To: Carol Brey-Casiano
President, American Library
Association
From: Metro Atlanta
Library Association
January 14, 2005
Dear Ms. Brey-Casiano:
As ALA meets during
Midwinter, I would like to thank you on behalf of the Metro Atlanta Library
Association (MALA) for your efforts to keep MLS education alive and well in
North Georgia. We appreciate your
recent visit to Atlanta on behalf of library education.
People from every
inhabited continent continue to arrive in the metro Atlanta area seeking the
prize of our opportunity and lifestyle. These
people have education and socializing needs that our library community is
charged to serve. Educating
librarians is a vital link in accomplishing this socializing integration.
And yet, metro
Atlanta faces the loss of its only ALA accredited MLS program. The combined efforts of local, state, and national library
associations haven’t persuaded Clark Atlanta University to rethink the
decision to end their MLS program. Yes,
that’s their business. Clark
Atlanta University is a private institution.
They are operating under significant pressure to reduce operating
expenses. The MLS program was not
the only program that Clark Atlanta University is ending to, as stated, cut
costs. This note isn’t intended
to re-open that debate.
The officers of MALA
thank you for your organization’s time and energy in attempting to keep an MLS
program alive and well in our geography. We
applaud your recognition of the sad loss of a Clark Atlanta MLS program devoted
to preserving African American and African-centric bibliographic instruction.
Clark Atlanta’s MLS program was a magnet for MLS students of color from
the USA and many other countries. And,
we want to express profound disappointment with the Clark Atlanta University
board of trustees who would not meet with you last October. Most Atlantans have
a better sense of hospitality.
MALA is confident
that MLS education such as Clark Atlanta’s will return to North Georgia.
We trust that ALA will remain committed in partnership with us to bring the highest quality MLS education to North Georgia.
Best wishes to you in 2005,
Tim Wojcik, president of
the Metro Atlanta Library Association
cc: Walter
D. Broadnax