For this assignment I reviewed Volume I (1970) and Volume II (1971) of American Libraries.
I have listed events reported in each volume below. Several of the events I have noted occurred in 1969 but were not reported until the following year. I must admit that I was struck at how timely many of these articles seem even thirty years after they were published. Many of these issues are still at the forefront of discussion today.

January 1970: C. Walter Stone, "AV Task Force Survey Report."
AV Needs of Special Populations: The ALA Task Force Audiovisual Committee releases its special report for consideration by the association. The report lists the committee's top five priorities based on six regional conferences and a member survey., and ranked fifth was "library response to the challenge of mental retardation." It urges the establishment of library programs to fill the needs of the mentally retarded in schools, institutions and public libraries. The report also stresses the use of various media such as AV, closed-captioning, braille and taped books to fill the needs of other handicapped users. (pp. 40-44)

February 1970: "Know Your ALA Program."
Reaching High School Dropouts: Children's Services Division Library Committee proposes the expansion of the Jaycee's "Good Reading" Program, which provides children's books to book fairs. The new program, Project "Operation Opportunity," is aimed at promoting reading among high school dropouts.. (p. 154)

Library Trustees and the Disadvantaged: The American Library Trustee Association Special Committee on Library Service to the Disadvantaged is launched at the June 1969 Atlantic City ALA convention. "Project Every Library Board" urges trustees to pay special attention to service to the entire community. The group has prepared over 500 kits of materials for libraries and has conducted workshop for library trustees in several states. (p. 156)

March 1970: "Midwinter 1970: The Neo-Establishment Talkfest," Gerald D. Shields, ed.
Black Caucus Established: A Black Caucus is formed at the midwinter ALA convention (Jan. 1970). Made up of 98 percent of the African-American librarians at the convention, its stated purpose is "evaluating progress being made by the Association in fulfilling its social and professional responsibilities to minority groups in this profession and in the nation." The caucus presents a resolution urging the ALA to condemn libraries who allow their services to support segregationist academies that have been set up to thwart desegregation efforts. The resolution is passed. (pp. 225-228)

"Memo to Members," Gerald D. Shields, ed.
Materials for American Indians: The Adult Library Materials Committee has established a subcommittee to study materials and services available to the American Indian community. (p. 252)

March 1970: "Know Your ALA Program: 68-69," Gerald D. Shields, ed.
ALA Lobbies for Increased Federal Funding: The ALA was active throughout 1969 in lobbying Congress and the President to approve library funding under Title II (elementary and Secondary Education Act and Higher Education Act) and the Library Services and Construction Act. This included a nationwide campaign launched during Library Week to gain support against budget reductions, as well as a "March on Washington" on July 9, 1969 to lobby Congress, and a meeting at the White House sponsored by ALTA on October 21, 1969. The bills are eventually approved.

"Guidelines for Library Service to the Institutionalized Aging," Dorothy Romani.
Services for the Institutionalized Elderly: This article reports on the work of several ALA committees devoted to expanding services to the institutionalized aging. These include:

1964 -- establishment of the ALA Committee on Library Service to an Aging Population of the Adult Services Division.
Jan., 1970 -- submission by the board of the Association of Hospital and Institutional Libraries of a revised statement of responsibility.
Jan. 1970 -- ALA Committee on Library Service to an Aging Population proposes the establishment of a training institute for librarians seeking to expand services to the elderly; the Adult Services Committee approves this, and an institute is established at Wayne State University, OH.
(pp. 286-288)

April 1970: " Memo to Members"
Aids for the Disabled: Reports on the establishment at the Jan. 1970 midwinter convention of an Aids for the Disabled subcommittee which listed a dozen areas of concern as well as four areas of design criteria to be analyzed.

June 1970: "Memo to Members"
Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired: Reports ALA Library Technology Program participation at the April 1970 conference of the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped. The conference sought to establish viable standards for reading materials for the blind and visually handicapped.

July 1970: "Another Opening, Another Show: Detroit 1970"
Focus on Needs of African-Americans: Various events at the ALA convention are described.

The keynote speaker was legislator Julian Bond, who stressed the importance of understanding and documenting the "black experience" in order to make libraries relevant to all of their users. Other speakers, including author Alex Haley, echoes this theme.

The Reference Services Division History Section presented a panel on "Black History and Libraries" which emphasized the importance of providing resources for black studies and encouraged the establishment of a clearinghouse to gather information on related bibliographic projects. (p. 667)

Library Service to the Disadvantaged and Underserved: The ALA membership voted to create an ALA Office for Library Service to the Disadvantaged and Underserved. "Disadvantaged" was defined by the Joint Committee on Education for Library Service to the Disadvantaged as "people who by reason of health, age, poverty, lack of education, or minority group oppression, or any combination of these factors are not able to use normal library services or are reluctant to use them." (p. 677) The committee proposed a five-part research project on educating librarians to serve the disadvantaged.

September 1970: "Of Note"
Service to African-Community: The ALA Black Caucus awards ifs first Award for Distinguished Service to Librarianship to Clara S. Jones, director of the Detroit Public Library, for expanding services to the city's African-American population, in particularly young people. (p. 734) These programs are detailed in Faith T. Murdoch's article "A Commitment to Achievement: Detroit's Neighborhood Educational Project" (pp. 758-761)

"Highlights of the Annual Conference: June 28-July 4, 1970"
Understanding and Serving All Communities: Dr. Leonard Borman, anthropologist and social worker, addresses the Adult Services Division, the Public Library Association, and the Reference Services Division. His keynote address, entitled "Understanding and Satisfying the Library User," addresses how librarians must be aware of the diverse needs of the many varied cultural groups they serve.

A special presentation entitled "Do It! Serve All the People!" emphasized opening up the library's walls and expanding services to all members of the community, including student groups, substance abusers, and ethnic minorities. (p. 791)

Social Needs of the Elderly: The Association of Hospital and Institution Libraries hosted a luncheon for Dr. Wilma Donohue, a specialist on the needs of the elderly. She emphasized how important the library was as a social institution as well as a learning institution. (p. 793)

November 1970: "Of Note"
Gay Task Force: September 13, 1970 -- The Gay Task Force of the Social Responsibilities Round Table establishes its goals. These include not only gay political and social liberation but to "provide bibliographic resources for libraries, individuals and organizations." The Task Force emphasized the need for objective material about homosexuality, and making it available to all users, including young people. They advocate removing "the unforgivable obstacles encountered everywhere by Americans who seek such knowledge."
(p. 1013)

March 1971: "Headin' for the Last Roundup"
Social Responsibilities in Libraries: January 1971: The Social Responsibilities in Libraries Round Table meets at the Midwinter Conference in Los Angeles and creates several new task forces. These were to study problems associated with providing library services to groups including Native Americans and prisoners. (p. 245)

June 1971: "Guidelines for Evaluation of Indian Materials for Adults," June S. Smith
Guidelines on Evaluating Native American Materials: The Adult Services Subcommittee on Indian Materials releases a set of guidelines for evaluating materials for adults on Native Americans. These include three basic guidelines covering realism, fairness, and accuracy, and ten additional guidelines covering technical areas. The committee stresses the importance of librarians to be open-minded and well-informed when acquiring materials int his area. (pp. 610-611)

September 1971: "Of Note"
ALA Supports White House Conference on Aging: ALA announces its support of the White House Conference on Aging, to be held November 28-December 3. Although ALA originally intended to take a more active role in the conference, it now plans to simply sponsor an exhibit highlighting "the continuing commitment of libraries to library service for the aging." (p. 771, 861)

September 1971: "Highlights of the Annual Conference"
Library Service for the Disadvantaged and Unserved: June 1971 -- ALA membership approves the establishment of an Office of Library Service for the Disadvantaged and Underserved to "act as a clearinghouse for information and a designer of policy for service to the urban poor and rural poor." (p. 802, 805)

Service to Nonethnic Minorities: June 1971-- The ALA membership approves a resolution made by the SRRT Task Force on Gay Liberation to include "nonethnic minorities" such as homosexuals in ALA's minority programs. The resolution seeks the end of discrimination in service to as well as employment of all minorities, "ethnic, sexual, religious, or any other kind." (p. 805)

October 1971: "A Cultural Exchange"
Promoting Library Service to the Native American: The Social Responsibility Round Table Task Force on the American Indian presented a program at the June 1971 conference to promote library service to Native Americans. The program also encouraged cultural exchanges among various Native American communities and the white majority.

"ASD Special Report: Public Library Service to the Aging," Genevieve M. Casey
Public Library Service to the Aging: The Adult Services Division releases a special report in conjunction with the White House Conference on Aging. The report notes the lack of hard data on public library services and the elderly, and urges more public awareness of library programming available for this segment of the population. The committee urges public libraries to become more sensitive to the needs of the elderly and to get them more involved in library programs.