In 1995, Illinois public library referenda had a 90% success rate. Ten years later, the rate has dropped to 38%, one of the lowest since these data were kept in the mid-seventies. (Adams and Bradley) Historically local economies were entirely to blame. This still holds true to a degree however public perception must now also be considered in an era when appropriateness and community standards are no longer applied to collections and services.

The new reality is that many parents feel they can no longer entrust their children to the library much like the homeschooling movement with public schools. But who has changed? The parents or the libraries? I say the libraries.

Getting back to the basics with my three R's.

Return to apolitical tradition

Public pronouncements on various and sundry non-library issues as economic rights, Cuba and the environment are a surefire way to alienate at least half of any given public library constituency. The wisdom of a very successful not-for-profit fundraiser I know, "Never show your politics". Stakeholders today are more politically engaged. Public libraries are now feeling the affect of ALA's move from stewardship to liberal advocacy. My advice for a good start for change. Cease this Patriot Act hysteria and dissolve the SRRT and GLBT roundtables ASAP.

Reasonability with parental concerns

Without parental support, public libraries will have a very bleak future. It's obviously heading that way in Illinois. ALA must be seen as a partner to parents, not an accomplice for children. Parents, most that is, want two things; the right to know what their children are reading and viewing, and something to address Internet smut. It's a public relations disaster to insist now that parents supervise their children, those old enough to read and behave accordingly, at the library.

Drop the "free and open access" mantra with the Web. This is not only a myth, but a sure loser with parents. Seventy percent of Illinois public libraries, at the urging of ALA, do not have internet filters (Library Research Center, U of Illinois). And what was their referenda success rate in '05? Will Manley said, "In public we preach full access; in private we censor. We get away with this because we call our censorship 'selection'."

Recognize the importance of public perception

Election eve Fahrenheit 9/11 screenings and Gay Pride exhibits will always make press and are a recipe for referenda disaster. If ALAWON Updates insist on pushing ALA members to continue this flavor of "activism", then financial considerations should be in order for lost public support at the polls. (This would also be the right thing to do for cash-strapped libraries following ALA's recommendation to pass on federal subsidies with CIPA compliance). The issue of moral clarity, however painful for ALA, must be recognized if public libraries hope to recover public support. Recognize this or fail.