Access Services Interest Group

Dear ALA Members,

[apologies if you are receiving this message multiple times; it is being posted in multiple places] 

We are writing to invite you to show your support for a Resolution on ALA Financial Sustainability and Leadership Accountability that will be presented at the ALA Membership Meeting at the 2026 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago this June.

This resolution addresses years of mounting financial concern, including cumulative deficits exceeding $25 million across fiscal years 2024 and 2025, a $7 million deficit budget approved for FY2026, declining membership, and persistent losses in conferences and publishing, and calls for meaningful leadership accountability and corrective action.

The resolution also calls for the restoration of transparency, member inclusion, and the autonomy of ALA's divisions and units, values central to who we are as an association and that align directly with the ALA Strategic Plan, particularly around financial sustainability and organizational accountability.

Importantly, per ALA Policy Manual, Section A, Chapter 16 (https://www.ala.org/aboutala/governance/policymanual), a resolution requires only a mover and a seconder to be brought forward for a vote. Your signature is not required. However, we welcome your endorsement as a demonstration of broad member support for the principles this resolution represents.

To add your name to this resolution, please complete the linked form below. You will be asked to provide your name and ALA member number. Please note that signatories should be current members of the association.

Link to form: (If the link does not work, point your browser to https://forms.gle/MTAFHU8TUQVCpKcM8) 

Thank you for your continued commitment to ALA and to the profession we all serve. The strength of this association has always come from its members, and your voice matters now more than ever.

In solidarity,

Beth McNeil

Trevor A. Dawes

Dear Colleagues,

The resolution is submitted. Thank you to everyone who signed on.

In accordance with ALA guidelines, we submitted the "Resolution on ALA Financial Sustainability and Leadership Accountability" to the ALA Governance Office well ahead of the required deadline. The full resolution, with signatories, is attached.

The ALA Membership Meeting is scheduled for: June 17, 2026 | 1:30 pm PT / 2:30 pm MT / 3:30 pm CT / 4:30 pm ET

Register here - registration is required to attend and to vote.

We have been advised that the ALA Parliamentarian may rule the resolution out of order, in which case it will not be debated at the meeting. We're telling you now so there are no surprises. Either way, we're not measuring success by whether it reaches the floor. The level of engagement this resolution has generated speaks for itself, and we trust that the conversations it has sparked will continue to push ALA toward greater financial transparency and accountability.

All members are welcome to attend and to speak, whether in support or opposition. We look forward to seeing you virtually on June 17.

Trevor A. Dawes and Beth McNeil

Attachment(s)

Resolution on ALA Financial Sustainability and Leadership...pdf   165 KB 1 version