At the January 2013 midwinter ALA Council meeting, Council voted to place a proposed dues change on the 2013 ballot. The change would allow the ALA Executive Board to raise dues each year by an amount no greater than the Consumer Price Index without having to go back to the membership. The proposal also has a sunset provision requiring the membership to vote after 5 years to reapprove this authority.
The proposed authority does not require the ALA Executive Board to raise dues, it just gives them the ability to do so, if they feel it is needed. In the current structure, periodically Council comes to membership for any needed increases. Because of this requirement, the increases tend to be significant when they do finally come. Under the new structure ALA could implement smaller increases to keep pace with inflation and maintain ALA’s financial health.
I urge everyone to support this change in the dues structure when it shows up on the ballot this spring.
Jane Sessa
Chapter Councillor
jtsessa {at} verizon (dot) net
