Not just any meeting, a fall 2022 Virtual Council Meeting

This one's special ...

The ALA Council met to discuss and continue the process for the changes to the ALA Constitution and Bylaws. As we voted the last time to move forward with this change, current policy requires that we meet again for a second Council vote before bringing it to the membership and put the final nail in that coffin.

But...why?

According to the Constitution and Bylaws committee in their report CD 25-25.2, the constitution and bylaws both were observed to have redundancies and lack clarity, causing confusion within some in the organization. So it's the same, yet not the same, and creating an updated governing document is their recommendation.

The new bylaws are still being constructed. Hopefully by next month I'll be able to review them for myself and give you all an update, but at the moment, here is what the C&B committee says to expect, according to their timeline:

• Inital drafts sent to ALA Council beginning in September with informational meetings taking place virtually throughout the fall to get feedback.

• A final version to be presented at January 2023's LibLearnX conference.

• The new bylaws will be sent across ALA membership for everyone to cast their final vote in March with the Spring 2023 Ballot.

And the results....

Council voted unanimously to continue the process, which means it's one more step out the door for the constitution and the ALA Bylaws will get it's overhaul.

Since that was the only item on the agenda, the meeting wrapped up in a record 37 minutes, giving new ALA Councilors false hope that these meetings will never run past the allotted time.

So that's all for now. Check back in a few weeks after I go over what I'm sure is going to be a long and complicated draft. If I have to go back to the current governing documents to compare, I would like treats sent to me on the courier for my pain and suffering.