RE: Preaching to the Choir

Let me begin by saying that I do not mean to lose the fact of ASCLA
(The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies);
I mean to come from a different place. I think that we should implement
the task forces and committees within each division and round table of
ALA who should be dealing with access. If neither exists, we should
lobby the division or round table until access is addressed by one of
its committees. The lobbying could be
based in Council support and/or come from the ranks.

These committees on access should report directly to the president of
the division in question, and the chairs should be part of a standing
committee established by the ALA Council. In that way, the
Council-created committee would report and make recommendations to
Council as a normal process. Maybe to spearhead it all, a group of us
needs to put beginning packets together to address the issues. Let's
come at them from all formats . . . and from the turf outside the
class/choir. I think that ASCLA could be there as a (lowkey) resource
for the new committee--maybe have and ex-officio rep on the
committee(?). I suggest that we invite some of the powerful people in
ALA to participate in this process. I'll name names off the list in
working sessions. It would be terrible to forget anyone here. If you
went to the President's session on the future of access in New Orleans,
you know that we want John Berry's advice and help on all of this. He
knows how to put a meeting together that retains audience interest and
clicks right along.

Also, does anyone have a fairly complete list of all the funding
available for disability research and projects? I know, for example,
that some nice chunks of change have appeared in the last year or so for
Learning Disabilities research (University of Colorado, for example). If
we can get it together for the packets, this information will speak
strongly to some. Whatever it takes . . .

Eventually the standing committee would just have to keep Council up to
date on new modes of access desired--by those outside the choir.

That's all for now.    Susan