Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 16:32:10 -0500
From: Karen Muller <kmuller@ALA.ORG>
Subject: ALA MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

Forwarded on behalf of the ALA Presidential Task Force on Membership Meetings

July, 2000

Have you ever thrown a party and had no one show up?  ALA has at the last
few conference membership meetings.  The quorum of 600 members has not been
reached so we were unable to conduct official business of the association.
The ALA Council has been concerned about this since the membership
meeting is an important forum for all members to participate in the
process of association business.

This Spring ALA President Sarah Ann Long appointed an ALA Presidential
Task Force on Membership Meetings to find solutions and answers to
this troubling problem.  I was appointed to chair this group.  We have
sought some early input into this situation in several member venues.
As a result there are changes for this July's Annual Conference which
includes times of meetings and emphasis.

Membership I is scheduled for Saturday, July 8 from 4 p.m. until 5 p.m.
immediately pre-ceding the Opening General Session, 5:30 to 7pm, MCC,
North Hall.  Membership II is scheduled for Monday from 11 a.m. until Noon.
Both Membership Meetings will be held in the South Building at McCormick
Place Convention Center, Vista Ballroom.  The Task Force has heard many
times that if there is an issue that needs discussing, members will attend.
We think there are several issues members want to discuss, and have placed
one on each open agenda with plenty of room for additional topics.

At Membership I the featured discussions will be the draft reports of the
ALA Education Task Force on External Accreditation and the Core Values
Task Force.  At Membership II on Monday we are inviting discussion
concerning the ALA statement on filtering.  At both sessions Council
members and members representing groups dealing with the issues in
committee will be on hand to listen and react to questions.

However, it is important to remember that the agendas for these
meetings ARE NOT CLOSED, NOR ARE THEY NEARLY FILLED. There have been
many issues on ALA list-serves this Spring that members appear to be
passionate about that may be added.  A minimum amount of time on the
agenda will be devoted to procedural activities. The ALA Council
Resolutions Committee will be on hand to help members draft
resolutions they wish sent to Council.  There will even be free
conference registrations for San Francisco given aways and reserved
seating for the Opening General Session to follow Membership I on Saturday.

Help us help you have your issues heard and discussed.
If you are a new association member, veteran member, listener or
talker, there will be something for you at these meetings that goes
to the heart of your obligation as an engaged association member.

Kent Oliver, ALA Presidential Task Force on Membership Meetings, Chair