ALA members approve dues increase

Contact: Mark Gould


Director, Public Information Office


312-280-5042


mgould@ala.org

For Immediate Release


May 1, 2006

ALA members approve dues increase

(CHICAGO) The American Library Association (ALA) today announced that members endorsed a proposal to increase personal membership dues. Just over 14,690 members cast their ballots in the 2006 ALA election, and the dues proposal passed with 7,876 "yes" votes over 6,220 "no" votes.

"This is a vote of confidence in the work of the Association and the goals of ALA Ahead to 2010," said ALA President Michael Gorman. "These additional funds will ensure that ALA - and by that I mean all our members - will be able to be even more effective than we have been in the past on issues such as advocacy and the protection of constitutional rights. I look forward to the complete implementation of the vision in our strategic plan."

ALA Ahead to 2010 , which was developed with input from more than 20,000 members, emphasizes advocacy-including building public awareness of the value of libraries and librarians, research to document the value of libraries, legislative advocacy at the national level, and support for grassroots advocacy at the state and local levels. It also calls for the association to strengthen its efforts in important areas such as intellectual freedom, literacy, diversity, equitable access to information and continuing education.

As of September 2006, ALA regular members will pay $10 more per year over a three-year period. Other members will pay smaller increases. The salary threshold for a lower dues rate will be increased from $20,000 to $25,000. ALA also will begin providing an option for installment payments by credit card in September.

For more ALA election results, please go online to:
www.ala.org/2006election.