Can ALA Councilors Discuss Palin? Consternation and Caution

Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 9/4/2008

• As mayor, Palin said to pressure librarian
• ALA leaders caution about political speech
• Should ALA-APA be venue for such discussions 

Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin, as mayor of Wasilla, AK, asked the town librarian to resign and three times discussed removing books from the library—issues that have gotten much media play and reached the electronic mailing lists of the American Library Association (ALA). However, ALA leaders have cautioned that explicit support of candidates might jeopardize ALA’s tax-exempt status, an interpretation which some Councilors suggested is too narrow, and ALA distributed a generic statement about censorship under the misleading subject line “ALA releases statement on Alaska book banning controversy.”

One message came from Alaska Chapter Councilor Charlotte Glover, who wrote on the ALA Council list, “I can tell you that the facts coming out about Sarah Palin are absolutely true. I know the librarian in question and the entire story may never be told as the librarian is guarding her privacy for several reasons, but it is even worse than you can imagine."

She continued, "The active local legislators, including the GOP, really hate Palin right now because she has taken almost all local control from the state budget appropriations. She micro-manages what they request for their communities. They are furious.”

ALA response
ALA associate executive director Mary Ghikas commented, “I do need to remind you that as a 501(c)(3) organization, ALA cannot and cannot allow its resources to be used to support or oppose a candidate for public office. You need to have this discussion in a venue other than an ALA resource.” She cited an ALA elaboration, which pointed out that political speech includes expressing support for or opposition to a candidate or political party.

Glover responded, “Honestly, I wasn't thinking about influencing your vote only to say that the facts speak for themselves and that you need to know that they are indeed, facts, and not tabloid gossip.” (The library director in question, however, hasn’t spoken publicly.)

Several Councilors commented that they thought ALA was being too restrictive. "If ALA employee Leonard Kniffel can discuss Governor Palin's looks and image with [Chicago Tribune] writers for national publication and speak on behalf of the Association, why can't elected members of ALA Council have a discussion on the Council List and share information about the very serious policy implications for libraries and intellectual freedom of Governor Palin's position on those issues?” wrote Council Member James Casey.

ALA executive director Keith Fiels said that staffers are exploring whether the sibling ALA-APA (Allied Professional Association) could be the venue for such discussions:."While we will need some time to review all possibilities, we do expect to have more information - and some possible options - back to Council tomorrow afternoon," he wrote today.

The ALA statement, spokeswoman Macey Morales told LJ, was released in response to a TIME article about Palin's record. The article quoted former Mayor John Stein saying that Palin, a social conservative, wanted to know how the library could ban books with inappropriate language.