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AILA Response to ALA Goal 2000

The following goals were developed by the American Indian Library Association (AILA) as a response to the initiative of the American Library Association known as ALA Goal 2000. The initiative focuses on promoting and maintaining open and free a ccess to information.

Goal 1: AILA will be recognized within ALA and its membership, and by other organizations dealing with Native American issues, as a voice for and active participant in promoting the participation of Native Americans in an open and free information society.

Goal 2: In order to achieve goal 1, AILA should investigate and discuss the potential advantages of embarking on a long-range planning process to set goals and measurable objectives.

Goal 3: AILA should explore restructuring and revisions of its bylaws to incorporate strong committee structure. Such revision may encourage more membership participation in the organization, distribute levels of effort among the members, and make responsibilities and tasks clearer.

Goal 4: AILA should plan to initiate an oral history/archival arm through which the records of the Association are created and retained.

Goal 5: AILA has long served as a clearinghouse for information on Native American librarianship. AILA should investigate mechanisms for developing and distributing advice to its constituency. Forums include the preparation of the following types of documents:

  1. bibliographies of recommended readings;
  2. pathfinders to locate information on specific tribal groups;
  3. directories and descriptions of literacy efforts involving Native people;
  4. announcements of projects incorporating uses of information technology in Native librarianship;
  5. position papers that present AILA’s perspective on issues, initiatives, and legislation;
  6. sample documents, such as a sample collection development policy.

Goal 6: AILA officers may consider the adoption of a multiyear presidential theme. Such a theme may allow AILA, through careful coordination and planning, to occupy a visible national role and provide a unifying foundation for AILA efforts.

Goal 7: AILA will participate in and encourage cooperative efforts within ALA and its affiliates to promote cultural diversity issues.

Goal 8: AILA should consider engaging in fund-raising efforts in order to finance recruitment efforts to increase minority representation within the profession, expand membership participation in AILA, recognize publishers and/or uthors whose w orks exemplify the ideals of AILA, and produce publications that promote the mission of AILA.

Goal 9: AILA members should continue to seek leadership roles within AILA, ALA, and in other professional organizations whose interests overlap those of AILA. AILA should explore how it can work effectively with the ALA Washington Office and the ALA Office for Information Technology.

Goal 10: AILA should continue to be a vocal force in combating racial and ethnic stereotypes and racism.

Goal 11: AILA should support efforts that educate library and information science professionals for library service to Native Americans. AILA can continue to develop strong ties to schools of library and information science and assist them in re cruiting Native American students and in developing culturally sensitive and appropriate curriculum for all students.

Excerpted from “Retaining Cultural Identity in a Transformed Future: The American Indian Library Association Response to ALA Goal 2000” by Loriene Roy. In Equal Voices Many Choices: Ethnic Library Organizations Respond to ALA’s Goal 2000. American Library Association , 1997, pp. 25-26.