ALA Finances 101
(AKA BARC Financial Planning Seminar)
The Operating Agreement
2006 Midwinter Meeting
San Antonio, TX
Friday, January 20
Marriott Rivercenter, Salon A
1:30–4:30 p.m.
ALA Policy 6.4: Divisions
Better known as:
The “Operating Agreement”
Policy 6.4: Divisions
Approved by the ALA Council on June 28, 1989, in Dallas, Texas
What is in the Operating Agreement?
- 3½ pages in the Handbook of Organization
- 5 guiding principles or values
- Procedures
- Practices
- Provisions
- Protections
Principles & Values
- Unity—“ALA is one association”
- “Divisions and all other units of ALA are inextricably linked…”
- “…the Divisions serve the American Library Association as a whole”
- “By supporting Division operations…ALA gives tangible evidence of its recognition of the importance of divisions …”
Additional Values
- Diversity—“ALA has a stake in the work of each of its Divisions.”
- Authority—“ALA delegates to each Division authority…in designated areas.”
- Autonomy–“Divisions are best able to carry out their missions when their members have the autonomy, independence, and freedom to pursue goals and objectives of particular concern to them…”
The Fifth Value
- Collaboration/Cooperation—“ALA and its Divisions have opportunities…to stimulate and build on one another’s strengths and resources to advance shared, as well as diverse, goals.”
Procedures
Annual review of Policy 6.4
- A shared responsibility
- ALA management
- BARC, representing ALA members
- Division leaders
- Division executive directors
- Responsibility of BARC to initiate review
- Midwinter BARC/Divisions meeting
- At Annual Conference a standing item on PBA agenda
- BARC depends upon the divisions to set that agenda
Procedures
Operational Practices
- Nuts-and-bolts implementation of 6.4
- Developed collaboratively by ALA management and Division executive directors
Practices
- ALA basic services
- Division Basic Services
- Overhead
- Mandated services
Practices—Mandated Services
In the sprit of the five shared values, Divisions must use certain ALA services:
- Human Resources
- Membership Services,
- Telephone
- Purchasing
- Fiscal Services Department
- Legal Counsel
- Office space
Practices—ALA Basic Services
- American Libraries
- Accreditation
- ALA library services
- Government relations (e.g., Washington Office)
- Intellectual Freedom
- Awards & scholarships
Practices—Division Basic Services
- Journal, newsletter
- Membership promotion & retention
- Awards & Scholarships
- Your staff!
Practices—Overhead
Divisions pay overhead to ALA
- For revenue-generating operations
- Based on a study conducted annually
- Building, utilities, services, etc.
Provisions—ALA to the Divisions
- Office space
- Telephone
- Basic furniture and equipment
- Equipment maintenance
- Personnel services
- Purchasing
- Data processing
- Member services
- Public Information services
- Fiscal services
- Copyright services
Provisions—Collaboration
- Publications—ALA Publishing has right of first consideration
- ALA Publishing Services pays royalties on division publications
- ALA markets audio recordings of Conference programs and pays royalties to Divisions
Provisions—ALA to the Divisions: Conferences
- Staff travel costs
- Meeting rooms
- Office space at conference site
- Exhibit space at Annual Conference
- Equipment (including cost of labor)
- Microphone
$35
plus labor and taxes
- Data line
$600-$850
plus labor and taxes
- LCD projector
$1,000
plus labor and taxes
So please ask—
Is every piece of this AV equipment really necessary?
Provisions—Where Divisions are Self-reliant
- Division personnel
- Furniture and equipment purchased by the divisions for their exclusive use
- Projects not specified in Policy 6.4
- Endowments
Protections
Budget review
- Internal within Division
- BARC & ALA management
Small Divisions
- Subsidy, up to 50% of operating expenses
- ALTA & ASCLA
Implications
Know what 6.4 says and does!
- Communicate
- Communicate!
- Communicate!!!
- Shared responsibility
- Division leaders and Division staff
- ALA senior management
- BARC
It is a living document!
It is NOT carved in stone!
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