use him to that effect.  

In his blog Durant claims that The Chronicle invited him to write his article.  If that's true I think that's a questionable editorial decision and one that has definite political meaning and potential effects within librarianship.  It is a political move.  And its reception in librarianship shouldn't be judged on the basis of this forum discussion, given the cultural position of this particular format.

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[Stoic Librarian]

Is it time for an alternative organization to the ALA?  One, as was pointed out, that leaves politics aside, for the sake of reading, the First Ammendment, and promoting the profession.

[T. Ciambor, MLS]

Mr. Rosenzweig's radical left scream makes Mr. Durant's point for him. Mr. Rosenzwieg's free speech for me, but not for thee, tirade serves as an embarrassment to everyone in the profession. It proves that ALA is nothing but a shadow of its former self.  It no longer represents a significant portion of the library community.  It is clearly time for organizational reform.  ALA does not need intolerant "councilors" like Mr. Rosenzweig.  His ideology gets in the way of intellectual freedom and free speech.  Perhaps someone at ALA might remember these core elements of a free society that the organization supposedly champions.  Shame on Mr. Rosenzweig and the ALA.  I call for his resignation and the resignation of all ALA "councilors" who cannot support intellectual freedom and free speech.  It is time for reform in an organization that has become blatantly political and obviously intolerant.

[Stephen Denney]

I believe Mr. Durant has a legitimate point about the ALA resolution on Iraq. Personally I think it was a mistake to go in there in the first place, and the Bush administration obviously did not calculate the costs and problems they would encounter after this invasion. But I believe this resolution goes beyond the ALA mandate, and would alienate more conservative members of the association.

On the Patriot Act, on the other hand, this is a perfectly legitimate issue for the ALA to address since it directly affects libraries.

I wonder how representative the ALA council is of the ALA membership as a whole since only a small percentage of members actually vote in the annual elections.

[Stephen Denney]

Our library at U.C. Berkeley has the Cal Thomas book, "Book Burning", published in 1983. According to OCLC, so do 682 other libraries.

[Matthew O'Neil/ Florida]

I too have thought of just that, an association for librarians.  

I fail to see how the ALA serves libraries - look at the Salinas debacle- and I have never seen how the ALA serves librarians.  Although since it is named the American Library Association and not the American Librarian Association I can see why they pay little attention to librarians.  

If the ALA would stick to libraries, (and perhaps librarians) and America then we would be fine.   I belong to the Library Association of Ireland and it manages to keep the focus on libraries, perhaps the ALA could take their cue from them.

I no longer belong to the ALA, it does not advocate for libraries nor librarians.  If it did would I have to work a second job to pay the bills?   Would libraries be closing because their value has not been imprinted in the minds of the voters?  

The ALA sells nice READ posters and makes a fine gathering spot for like minded groupthinkers, but as a professional organization which should have as much influence as the AMA, the ABA,  or even the National Dairy Board in issues related to its core mission it falls short.

However I do enjoy reading the rantings of the Marxist librarian and the others on the SRRT, they are always good for a giggle.

I propose the Association of American Librarians where librarians and libraries come first.

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[T. Ciambor, MLS]

I think Mr. O'Neil has the right idea.  We need to abandon the ALA in favor of a new organization that actually works for libraries and not special interest groups.  Here's to the Association for American Librarians.

[T. Ciambor, MLS]

My, My a little self-righteous aren't we?  I'm "enlightened."  my politics and ideas and profession are based on the "enlightenment."  You have no facts on your side.  You toss around phrasealogy to make a point!  No wonder our profession isn't taken seriously. Oh, enlightened one, I bow before your obvious superior intellect.

[John]

I SECOND the Association of American Librarians.  A great positive step (I believe academic historians produced an alternative group to the AHA(?) as well).  

Actually, I find it somewhat amusing to get a "progresseive librarian" steaming mad just by voicing a conservative opinion- its as if they find it pure torture -they just cannot abide someone holding a different opinion than there own.  I have to laugh at anyone who takes their worldview that seriously.  At a library conference once, I thought an older man was going to have a heart attack- as if I had spouted some religious blasphemy.

For those who believe that conservative librarians are overreacting- have you attended a conference lately?
BTW, my wife is a conservative librarian as well.

[%sig%]

[Martin Raish, BYU-Idaho]

Interesting discussion.  Too much rant, not enough thinking behind many of the posts (on both sides of the issue).  I recall a statement by Robert Frost that might be applicable.  "Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence."  

I hope we can remain calm and confident, and contribute thoughtful comments, for a while longer.

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[Bart]

Brave words from someone who lives off the public dime. Obviously, public monies should just be given to you and your kind, with no accountability. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen for at least 75 years. Pity.

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[KC]

Straw man argument = mischaracterize a person or group   then attack that characterization.  This is a fine example of that.

[Liz, MLIS]

How can politics be ignored by a library when the library's values conflict with political decisions?  Would Mr. Durant choose to "leave politics to the individual" even while books are removed from the shelves and set on fire?  What if patrons are just afraid to read certain books for fear the librarian may tell the 'authorities' and the 'authorities' may search the patron's home?

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