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Ways to integrate ALA's structures and governance?

  • 1.  Ways to integrate ALA's structures and governance?

    Posted Jan 27, 2021 12:57 PM
    I was very inspired by this last midwinter Council Sessions and Fora. 
    To continue the conversation about ways to integrate ALA's structures and governance...  If we can find a way to become One ALA we must overcome a major issue/opportunity as seen in all the reports: Need to break down silos, while maintaining library-job specific insights and support.  Business librarians have different needs of ALA than Catalogers or School Librarians.
    While looking at models of associations, we might need to look at other models.  I was thinking of other governance models, where unity of different geographic/subjects under a general/broader organization. 
    AMA (Medical) - more like ALA-APA where AMA focus on the professional, not their type of medicine. Medical specialties have their own Associations.  This model would spin off the Divisions.
     
    Bar (Law) - More like (us). Leadership has 43 member Board of Governors (ED), nearly 600 members House of Delegates (Council), President (same as ALA), Officers (not in ALA), Section Officers Conference (not in ALA), Office of the Treasurer (same as ALA).  If we scale to ABA, maybe a model.  Only 6 Delegates At large, but more from the districts (chapters) and sections (division) in the House of Delegates. Here are their Constitution and Bylaws
     
    United States of America- One Central Federal Government with 50 geographically different states.  Needs and  responsibilities called Federalism and a monetary agreement (income tax [dues] coming in and block grants [support] going out).  With states which have unique needs being able to set their own tax rates.  In this model the Federal government ("big ALA") would take care like the values of ALA and the states (Divisions and Roundtables) would take care of the needs of the citizens.
     
    I agree with Tracie Hall, we need to change our mindset- so let's keep throwing out ideas.
     
    Jennifer Boettcher, Councilor At Large


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    [Jennifer] [Boettcher]
    Business Reference Librarian
    boettcher@georgetown.edu
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