ALA Enters the Outer Limits; Local Libraries Told How to Respond to Fox News and to Report Contacts to the ALA

The American Library Association [ALA] has entered The Outer Limits.  Remember?

There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image, make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to... The Outer Limits.

Well now it is the ALA's turn:

There is nothing wrong with your local library.  Do not attempt to adjust library policy.  We are controlling transmission.  If we wish to make it anything goes, we will make it anything goes.  If we wish to tell your library what to say, we will provide that message.  We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your local library.  You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the ALA in Chicago to... your local library.

Case in point Macey Morales, the ALA's Public Information Office's Media Relations Manager, acting in her official capacity, tells local libraries what to say when Fox News Network calls.  Then the local libraries are ordered, even if politely, to inform the ALA of the contact.  No, I am not making this up:

from reply to to date subject

Macey Morales (mmorales@ala.org) prtalk@ala.org prtalk@ala.org Fri, Jun 25, 2010 at 2:59 PM [prtalk] FOX Network

Hello all,

I've just learned that the FOX Network [sic] has sent a topic query out to all of it's [sic] Owned and Opperated [sic] stations to pursue stories that highlight the reasons why funding should not be cut for public libraries in the age of Google/Internet.

Just in case you are contacted I thought it may be helpful to have messaging on the value of libraries.

Attached are talking points - if needed.

Best,
Macey

from reply to to date subject

Macey Morales (mmorales@ala.org) prtalk@ala.org prtalk@ala.org Fri, Jun 25, 2010 at 3:24 PM [prtalk] RE: FOX Network

Also, please let us know if you are contacted.  We would love to post your story to the news section of the ALA Web site.

Best,
Macey 

A six page list of bullet points entitled "WHY WE NEED LIBRARIES; Talking Points" is included with the first email.  Here is a sample of one credibility-stretching claim:  "Return on investment examples:  Seattle, WA – Visits to the new public library have increased King County tourism.  Increased tourism of one percent yields $1 billion in new economic activity statewide over 25 years."  No, I did not make that up either.

What exactly is wrong if the media calls a local library and gets a response from that local library that is based on local experiences?  Why does the ALA feel the need to "be helpful" by telling local libraries what to say?  Do libraries increase tourism?  What if local librarians all gave the same answers as provided by the ALA?  Do local librarians represent local communities or do they represent the ALA?  Who is reporting to the ALA what Fox News is doing, and why?

Where does the ALA even get the idea in the first place that it can tell local librarians what to say?  If the ALA values local control and privacy so much, why is it ordering the local librarians to report all media contacts to the ALA?  Where does the ALA even get the idea in the first place that it can tell local librarians to report to the ALA any media contacts?

I understand the ALA's action may be typical organizational behavior, but local libraries are not part of the ALA organization.

Tell me if this does not sound weird:  I've just learned that the ALA has sent a topic query out to all local libraries to respond to the media with ALA-generated answers, then report to the ALA on those media contacts.  Just in case you are contacted, I thought it may be helpful to have messaging on how the ALA controls local community libraries.  Please let SafeLibraries know if you are contacted.  We would love to post your story on the SafeLibraries blog.

I can't tell if the ALA is in The Outer Limits or The Twilight Zone.  Certainly its leadership evidences the ALA uses its position to request local libraries to do what the ALA suggests.  "There is nothing wrong with your local library.  Do not attempt to adjust library policy.  We are controlling transmission.  We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your local library.  You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the ALA in Chicago to... your local library."

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