ALA Updates Policy on Meeting Rooms

For those that don’t know me, my name is Sherry Machones, and one of the many hats I wear at NWLS is Inclusive Services Consultant. I am excited that I will be providing inclusive service consulting for both NWLS and WVLS going forward! I look forward to working with all of you. Now and in the future, you will be able to find all inclusive services resources on the WVLS site.  You will also find monthly updates from me on Digital Lites.

A timely issue has arisen over this past week over the new interpretations of ALA Policy that was voted on last month at the ALA Annual Conference that I wanted to make you aware of. ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Committee strengthened the 1991 “Meeting Rooms: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights” by adding legal citations; expanding the text on the purpose of meetings rooms; and clarifying the description of admission fees. The interpretation cites specific examples of groups that may choose to use meeting rooms. This particular line: “If a library allows charities, non-profits, and sports organizations to discuss their activities in library meeting rooms,” states the interpretation, “then the library cannot exclude religious, social, civic, partisan political, or hate groups from discussing their activities in the same facilities” has made quite the stir in the library community, and has some petitioning ALA to change this stance, even though past court rulings have enforced this interpretation.

When was the last time you have revised your meeting room policy? What are your thoughts on this issue? I’d love to hear them!